Logan Steele
Sagging breasts are a natural part of ageing that can be a source of anxiety for some women. While breasts do not contain muscle, there are muscles behind them that can be exercised to make the breasts appear firmer and perkier. In addition to exercises, there are natural remedies and lifestyle changes that can be adopted to help prevent or minimise the effects of sagging.
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What You'll Learn
Exercises to target chest muscles
While breasts do not contain muscles, the chest muscles beneath them can be exercised to improve the overall appearance of your chest. Here are some exercises that target these chest muscles:
Chest Press
The chest press focuses on the chest and pectoral muscles and engages the arms, shoulders, and core. Lie down with your back flat on a mat, bench, or stability ball. Keep your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and raise your arms above your chest until the dumbbells touch. Your palms should be facing your feet. Slowly lower your arms by bending your elbows until they reach a 90-degree angle.
Chest Fly
The chest fly is similar to the chest press, engaging the chest, shoulder, and arm muscles, and improving flexibility and coordination. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, raising your arms above your chest with your palms facing each other and elbows slightly bent. Slowly lower your arms in an arcing motion until your elbows align with your chest, then push your arms back up until you return to the starting position.
Plank with Dynamic Movement
Start in a plank position with your head and neck neutral and your hands stacked under your shoulders. Keep your lower back straight and your core tight. Lift your right hand and right foot off the ground and "step" to the right. This is one rep. Complete 10 "steps" to the right, then switch sides and make your way back to the starting point, stepping with your left hand and left foot. Repeat three sets.
Push-ups
Push-ups are a great whole-body exercise that targets the pectoral muscles. If a standard push-up is too challenging, try dropping to your knees.
Bench Press with Dumbbells
Using dumbbells instead of a barbell allows for a greater range of motion. Start by sitting on the end of a bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Lie down on the bench with your back flat, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor. Bring your upper arms out to your sides, parallel to the floor, and bend your elbows so the weights are parallel to your upper arms. Brace your core and begin to extend your arms, pushing the dumbbells away from the floor up toward the midline of your body. When your arms are fully extended, pause and begin to lower the weights back down to the starting position. This is one rep.
In addition to these exercises, maintaining good posture can help evenly distribute body weight and prevent sagging. Staying hydrated and eating a balanced diet can also help maintain healthy skin and body weight, which can indirectly affect breast firmness.
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Push-ups
To perform a standard push-up, start in a plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than your shoulders. Your body should form a straight line from your head down to your feet. If you are unable to do a full plank, you can start on your knees or position yourself on all fours, with your hands and knees on the ground. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your knees, and your feet should be lifted slightly off the ground.
Slowly lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows. Push yourself back up to the starting position. This is one rep. You can aim for three sets of 12 reps.
To make the exercise more challenging, you can place your feet on a chair or an exercise ball. This will increase the difficulty and require more effort from your chest and core muscles.
If you are unable to push yourself up from the floor, you can try negative push-ups. Start from a plank position and slowly lower yourself to the floor. Then, set yourself back into a plank position and repeat the process. As you get stronger, you will be able to perform full push-ups.
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Dumbbell and bench press
Dumbbell Chest Press
To perform a dumbbell chest press, lie on your back on a bench with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your palms facing your feet. Bring the dumbbells together above your chest, then slowly lower them in an arc until your elbows align with your chest. Push the dumbbells back up until they meet above your chest again. This is one rep. Aim for three sets of 12 reps.
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
The incline dumbbell chest press is a variation of the dumbbell chest press. Adjust the bench to an inclined position at an angle of 30-45 degrees. Lie on your back on the bench with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your palms facing your feet. Push the dumbbells straight up until they touch above your chest, then slowly lower them back down until your arms are slightly past parallel with the floor. This is one rep. Aim for three sets of 8-12 reps.
Dumbbell Pullover
The dumbbell pullover can be performed using a bench. Lie on your back on the bench with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold one dumbbell with both hands and extend your arms straight above your chest. Keeping your arms straight, slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head until you feel a stretch in your chest. Then, bring the dumbbell back up to the starting position. This is one rep. Aim for three sets of 12 reps.
Plank with Dumbbells
Start in a plank position with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your feet hip-distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Rotate your body to the right to move into a side plank position, with your legs stacked and your right arm raised above you. Place your right arm back down and return to the plank position. This is one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.
Warm-up
Before performing these exercises, it is important to warm up with some light cardio for 5 minutes. You can also perform some basic plank exercises to strengthen your core and improve your posture, which will help with your chest workout.
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Back exercises
While breasts do not contain any muscles, the muscles around them can be exercised to give the breasts a lifted and firmer appearance.
Dumbbell Chest Press
Lie down with your back flat on a bench, exercise mat, or stability ball. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and raise your arms above your chest until the dumbbells touch. Your palms should be facing your feet. Slowly lower the weights by bending your elbows until your arms reach a 90-degree angle. Pause, and then begin to extend your arms, pushing the weights back up.
Dumbbell Chest Fly
Similar to the chest press, this exercise engages the chest, shoulder, and arm muscles, improving flexibility and coordination. Lie flat on your back on a bench with two light dumbbells in your hands. Lift your arms above your chest while looking at the ceiling. Inhale and bring your arms back down in a controlled manner. Your arms should go lower than your shoulder level.
Plank
Start in a plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than your shoulders, your head and neck neutral, and your core tight. Keeping your lower back straight, lift your right hand and right foot off the ground and take a "step" to the right. This is one rep. Complete 10 steps to the right, then switch sides and make your way back to the starting point, stepping with your left hand and left foot.
Push-ups
One of the best whole-body bodyweight exercises, push-ups target the pectoral muscles. If a standard push-up is too challenging, try dropping to your knees. You can also increase the difficulty by resting your feet on a chair or an exercise ball.
Cobra Pose
Lie on your stomach with your legs extended and the tops of your feet resting on the floor. Place your hands directly under your shoulders with your elbows tucked in. Begin to lift your head and chest off the ground while drawing your shoulders back and keeping your neck neutral. Hold the pose for 30 seconds and return to the starting position.
It is important to note that while these exercises can help improve the appearance of your breasts, they will not change the breasts themselves. For more significant changes, you may need to consider surgical options or invest in supportive underwear.
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Maintaining good posture
Keep your back straight and your shoulders back: Focus on keeping your spine straight and upright, with your shoulders relaxed and back. This distributes your body weight evenly and reduces strain on your breast tissue and muscles. Good posture helps protect against sagging caused by hunching or slouching, which can cause your breasts to hang forward and put pressure on the breast tissue.
Engage your core: Strengthening your core muscles can help improve your posture and support your spine. Try exercises like plank, bridge, and pilates to target your core and promote better posture.
Strengthen your back muscles: Weak back muscles can contribute to poor posture. Include exercises that target your upper and lower back, such as rows, pull-ups, and deadlifts. This will help you stand taller and improve your overall posture.
Be mindful of your daily activities: Pay attention to your posture throughout the day. When sitting, ensure your back is supported, and avoid slouching or hunching over your desk. When standing, imagine a string gently pulling your spine upwards, helping you maintain a straight and upright posture.
Practice chest-opening exercises: Incorporate exercises that open up your chest and improve your posture. Yoga poses like cobra, upward-facing dog, and wheel pose can help stretch and strengthen your chest and shoulder muscles, promoting better posture.
Good posture not only helps prevent breast sagging but also has numerous other health benefits, including reducing back and neck pain, improving breathing, and enhancing your overall appearance.
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Frequently asked questions
Although breasts themselves don't contain muscle, exercising the muscles behind them can make them appear firmer and perkier. Try doing chest presses with dumbbells or weights to build the muscles in your chest wall.
Try doing push-ups, starting on your knees and then progressing to your toes. You can also do dumbbell presses and bench presses, or try the exercises outlined by Susanna Kalnes: lie on your back on a bench, step or ball with your knees bent and push the dumbbells away before bringing them down to your sides.
Susanna Kalnes recommends trying to do 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps of each move, 3 times a week with at least a day off in between.
Yes, you can also focus on improving your posture by keeping your back straight and your shoulders back to help protect against sagging. You can also invest in a quality, properly fitted bra to reduce the strain on your breasts' supporting tissues and muscles.
Exercise will not make your breasts look fuller, but it can add dimension, cleavage and structure beneath the breast. If you want them to look fuller, try gaining some weight.
