In the summer season, there is a common question asked by many people, especially women. How to tone up flabby arms? If someone has Flabby arms sometime s/he feels a little ashamed because of their appearance especially if they like wearing those T-shirts, strappy dresses or sleeveless tops. There are two reasons for flabby arms, one is being overweight and the other reason is loss of tone to the muscles at the back of the arm, the triceps muscle. There are three main muscle groups in the upper arms: deltoids are high up on the outer part of the arms, up and over the shoulders; biceps are on the inner/front part of the upper arms; and triceps are on the upper back part of the arms. Plank pose (Ardha Chaturanga Dandasana) is very effective arm- toning exercise which incorporates movements for all three of these important muscle groups. Plank pose (Ardha Chaturanga Dandasana) will not only burn extra fat but also strengthens and tones the arms muscles so your strong and toned arms will allow you to wear your favourite dresses with confidence and they make the rest of your life easier, by enabling you to lift and carry things like groceries, babies, packages etc.
Begin with Plank Pose (Ardha Chaturanga Dandasana); Get down on your hands and knees. Exhale and slowly stretch one leg back so that the knee is straight. With the next exhalation, place your other leg beside it. Your feet should be about 6 to 8 inches apart, and your toes curled under. Balance on your hands and your feet. Breath has not to be hold in this pose. Gaze down between your hands and Make sure that your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. Do not allow your hips and butt to sag too low or poke too high. Hold this pose for 15 seconds to 2 minutes and come down by bending your knees and sitting back on the floor. Repeat this pose up to three times. It can take some time to build up enough strength to hold the pose for more than 15 seconds so be careful not to over-stress your arms and shoulders. This asana also develops and strengthens core strength and abdominal muscles. There are a few advanced variations to this pose. In the one of the variations, technique and duration will remain same as I mentioned above but lift your one leg up and hold the pose. After this repeat it by lifting the other leg. This can put more pressure on the lower back, so be careful when using this variation. Do not practice Plank Pose if you are suffering a wrist injury, especially from repetitive strain injury.