One of the biggest challenges to losing weight is sticking to your food plan. But if you’ve got a lot of weight to lose, the second biggest challenge is how to prevent loose skin during weight loss. Let’s face it. Nobody wants to look like a bag of saggy skin after putting in the hard work of finding the right food plan and eating right.

Abstaining from binge food takes so much self-discipline. In the end, you want to look fabulous, right?  So how can you prevent excess skin during weight loss? I’ll give you some tips I used when I initially lost 100 pounds to prevent loose skin during my weight loss journey.

But First, Do I Have to Exercise?

Yes, you do. Sorry, but there’s no getting around it. Unfortunately, we live in an instant gratification society. We want to be able to eat whatever we want, whenever we want and still have thin thighs.
Not going to happen.

If you’re hoping to enhance your weight loss, maintain it, and prevent excess skin during weight loss, you’re going to have to exercise. I’m not just talking about walking around the block either.  In addition to exercise being crucial to the prevention of sagging skin, exercise is healthy for you. In fact, here’s a list of some awesome benefits of regular exercise:

• Toned Body
• High Energy
• Better Sleep
• Osteoporosis Prevention
• Better Blood Circulation
• Superb Elixir For Depression
• Makes You Feel Sexy

More importantly, exercise helps prevent loose skin during weight loss!

So What Kind of Exercises Should You Do To Prevent Loose Skin?

There are two types of exercise you should engage in regularly. The first type of exercise you should do is aerobic exercise. The second type of exercise you should do is weight-bearing. Both are crucial to preventing saggy skin.

Types of Aerobic Exercise You Can Do

Option #1: Treadmill

I think it’s important to participate in the kinds of exercises you like. If you don’t like what you’re doing, chances are, you won’t do it. Personally, I love the treadmill. I’m not a runner. Far from it. But I still get the benefits of a vigorous “walk” on the treadmill.
First, it’s important to find a speed that’s comfortable for you.

Speed and Incline

When I first started on the treadmill, I started at a speed of 2.0 and an incline of 1.0 for 30 minutes 7 days a week. Speed and incline make a huge difference. Once I built up my energy and endurance, I gradually increased my speed in .5 increments.

I currently love to power walk at 3.5 at an incline of 2.0. I sometimes power walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes.

Everyone’s different. As you progress, your incline and speed will increase. I don’t like to run. In fact, I hate it. So I don’t do it. I prefer to walk very briskly at a higher incline. If you’re physically challenged and can’t walk, you can opt to use a recumbent bike.

Option #2 Recumbent Bikes

Whenever I don’t feel like walking on the treadmill, I use the recumbent bikes at my gym. Recumbent bikes are a great option because you get to sit while riding. I still bike for 30 minutes. And I adjust the incline and speed according to my physical ability.
There are other ways to get your blood flowing through aerobic exercise too.

For example, you can take any number of classes, or you can use the Elliptical. Even if you don’t have a personal trainer, which you don’t need, there are plenty of them on the gym floor. Just ask one of them to show you how to use these machines.

Weight Bearing Exercises to Prevent Loose Skin During Weight Loss

So far, I’ve talked about aerobics. Aerobics are great for jump starting your metabolism and enhancing your weight loss. But it’s the weight-bearing exercises that are going to prevent loose skin during weight loss.

Free Weights vs. Circuit Training

Free weights are exactly what they sound like. They’re free standing – as opposed to weights you use on a circuit training machine. Free weights consist of dumb bells and bar bells. The drawback of using free weights is that they don’t come with instructions…
And you could seriously hurt yourself if you try to use them on your own without knowing the proper techniques.

Circuit Training Machines

Circuit training (for the purpose of this article) on the other hand involves the use of the machines you see lined up at the gym. Circuit training is a form of endurance and resistance training designed to tone, build strength and muscular endurance.

Each station (machine) is designed to work a certain part of your body. You set the weight at a weight that’s comfortable for you, but not so comfortable that you have an easy time completing your repetition.

Caveat: Always start your circuit training with larger muscle groups – like your chest, legs and back. Do at least 2 sets of 12 repetitions for each exercise, and move on to the next machine without resting. I happen to love the leg extension machine. It’s perfect for sexy, toned legs.

Leg Extension Machine – For Sexy Toned Legs

The Leg Extension machine is used to tone and build muscle in your quadriceps (the front part of your upper thighs). Because I regularly use this machine, I set the weight to 50 pounds. I adjust the seat, then I begin to do my repetitions. I do 3 sets of 12 repetitions. By the time I get to the 11th repetition on the first set, it should be difficult, but not impossible for me to complete.

Increase Your Weights Weekly

It’s always important to up the weights by 5 pounds every week or two so that the exercise doesn’t get too easy and that you continue to reap the benefits of muscle building. It’s the weight bearing exercises that are going to help prevent loose skin during weight loss.

Target Major Parts of Your Body

If you want to prevent loose skin during weight loss, you’re going to have to do weight bearing exercises that target specific parts of your body and you’re going to have to be consistent.

The major body parts you’re going to target are:

• Legs
• Arms
• Back

Within those major body parts, you’ll need to target your:

• Biceps
• Triceps
• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Gluteus Maximus
• Calves
• Back
• Shoulders
• Chest
• Stomach

Each circuit training machine targets specific areas of your body. In the next few articles, I’ll show you step by step how to use each circuit training machine that corresponds with a particular body part.  By now you’re probably asking, “Gosh, how can you possibly target all of those areas in one exercise session?” It’s very easy believe it or not. It takes me an hour and 15 minutes – and that includes my 30 minutes on the treadmill!

Prevent Excess Skin During Weight Loss – Exercise 5 Days a Week

If you want to prevent loose skin during weight loss, you’re going to have to do weight-bearing exercises at least 5 days a week and some form of cardio at least 5 days a week.  No one said this was going to be easy. But the results, a toned, hard and sexy lean body are so worth what you’ve been striving for. But don’t worry, I’m going to walk you through each circuit training machine on this blog so that you’re not alone and you can chart your progress.

In my next article, I’ll take you step by step on how I use the plate loaded kneeling leg curl for sexy hamstrings.

Have you experienced hanging skin after weight loss? Feel free to leave your comments below.  I love hearing from my readers!

Shalisha