“Bat wings” aren’t just something you encounter during Halloween—they’re the pesky underarm flab many people aim to firm up. The positive news is that you don’t require elaborate gym equipment to tone this challenging area. In addition to using resistance bands and dumbbells, some simple chair exercises can be highly effective for toning your upper arms.

“As we age, ‘bat wings’ can become a significant concern, affecting our confidence and discouraging us from wearing certain clothing,” says Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Hilliard, a certified Pilates instructor and owner of Hilliard Studio Method. “There are several reasons why many experience upper arm flab as they get older. The elasticity of our skin decreases with age, combined with age-related hormonal changes and the loss of muscle mass generally occurring in individuals over 45. These factors collectively contribute to the issue. Fortunately, some exercises can target and help tighten your arms starting now.”

3 Effective Chair Exercises To Tone ‘Bat Wing’ Arm Fat

Chair-based movements offer a supportive, stable option for certain exercises.

“If balance poses a problem, performing workouts from a chair allows you to focus on effectively toning your muscles without the danger of falling, and it helps prevent overextending your range of motion during exercise,” Hilliard advises. “Sitting while lifting weights offers greater support for your joints, particularly the hips and knees.”

Tricep Dips

1. Begin sitting at the edge of a sturdy chair.
2. Place your hands on the edge of the seat and lift your tailbone off the chair.
3. Walk your feet away until your knees, hips, and torso form 90-degree angles.
4. Activate your core and keep your shoulders relaxed as you bend your elbows to lower your body just below the seat.
5. Press back up until your arms are straight, engaging your triceps as you do so.
6. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps. Increase rep count to 20 as you progress.

7 Moves to Build Strong Arms in 30 Days After 45

Incline Pushups

1. Use a stable surface like a sturdy chair positioned against a wall.
2. Place your hands just outside your chest on the chair.
3. Walk your legs back so you’re at a straight incline from your head to your heels.
4. Keep your legs together and rise onto the balls of your feet. Engage your core and keep your gaze forward.
5. Bend your elbows to lower your body until your chest lines up with your elbows.
6. Return back to straight arms.
7. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps. Increase rep count to 20 as you progress.

Iron Cross Arm Circles

1. Begin seated.
2. Hold a 3-pound weight in each hand.
3. Raise your arms out to the sides at shoulder height to form a T shape or “iron cross.”
4. With your knuckles facing the sky and palms of your hands toward the floor, start to circle the weights up, back, and around, forming circles the size of a softball.
5. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps. Increase rep count to 20 as you progress.

Alexa Mellardo