We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
WiseGEEK

Advertiser Disclosure

Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How We Make Money

We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently from our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

How do I get Rid of Back Fat?

By B. Miller
Updated May 17, 2024
Our promise to you
WiseGEEK is dedicated to creating trustworthy, high-quality content that always prioritizes transparency, integrity, and inclusivity above all else. Our ensure that our content creation and review process includes rigorous fact-checking, evidence-based, and continual updates to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Editorial Standards

At WiseGEEK, we are committed to creating content that you can trust. Our editorial process is designed to ensure that every piece of content we publish is accurate, reliable, and informative.

Our team of experienced writers and editors follows a strict set of guidelines to ensure the highest quality content. We conduct thorough research, fact-check all information, and rely on credible sources to back up our claims. Our content is reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.

We believe in transparency and maintain editorial independence from our advertisers. Our team does not receive direct compensation from advertisers, allowing us to create unbiased content that prioritizes your interests.

Back fat can be persistent and difficult to eliminate. However, with patience and hard work, it is possible to get rid of back fat. Though it is possible to target specific areas for toning and strengthening muscles, it is typically not possible to focus weight loss on one specific area of the body. For that reason, to get rid of back fat or any extra weight on the body, aerobic exercise is an absolute necessity.

Aerobic exercise increases the heart rate and encourages the body to burn off stored energy and, by default, stored fat. Swimming, jogging, brisk walking, or bicycling are all excellent aerobic exercises for burning fat and increasing physical fitness. Swimming is especially helpful when trying to get rid of back fat, because it helps to tone the muscles in the back as well. It is best to aim for 30 minutes to one hour of aerobic exercise per day.

Obviously, your diet also plays a large role in your weight. When trying to lose weight from your back, or anywhere else in your body, it is important to eat a healthy diet. This means eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein sources. Remember to drink enough water as well, both when you are exercising and on a daily basis. When trying to get rid of back fat, remember to set realistic goals for yourself. It won't help if you eat too little, exercise too much, and get burned out before seeing any results.

Strengthening and toning the muscles in the back may play a role in reducing back fat. In addition, once the extra weight has been lost from aerobic exercise and changes in your diet, you will have beautifully sculpted back muscles and excellent posture. Some machines at the gym are designed to target the back, such as the rowing machine and the upper-body ergometer. A trainer at a gym will also be able to show you specific exercises that target the back, such as arm and leg lifts or back extensions. Examples of these exercises may also be found by searching online.

While you are still working to get rid of back fat, there are ways to minimize its appearance. If your are a woman, make sure you are wearing a properly fitted bra. A tank top or camisole worn on top of the bra, and underneath your shirt, can make your back look smoother. Practice standing up straight, because good posture will also minimize the appearance of back fat.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
See our Editorial Process Share Feedback

Related Articles

Discussion Comments

By Fa5t3r — On Dec 12, 2014

@umbra21 - Often when people talk about how they want to get rid of back fat or fat from some other specific part of the body it makes me think they need to work on their self esteem a little bit anyway. There are some things you can change about your body and some things you can't and people should definitely try to be healthier and fitter if they can, but focusing on a particular body part isn't healthy.

There's just no way to know whether you are going to end up with a body you'll be happy to look at in the mirror at the end of all your exercising and dieting unless you make sure you love it at the beginning as well.

By umbra21 — On Dec 12, 2014

@pastanaga - Working on your core is definitely a good thing, but overall toning is also important and just doing stomach exercises alone isn't going to make that much difference to the appearance.

I would recommend that people do a full body exercise routine, like Pilates or yoga and then pair that with cardiovascular exercise to get the heart pumping and burn off calories.

The article author is definitely right that you can't just target a particular area of the body and try to improve it in isolation. Everything is connected and everything should be improved together for the best results.

By pastanaga — On Dec 11, 2014

Posture is particularly important if you're concerned about the appearance of your back (and in general) so it's something I would work on if it's not already good. Often what people need is to strengthen their core muscle groups in order to get better posture and doing this is basically good for almost every other aspect of health and well-being as well.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.