Gravity is age’s dependable accomplice, and age is a cunning robber.
Together, they can truly demoralise you. It can be difficult to see your once-young breasts sink dejectedly into your moulded cups.
However, there are a few techniques to stop the decline and feel a little perked up in general.
Your degree of fitness, the size of your breasts (smaller sizes are luckier), your lifestyle, and the number of pregnancies you’ve had are a few factors that determine the contour of your breasts and their propensity to sag.
Contrary to popular perception, post-pregnancy weight fluctuations, not breastfeeding, cause breasts to sag.
Breasts are formed of soft, fatty tissue encased in the skin.
Read on to discover more.
Skin extends as it does on every other region of the body as weight builds up in your breasts, and it does not return to its previous shape once you lose those extra pounds. Additionally, as we age and gain weight, our skin loses its natural elasticity and suppleness and droops.
Deanne Panday, a well-known author and fitness expert, was consulted for tips on how to stop the sag. Bipasha Basu, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Lara Dutta, all well renowned for their powerful, sculpted figures, are among Panday’s clients. Panday, a mother of two who is 47, is in excellent shape, and her best advice is to exercise—obviously—but carefully. Your workout could really worsen the situation if you perform it incorrectly.
Additionally, just like with other ageing-related ailments like wrinkles, a slowed metabolism, and aches and pains, anxiety about your lady lumps can be channelled into motivating you to make healthy lifestyle changes like increasing your activity or eating healthier. This downward slope may really have a benefit.
Stop moving.
The discomfort (and anguish) of jiggling and bouncing is frequently experienced by average to large-breasted women, most infamously on treadmills and in jogging parks. The skin on your breasts also suffers when this occurs in addition to your pride.
According to Panday, “Your skin is not an elastic band; it doesn’t snap back into a form easily.”
Running cannot be your main cardio workout if you are concerned about sagging. “Depending on their degree of fitness, I advise my customers to minimise running after a certain age. Additionally, it’s not great for your joints, she continues. Spinning, cross-training, and elliptical machines are better options.
Boost your upper body strength
The pectoral muscles that support the breasts can be developed by push-ups, angled pull-ups, plank positions, and bench presses. These are also excellent for posture. Your boobs are visibly lifted by strong pecs. Panday is a yoga devotee as well.
“You use your chest, arms, back, and all of your muscles consistently as you perform the entire series of Surya namaskaras. This keeps your muscles tight and forces the tissue forward.”
Purchase quality sports bras.
Well-fitted sports bras are essential because breast tissue will gradually lose firmness regardless of your size. Bras perform the function that skin no longer does well, especially when exercising. When you’re trying on a sports bra, hop up and down, advises Panday. Make sure your chest is centred and not shifting around excessively.
Comfort is crucial, therefore it shouldn’t be too tight that you can’t breathe. This guidance also applies outside of the exercise area. To lessen stress on the tissue, make sure your breasts are appropriately supported at all times.
Look after your skin.
Don’t forget about your skin while working on your pecs. Regular moisturising is recommended; Panday believes even a brief coconut oil massage after a shower will suffice. In deep necks and tubes, put sunscreen over your cleavage before heading outside. Stop smoking for the sake of your skin; cigarettes contain a chemical that degrades the protein elastin, which gives young skin its elastic, springy appearance.
Skincare also includes managing your weight because weight changes leave stretch marks and a loss of firmness and suppleness on your skin. Instead of trying to get to size zero by doing a juice cleanse, concentrate on maintaining a healthy weight.
Bras are not healthy, right?
When preliminary findings of his study suggested that bras make breasts saggier, French researcher Jean-Denis Rouillon of the University of Franche-Comte ignited a frenzy. The professor himself was dubious about the advantages of bralessness after a certain age, so we wouldn’t rush to build that bonfire just yet.
Despite his belief that bras deteriorate the breasts’ suspension system, he told Reuters that “…A middle-aged lady, overweight, with [on average] 2.4 children? She might not gain at all from giving up bras.
The migration of your twin peaks southward can be slowed down with a few lifestyle adjustments, but there is no surefire way to stop it.
The effectiveness of any of the aforementioned advice will ultimately depend on hormones, heredity, and a myriad of other unobservable factors, but you already know the drill: Keep active, moisturise, wear an SPF, eat healthfully, and utilise chemical-free products. And please, stop smoking.