How to get rid of back fat: The best exercises and diet tips

When we spend time in front of the mirror, we're usually focused on what's in front of us — belly, thighs, hips, arms. And if we're in the mood to be nasty to ourselves, these are the first places we start criticising. But it turns out a lot of us have another worry we're harbouring... back fat.

If you've ever found yourself upset over those candid sitting-on-a-towel-at-the-beach photos your friends took, or wondered why your bras are suddenly feeling uncomfortable, you're not alone. There are a bunch of reasons back fat might show up — including genetics, lifestyle, diet, hormones, and more [1].

In this article, we'll explore how to get rid of back fat if it's something you're concerned about. We'll discuss how to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way — no toxic diet culture here, we promise!

What causes back fat?

When we talk about back fat, we're referring to excess body fat that can appear under the shoulder blades or near the bottom of your bra band.

Like any weight gain, there isn't one culprit to blame — our overall body fat depends on a lot of different factors [2]. So, what are they?

Underlying health conditions

One of the causes of unintentional weight gain can be underlying health concerns or illnesses. For example, conditions like sleep apnoea or hormonal imbalances can cause weight gain [2].

Conditions like these can also involve other symptoms — like shortness of breath, fluid retention, or fatigue. If you've experienced sudden weight gain and haven't been feeling 100%, it could be time to chat to your GP [2].

Lifestyle-related causes

Lifestyle factors can be another trigger for back fat appearing, or weight gain in general. For example, if we live a sedentary lifestyle (where we're not moving our body a lot), overall body fat can increase before we know it [2].

Working a desk job all day and grabbing a sweet treat to get through the 3 pm meeting slump? We all do it, but this might be contributing to back fat developing.

Other things like diet, daily calorie intake, and even gut health can all play a part, too. If we eat too many calories in a day and we're not burning off the energy from this food intake, this makes gaining weight much easier [2].  

Even the things we don't always associate with weight can make a difference — like eating late at night, not getting the proper nutrition, high stress levels, or not getting enough sleep.

All of this can affect metabolism and appetite, which in turn impacts body fat [2].

Ageing and other changes

Our body composition definitely changes as we age. Muscle growth slows and we start to lose muscle mass, making it harder to burn calories. This makes it easier to consume more calories than the body needs, so it turns into fat (or back fat!) [2].

Ageing also can lead to poorer quality sleep, due to changes like menopause. Research suggests that sleep issues actually make us hungrier — shorter sleep times are associated with a reduction in the hormones that make us feel full, which can lead to fat accumulation [2].

The final thing to consider when exploring reasons for weight changes are medications and their side effects.

Some medications can lead to fluid retention, while others can change the way your brain regulates your appetite — leading to fluctuations in body weight [2].

If you're worried about how a medication you're taking is affecting your weight, it's important to chat to a health professional (and definitely don't stop taking the medication suddenly until you've had medical advice).

Is back fat hard to lose?

We've got good news and bad news. The bad news is, there's no way to specifically target back fat or weight loss in a certain area.

The good news? It is possible to lose body fat by adopting healthy habits and finding an exercise routine that works for you [3].

The biggest trick to losing fat is getting regular exercise and following a healthy diet. This doesn't mean you have to deprive yourself of all the things you love, start calorie counting obsessively, or hit the gym every single day — weight loss is about finding a healthy, sustainable plan that works for you [3].  

If you're not sure where to begin, below are some tips we've found that will help you lose excess body fat, and say bye to back fat in the process.

Nutrition tips for reducing back fat

The word diet has so many negative connotations, that it's hard to hear it and not immediately think of too-strict magazine articles or impossible fads/crazes/cleanses.

When we talk about diet here, we mean ignoring the fads and aiming for a balanced diet with lots of nutrient-dense foods.

This could look like choosing things from the 5 healthy food groups, for example [3]:

• Eating the rainbow (lots of different coloured vegetables)
• Fruit
• Reduced-fat dairy products (milk, yoghurt, and cheese) or similar alternatives
• Lean protein like eggs, tofu, poultry, fish, and other lean meats
• Whole grains, nuts, legumes, seeds and beans

Other healthy eating tips that can help get rid of back fat include [3]:

• Drinking enough water
• Reducing excess sugar intake
• Avoiding processed foods and eating whole foods where you can
• Eating regularly and choosing smaller portions
• Limiting your alcohol intake
• Eating healthy fats (like oily fish)
• Avoiding foods with added sugar or salt
• Eating breakfast
• Eating more vegetables
• Eating enough fibre to feel full

Are there exercises that target back fat?

So you've got the healthy eating bit down, but what about the exercise part of the equation? As we said earlier, there isn't a magic routine that will only get rid of back fat.

Thanks to genetics, it's impossible to know how weight loss will look on different bodies. You might notice fat loss happens quickly in some areas, but more slowly in others [3].

To lose back fat, you need to think about fat loss in general — this means maintaining a calorie deficit (only eating enough healthy food to meet your body's energy needs) and staying physically active [3].

For reducing stubborn body fat, it's important to try to include a range of different physical activities into your routine — like cardio exercise, strength training, or even high-intensity interval training if you feel up to it [4].

Having said this, there are some targeted exercises you can try that can help with muscle definition in your back:

Bent over rows

For this exercise, hold a dumbbell with the palms of your hands facing each other. With knees slightly bent, bring your torso forward and bend at the waist.

Then, lift the dumbbells upwards on your side, keeping your elbows close to your body. Slowly lower it down to the starting position, and repeat if you like [5].

Superman

Lying face down, with arms fully extended in front of you, raise your arms, legs and chest off the floor and pause for 2 seconds.

Slowly release, lowering yourself back down to the floor. Repeat as necessary [5].

Dumbbell shoulder press

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Holding dumbbells in each hand, push them upwards until they touch above your head. Bring them down again, and repeat if you like [5].

Other lifestyle changes to consider

Aside from eating well and staying active, there are a bunch of small changes (or life hacks) you can make to help reduce body fat. This could include:

• Planning your weekly grocery shop in advance, so you have the right foods ready to go at home.
• Choosing a healthier option when ordering takeaway.
• Learning your triggers and trying to figure out if there are certain times you're snacking more on sugary or high-fat foods because you're stressed, tired, or bored. When that happens, try out other healthy ways to cope with these feelings, or limit your exposure to these triggers where you can. But don't be overly strict with yourself, this won't be sustainable either!
• Swapping out snacks for healthier alternatives, where you can.
• Finding casual ways to increase your physical activity throughout the day e.g. taking the stairs, parking a little further away from the shops, going for a walk on your lunch break, or getting off the bus one stop early. Or, commit to one way of moving your body each day [3].

If you’re finding that you’ve tried all the healthy eating and exercise you can and are not seeing the results you're looking for, it's okay to get help.

Juniper’s Weight Reset Program gives you access to expert advice from our trained health practitioners, dieticians, and nutritionists, as well as top-tier health coaches. We're here to support you, no matter what your goals are.

Image credit: Adobe Stock