The 5 Best Moves To Tighten Loose Skin After Weight Loss in 30 Days

Dropping a significant amount of weight is no small feat, but it can also leave behind one unexpected challenge: loose skin. This happens because when you gain weight, your skin stretches to accommodate the extra mass. After losing that weight, the skin may not fully retract, especially if the change happened fast or you’ve lost a large amount. Additionally, recent research suggests that factors like age, genetics, and how long you carried the extra weight can impact how your skin responds to weight loss.

While exercise alone can’t magically make loose skin disappear, it can make a visible difference. “These moves won’t completely get rid of loose skin, but building lean muscle underneath can make a visible difference over time,” says Stephen Sheehan, CPT, a certified personal trainer at BarBend. “Consistency matters more than intensity here.”

Strength training also improves blood circulation by delivering more oxygen and nutrients to the skin. This can enhance skin health and texture while helping maintain the muscle mass that supports your new body composition.

Alongside Sheehan, we compiled the five best beginner-friendly moves, each one designed to target common problem areas for loose skin after weight loss, including the arms, chest, abdomen, hips, and thighs. Read on for the exercises and detailed instructions, then check out 5 Bodyweight Moves That Build Core Power Faster Than Planks After 40.

The 5 Best Moves To Tighten Loose Skin After Weight Loss

Pushups

This class bodyweight exercise is a no-brainer for building muscle and strength in your upper body and core. “Push-ups build muscle in the chest, shoulders, and arms, which can help fill out loose skin in the upper body,” Sheehan explains. “They also improve skin tone through better circulation.”

How to do it:

1. Get in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Keep your body in a straight line.
3. Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor, keeping them at a 45-degree angle to your torso.
4. Push through your palms to return to the starting position.

Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between sets.

Modification: If a full push-up is too difficult, do them from your knees or with your hands on an elevated surface like a bench.

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Squats

Squats are a foundational lower-body exercise that build total body strength, stability, and muscle mass in the legs and glutes. “Squats target the largest muscles in the body, such as the glutes, quads, and hamstrings,” Sheehan says. “Building strength here helps firm up loose skin in the hips and thighs.”

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly pointed outward.
2. Engage your core and keep your chest upright.
3. Bend your knees and push your hips back as if sitting into a chair.
4. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or as low as comfortable. If you feel pain, stop!
5. Push through your heels to return to standing position.

Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between sets.

Progression: Hold light dumbbells or a kettlebell for added resistance as you get stronger.

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Planks

Planks strengthen the deep core muscles that support your spine, flatten your midsection, and improve posture. Sheehan says, “Planks work your core and improve posture, which helps with how loose skin looks around the stomach,”6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

How to do it:

1. Begin in a forearm plank position with your elbows directly under your shoulders.
2. Keep your body in a straight line.
3. Engage your core, glutes, and legs.
4. Hold the position without letting your hips sag or lift.

Sets & Time: 3 sets of 30 to 60 seconds. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between sets.

Modification: Perform the plank on your knees or against a wall if needed.

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Tricep Dips

Tricep dips target the muscles at the back of your upper arms, which are a common loose skin culprit after major weight loss. “Tricep dips can help tighten the backs of your arms, a common place for loose skin after weight loss,” Sheehan says. “Use a sturdy chair or bench and lower with control.”

How to do it:

1. Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair or bench with your hands gripping the edge beside your hips.
2. Walk your feet forward and lift your hips off the seat.
3. Bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
4. Press through your palms to straighten your arms and return to the start position.

Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between sets.

Tip: Keep your shoulders down and avoid locking out your elbows at the top.

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Glute Bridges

Glute bridges target the posterior chain (your backside), which includes your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, to help to tighten and lift the hips while strengthening your core. “Glute bridges help improve muscle tone and skin firmness in the midsection and lower body,” Sheehan explains.

How to do it:

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Press through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling.
3. Squeeze your glutes at the top and hold for one second.
4. Lower your hips back down with control.

Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 15 reps. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between sets.

Progression: Add a resistance band above your knees or place a weight on your hips for an added challenge.

Looking for more easy ways to lose fat? Here’s How Long Your Walking Workout Should Be To Shrink Belly Fat.