Fit Friday | Creating a Beautiful, Toned Back

Warmer weather means exposing a bit more than normal.  So naturally we start to eat healthier, drink more water and even work out a little harder to tighten up.  Most often we're assessing our progress by standing in front of the mirror or seeing how our clothes fit. But, most of the time, we're checking ourselves out from the front.

But what about the back?  I, for one, know the dangers on only focusing on what you can see.  I'm currently nursing sections of hair back to health, suffering because I don't see that area on a daily basis.  From the front, things look great, but the the back of my hair isn't as strong as it could be.  The same thing could happen if I don't pay attention to my back.

That's why I'm now creating ritual that creates a sexy and toned back.  First step is to make sure the skin on our back is smooth & even toned so it appears healthy when the light strikes it.  When I conduct my all over body exfoliation, I place the most focus on my back back and chest.  As we sweat on our bodies, the first place we notice perspiration is under the arms. Then, as it continues, sweat starts to run down our backs.  So it's super critical to scrub the back incessantly.   And this should be done daily, especially during the warmer months.

As you work on your back beautification regimen, you should also be thinking about how to exercise your back muscles.  For the sake of the conversation, I'll narrow down the areas to the shoulders (upper back), the latissimus dorci (middle back) and the back of our obliques (waist).

When I work out, I tend to focus on shoulders, but don't do much for my middle and lower back. Which is why I wrote this post to explore what other exercises I could incorporate to get a more complete workout.    This first workout video I'd like to share is focused on the latissmus dorci and helps to get rid of the dreaded bra bulge.  What I like about this workout is that she essentially does a full back routine in just a few minutes.

Don't have an excercise ball?  No worries, I absolutely love this back workout done completely on the floor and set to calming yoga music.  Again, like the first video, she has you engaging the entire back.
Lastly I have to, once again, share my favorite lower back workout of all time. This Tiffany Rothe workout feels fun and easy while you're dancing to your favorite tunes.  But the next day, you'll feel your lower back oblique muscles come alive.  The fact that Tiffany's Waist Workout has been viewed over 20 million times speaks to the amazingness of this workout.