Bust A Move

Bust A Move

Flickr: Orin Zebest

No matter what your age, shape, or opinion on the boob tube there are a few things that you can do to tone up your bust to ensure that whatever you wear, you'll look and feel a lot perkier.

Bust toning exercises

Exercises for toning a bust line work by improving and strengthening the muscle that lies beneath the tissue and glands. In addition to providing perkier breasts, bust toning exercises also help to improve your posture, which gives the illusion of having larger and firmer breasts.

The key to these exercises is to use slow, controlled motions. If you are doing them correctly, you will feel your chest muscles working hard.

Chest Fly

For this exercise you will need dumb-bells or weights in each hand. Elbows should remain slightly bent throughout the exercise.

1. Using a bench or exercise ball, begin with your arms held vertically upward so that they are above your chest and a shoulder width apart. The palms of your hands should be facing each other. This is your starting position.

2. Slowly begin lowering the weights, going outwards as you go. Think of creating a half-circle with the motion of your arms. Using your chest muscles to control the motion, move the arms away from each other (and from the body) as they are lowered.

3. Using your chest muscles, raise your arms slowly back along the half-circle until they are at starting position. Keep your arms a shoulder width apart and never allow the dumb-bells to touch.

4. Moving the arms down and away, then back to the start position, counts as one repetition.

Chest Press

Similar to the chest fly, in this exercise your palms will face your feet, rather than each other. The motion will also change slightly.

Instead of creating the half-circle, your motion will be more 'push and pull' - slowly pushing the dumb-bells up until your arms are near to straight, then slowly pulling them back down until your elbows are at your side.

Pull Over

Using one dumb-bell, lie on a bench or exercise ball with both feet on the floor, placing your head so that your arms easily extend past the support. Holding the dumbbell with both hands, lift it to about two inches above your chest - this is your starting position.

Now, press the dumb-bell up and then slowly lower it over your head until your elbows are at your ears. Lift your arms up and then back down to the starting position. Repeat.

Press-Up

In addition to toning your bust, press-ups also work the stomach muscles and triceps, making for more toned arms and a flatter stomach.

Place your hands firmly on the floor directly below your chest, shoulder width apart, with the fingers pointing forward. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, extend your arms until you are supporting your body weight. You should be facing downward, with feet together and toes touching the floor. Your body should form a straight line with your legs locked at the knees. This is your starting point.

Now bend your elbows and lower your body until it is about two inches off of the floor. Pause for a brief second and then use your arms to push yourself back up into the starting position. Repeat.

Always remember to keep your body in a straight line. Don't allow your body to bend at the hips. For women with less upper body strength, try resting your knees on the floor.

Décolletage toning products

In addition to toning exercises, you may want to consider adding a toning product. The most popular products use herbal phytoestrogens to help stimulate and tone breast tissues through pill, lotion, crème or spray form. Here are some favourites:

• Clarins Bust Beauty Extra Lift Gel - promotes firmer, more toned skin.

• Sisley Phytobuste Intensive Bust Compound - works on both the bust and neck areas to provide toned and more supple skin.

• Elemis Pro-Collagen Lifting Treatment Neck and Bust - a pro-collagen lifting treatment for tightened, smoother looking skin.

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