Sometimes they’re too large; sometimes they’re too small. Not only your family, but every member of society- be it your friends, close relatives, and often strangers- have something to say about large female breasts. However, your breasts are your choice, and only you decide what happens to them.
Breast tissue in humans develops in front of the pectoral muscles on the thorax. Larger breasts can often cause discomfort and specific health problems. To avoid discomfort, many women go for surgery for breast reduction. However, there are simple exercises to reduce breast size. One can reduce breast size at home by following these essential exercises.
What Causes Bigger Breasts?
Here are some prominent breast causes:
- Lumps in and around your breast area.
- Breast cancer
- Breast infections
- Genetics
- Hormonal medication
- Lactation
- Breasts may swell up just before you menstruate
Should You Reduce Breast Size?
You can choose to reduce breast size due to the following reasons:
- Discomfort in wearing certain types of clothing.
- If a doctor has advised you to do so.
- Back pain and pressure due to large breasts.
Are there any advantages of having smaller breasts?
- A University of Vienna study found that women with smaller breasts are about 24% more sensitive than their larger counterparts.
- Smaller breasts tend to sag minimally once you become older.
- You can choose bras from an extensive collection.
- You feel comfortable going braless in a tight top.
- No back pain induced by large breasts.
Also read: Breast leakage during pregnancy
Exercises to Reduce Breast Size: How to Reduce Breast Size by Exercise?
These are some simple and basic exercises to reduce breast size fast.
Pushups
This simple exercise helps tone the chest muscles and reduce breast size.
- Lie chest down on a rubber mat.
- Put the hands next to the shoulders, lift the body using hands and pull the stomach in.
- Try staying in this position for a few seconds and make sure the body is in a straight line.
- Do a set of pushups every day as per the strength of your body.
Pushups are a great form of exercise to reduce breast size.
Wall press technique
This is an easy and effective way to minimise breast size. It is a simple exercise for breast reduction at home.
- Stand facing the wall and place both hands on the wall.
- Press the arms and lean slightly towards the wall to do some weight press.
- Repeat to the start position and repeat till you are exhausted.
Leg raise
This exercise reduces breast size and tones the abdominal muscles and prevents the sagging of the breasts. It is one of the best exercises to reduce breast size.
- Lie flat on the floor, placing the arms at the side, and raise both legs up.
- Keep the knees straight. Inhale while raising the legs and exhale while lowering the legs.
Shoulder shrugs
This is a simple yet effective exercise for breast reduction and to reduce the cup size. It is best performed with the help of weights, like a 1 litre filled bottle in both hands or 1kg dumbbells.
- Hold the weights in your hands. Stand straight with the back and elbows straight.
- Shrug the shoulders in the upward direction, almost touching the earlobe.
- Repeat the movement until you feel tired.
Front raises
This breast reduction exercise also requires dumbells or some weight.
- Holding the weights in the hands, raise the hands anteriorly till shoulder level.
- Keep the arms parallel to the floor.
This breast reduction exercise helps strengthen shoulder muscles and tones the breast.
Side raises
This is a wonderful exercise to reduce the fat around the breasts. This exercise is similar to the front-raises.
- Using the weights, raise the arms from the side of the body to shoulder level.
- Repeat at least 5-sets twice a day.
Bent knee pushups
This modified version of pushup strengthens the muscles and makes them firm.
- Lie on the stomach and keep the hands below the shoulders.
- Bend the legs from the knees keeping the ankles crossed.
- Straighten the arms, press the body upwards, then slowly bend the arms and lower the body towards the ground.
- Repeat this at least 10-15 times.
Also Read: Pressing Breast Is Good for Health - Myth or Reality?
Jogging
A 20-minute jogging session in the day tones the body and burns excess fat. This exercise not only helps in reducing breast size but also gives them a lift.
Swimming
The front and back strokes used while swimming helps burn excess fat around the breasts by subjecting the chest muscles to tremendous pressure.
Yoga
The ‘Ardha Chakra’ or standing backwards bend is one of the best yoga poses to reduce cup size.
Aerobic exercises
Doing aerobic exercises boosts metabolic activities and helps in burning fat tissues if done regularly. This is one of the best exercises to reduce breast size fast.
Cardiovascular exercises
Low-impact cardio exercises, such as treadmill and stationary bike, reduce breast size by tightening the chest muscles and reducing fat in the chest region.
Cycling
This exercise promotes metabolism and reduces the fat tissue around the breasts. It is a great way to stay active and has many other health benefits too.
Power walking
One of the most ancient, inexpensive, and highly effective exercises for fat burning is walking. Walking at a faster pace can help reduce overall weight and thereby reduce breast size.
Stair climbing
This is one of the easiest and safest exercises to incinerate fat and reduce weight. This is a simple exercise for breast reduction at home or can be done in your building complex.
Also read: Home remedies for breast pain and tenderness
Additional Tips On How To Reduce Breast Size By Exercise
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to reducing breasts through exercise-based, non-invasive methods:
When exercising, please keep these few tips in mind:
- Always warm-up before the exercise.
- Do not overstrain or overdo exercises.
- Please do not start new exercises suddenly; ease into them gradually.
- Stop if you experience pain or discomfort immediately.
- Always remember to stretch after the workout.
- Wear comfortable, supportive clothing when exercising.
Here are some additional tips on how to reduce breast size:
- Apart from exercise, lifestyle and diet modifications also play a crucial role in showing positive results.
- Strict adherence and consistency is the key to yield great results.
- Eating a healthy and balanced diet is also necessary while practising the above exercises to reduce breast size.
In A Nutshell...Best Exercise To Reduce Breast Size
Reducing breast size naturally is possible if you so desire. There are numerous advantages of having smaller breasts, such as no back pain induced by a large chest and choosing from an extensive bra collection. Cardiovascular exercises, yoga, shoulder shrugs, swimming, jogging and aerobics are some exercises you can try. However, make sure not to exert yourself too much!
FAQs
Exercise For Breast Reduction At Home?
Here are some exercises you can try:
- Shoulder shrugs
- Leg raises
- Wall press techniques
- Pushups
- Front and side raises
Can Coffee Reduce Breast Size?
In the past, studies have observed that there is an association between coffee consumption and breast size. However, this study was significantly altered by the presence of the A/A genotype. Women minus the A/A genotype consuming three cups of coffee daily had smaller breast volume than those who sipped less coffee. Moreover, women with the A/A genotype consuming three cups of coffee daily had slightly larger breast volume than those with the same genotype who drank less coffee.
Does Sleeping with A Bra Make Breasts Smaller?
Sleeping with a bra on will not make your breasts smaller, prevent them from becoming saggy, or make them bigger. Some women choose to wear a bra to bed because they feel comfortable this way. However, make sure your bra is not too tight, comparatively airy and does not have uncomfortable underwire.
Does Massaging Decrease Breast Size?
Many women believe that massaging their breasts may help reduce size. This is untrue. Massaging your breasts has multiple health benefits, such as the early detection of breast cancer through lump formation and reduction in pain associated with breastfeeding. However, massaging your breasts and its effect on size in any way has little to no scientific evidence backing it.
References
Deirdre E McGhee, Julie R Steele (2010) Breast elevation and compression decrease exercise-induced breast discomfort (National Library of Medicine) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20019639/
Prue J Hardefeldt, Ross Penninkilampi (20118) Physical Activity and Weight Loss Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis of 139 Prospective and Retrospective Studies (National Library of Medicine) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29223719/