How To Lose Arm Fat: 6 Best Ways To Get Gid Of Unwanted Arm Fat In 2025

For many, it doesn’t matter how much you weigh or what you eat; stubborn arm fat just seems to hang around, pardon the pun. 

While some body fat is normal and not necessarily a sign of being unhealthy, society has made arm fat out to be a big no-no. So naturally, you might feel self-conscious wearing a sleeveless shirt, hoping no one will notice. 

But you’ve come to the right place if you’re scouring the internet for ways to lose arm fat. Here, we’ll show you which habits and workouts can help and how to achieve total body health. 

Total body health is the operative phrase here because targeting just one area for subcutaneous fat reduction is impossible. You’ll also have to reduce your general fat volume to lose arm fat. Targeting it more specifically requires more invasive procedures.^[1] 

6 Effective Ways To Lose Arm Fat

If you want to know how to get rid of arm fat, start by focusing on just one of these tips. Habits are much easier to stick with long-term if you choose one you can do consistently. 

By starting slow, you’ll have more time and energy to notice the obstacles that pop up and find ways to overcome them. Plus, you’ll avoid becoming overwhelmed by doing too much too soon, which is the ultimate pitfall of habit change.  

Cardio Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise is one of the most effective ways to lose total body fat. It increases your heart rate and burns lots of energy to keep you moving. 

High-intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, has become popular thanks to research showing it might be more effective for weight loss^[2] than traditional cardio exercises. That means you can work out for less time^[3] but still get great results. 

But if you hate the gym or intense workouts, don’t worry. Light aerobics^[4] are also great for your health and weight loss. That includes walking, light hiking, pilates, or biking — and you don’t need a gym to do any of those. It doesn’t have to be every day but aim for 150-300 minutes per week.^[5] 

Strength Training

When you’re looking online for how to lose arm fat, you might see many before and after pictures of people becoming super fit and muscular. You might even be afraid of gaining too much muscle if you use weights — but strength training a few times a week isn’t necessarily going to overbulk you up. 

Strength training can prevent the natural muscle loss that comes with aging and help you tone up. It also works best when combined with cardio^[6] to help you lose weight. Plus, muscle burns more calories at rest than fat, so it’s a great help for weight loss. 

If you specifically want to know how to lose upper arm fat, total body weight loss^[7] is still the only option. But you can increase arm exercises to build upper body strength and muscle, like push-ups, shoulder presses, tricep dips, and bicep curls. 

Healthy Eating

You can’t ignore a healthy diet if you want to lose fat. No matter how much you exercise, nutritious foods are important because they help you gain strength and avoid illness.^[8]

Focus on one aspect of your diet at a time, like adding an extra serving of vegetables to your dinner, taking healthy fruit or veggie snacks to work daily, or making sure your breakfast is protein-rich. You generally want natural foods that are protein–^[9], fiber-, and antioxidant-rich. 

Stress Management

We often forget how much stress affects our hormones^[10] and body composition. Regularly practicing stress-relieving activities strongly impacts our physical and mental health.

So if you want to know how to lose armpit fat, don’t forget about taking the stress and pressure off the table, so to speak. It’s okay not to have thin arms. Shift your mindset to thinking about what you can do to relieve pressure on yourself instead of adding to it. 

Good Sleep Hygiene

Just like stress, bad-quality sleep can also affect our hormones^[11] and lead to cravings and weight gain. While getting more sleep is easier said than done, think about one thing you can start doing today to help you get better quality sleep. 

That could mean shutting off your screens at least an hour before bed, going for a light walk after dinner to calm your mind, or lighting a candle and reading a good book in the evening. 

Get A Check-Up

Excessive arm fat as part of a generalized body dysmorphia might indicate a deeper health issue. Alternatively, fixating on it may indicate a deeper mental health issue. Getting a check-up and full blood work analyses can let you know what else might prevent you from losing weight. 

This is especially important for females looking up how to lose arm fat. Several conditions, like thyroid dysfunction,^[12] polycystic ovarian syndrome,^[13] PCOS, and diabetes,^[14] might contribute to stubborn excess fat. 

What Are Arm Fat And Common Causes Of Excess Arm Fat?

Arm fat is extra fat under the skin of your arms. We usually call this subcutaneous fat^[15] since it’s found just beneath your skin. The other type of fat, called visceral fat, is the one stored around your organs and abdominal muscles, cushioning and protecting them from damage. 

When it comes to arm fat, a little bit is normal and healthy. This type of fat cushions your muscles and bones and helps your blood vessels and nerves work between your skin and muscles. Of course, too much can indicate an increased risk of certain diseases, such as diabetes or certain types of cancer. 

In general, it’s a pretty common cosmetic trouble area for men and women — and it’s not always the first place we lose fat on our bodies when we try. 

Common Causes Of Excess Arm Fat

There are many factors that can lead to an excess of arm and other fat, such as: 

• Yo-yo dieting: Restrictive yo-yo dieting^[16] can make your brain think food is unreliable, which might lead to cravings and weight gain. Also, dieting when you’re not overweight^[17] can cause further weight gain. 
• High cortisol levels: Excess cortisol, the stress hormone, can increase fat storage. 
• Insulin resistance: The body has to produce more insulin^[18] when cells don’t respond to it properly, leading to weight gain and fat accumulation. 
• Thyroid dysfunction: An underactive thyroid can slow your metabolism. 
• Hormonal imbalances: Menopause^[19] and estrogen or testosterone imbalances can lead to abnormal fat distribution. 
• PCOS: Hormones are disrupted, potentially leading to body weight gain. 
• Malnutrition: Eating energy-dense but nutritious empty foods usually means an excess of calories and insufficient vitamins and minerals.
• Caloric excess: Eating more calories than you need causes the body to store the excess energy as fat. 
• Sedentary lifestyle: A lack of physical activity^[20] can lead to muscle atrophy and increased body fat. 
• Excessive alcohol intake: Alcohol is associated with weight gain^[21] for various reasons, including bad sleep, empty calories, added sugar, poor food choices, etc. 
• Genetics: Your genes often determine where you store fat,^[22] with some people genetically prone to arm fat. 
• Aging and muscle loss: We naturally lose^[23] lean body mass and muscles as we age, which can lead to excess body fat. 

How To Prevent Unwanted Arm Fat

The six tips listed here are great for reducing arm fat and preventing it. Yet, incorporating each of these tips might mean a huge lifestyle change for you. If that’s the case, remember you don’t have to overwhelm yourself by trying to change everything overnight. 

Research shows that consistently focusing on one small habit, reinforced with rewarding yourself,^[24] gives you the best chances of success. So while it’s not as trendy as a diet pill or detox diet that promises you’ll lose 10 pounds in a week, it’s what will give you long-lasting change. 

The Bottom Line

If you’re wondering how to get slim arms, first start by thinking about a holistic approach to your weight loss and body image journey. Then, slowly incorporate one of the six healthy habits listed above. They include cardio and strength training, stress management, good sleep hygiene, healthy eating, and a doctor’s check-up. 

Remember that self-compassion^[25] helps improve overall health, including your weight. So instead of hating your body, shift your thoughts to focus more on all the amazing things your body does for you. Your arms carry heavy loads of groceries for you, help you walk and move with fluidity, hold a good book to read, and lift your body up when you’re tired.

Weight loss comes with a roller coaster of emotions, so it’s best to think hard about how you want to treat yourself as you go along that journey.