Love Your Body!

Arms

Blame genetics, but women tend to store fat in the backs of their arms. Going from flabby to toned takes persistence, so stick with this exercise and you'll see results.

• Holding a pair of 3- to 5-pound weights with arms at your sides, sit tall on a straight-back chair with both feet flat on the floor.
• Press your lower back flat against the back of the chair. Pull in abs.
• Bending elbows, lift weights behind your head, as shown above. Do not arch your back or rest weights on shoulders.
• Using the strength of your forearms, lift weights and extend arms over head until arms are straight, then lower arms to sides.
• Do two to three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.

Embarrassed by those little red bumps on your arms? This "chicken skin" is actually a buildup of dry, dead skin cells around the hair follicles, says Michele S. Green, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City.

Avoid plain soap and hot water-both are drying, which makes bumps worse. Instead, take a lukewarm shower and use a soap-free, moisturizing cleanser, such as Cetaphil.

A few times a week, switch to a gentle body scrub. (We like Earth Therapeutics Spa Purifying Sea Salt Body Scrub, $8.99.) Or lightly scrub with an exfoliating mitt. While skin is still damp, apply a body lotion with alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) or lactic acid. This will help peel away the upper layer of bumpy skin. If redness continues to be a problem, ask your doctor for a topical steroid cream.

A chic alternative to going sleeveless: A sheer shirt with a silky tank with graceful 3/4-length sleeves to cover upper arms while baring the rest.