The 5 Best Exercises to Get Rid of Cellulite

The 5 Best Exercises to Get Rid of Cellulite

When the connective tissue under your skin breaks down, small distributions of fat can break through and push up under the skin. This gives your skin a bumpy look and is more commonly referred to as cellulite. Almost all women will get cellulite during their lifetime (and some men too).

Cellulite is with you for life, though eating right, exercising, and massage can all reduce the effects and leave your skin looking less bumpy. There is no cure for cellulite, but a good place to start is with maintaining a healthy weight. The less fat you have in your body, the less fat there is to push through then connective tissue.

A good cardiovascular workout can help with weight loss and strengthening exercises can help to produce lean muscle.  You can also try to eat more of these anti-cellulite foods.

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What is Cellulite?

Cellulite is fat. When you see cellulite, it looks like little bumps and lumps under the skin. When the connective tissues, at the subcutaneous layer, begin to break down with age, the fat begins to push through.

Imagine pushing play-doh through small holes. This is what the fat is doing. As the fat is pushed through, it is separated from the larger body of fat in your body and takes on a dimpled appearance.

At What Age Do You Get Cellulite?

Puberty is thought to be one of the causes of cellulite, or more generally, hormones can kick-start cellulite. You may get it at any stage of your life, and there is no real cause, though there are contributing factors. As you age, skin becomes thinner, and muscles become looser. This makes cellulite more visible.

Where Does Cellulite Usually Show Up?

The main regions for cellulite are the hips, thighs, bottom, and stomach. These are common places for fat to accumulate, and the more fat there is, the more chance of cellulite appearing.

How to Get Rid of Cellulite?

There is no way to get rid of cellulite, but you can dampen the effects so much that the cellulite is not visible. One of the best ways to lessen the look of cellulite is, according to the scientific research, through massage. [1] That is why we took it upon ourselves to find the best anti-cellulite massagers and the best TENS machines for cellulite on the market.

What else can we do to lessen the sight of cellulite? Strength training is the second-best way to fight cellulite. The best thing about this is that it is completely free. When you train your muscles, you build firm and tight muscles under the skin.

When your muscles fibers are stronger, there is less chance of fat pushing its way through. More muscle also means less fat. As you build and maintain muscle mass, your fat begins to melt away. Less fat also means less cellulite.

The Top 5 Exercises to Reduce Cellulite

1. Side Lunges

Stand with your feet apart, with each of your feet directly under your shoulders. Have your arms relaxed at your side.

When you are performing the exercise, do not push on your thighs with your hands. Take a deep breath, and as you inhale, step one of your feet out to the side while keeping the other foot planted.

Once the foot lands on the floor, bend your knee and lower your body. Your knee should remain above your foot. When your thigh is parallel to the floor, count to five and return to your original position.

Repeat for the other foot. Repeat the exercise 10 times for each leg.

2. Dumbbell Lunges

Take two dumbbells like these, one in each hand. When beginning, have them hanging down by your side. As you progress, you can have them sitting on your shoulders, and you can also increase the weight.

Step forward with one foot. As you move forward, bend the knee of your back leg, until the knee is almost on the floor.

Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg. Repeat 10 times for each leg.

3. Glute Kickbacks

Get down on all fours or bend over and place your hands on a chair, if that is more comfortable for you. Lift one leg until it is horizontal, move it up as far as you can and hold it for the count of three. Place it back down on the floor.

Repeat 10 times for each leg.

4. Squat and Side Lift

Wear ankle weights like these if you have them and stand with your feet directly under your shoulders. Place your hands on your hips. Your toes should be slightly pointed outwards. Keep your head looking forward and relaxed.

Squat down, and them come back up, raising one leg to the side. Horizontally if possible.

Repeat the exercise for the other side. Repeat 10 times for each side.

5. Lying Inner-Leg Lift

Lie down on one side and bring the top leg over the other, placing your foot down beside your groin. Your knee should be pointed upwards. Lift the other leg and hold it there for the count of five.

Repeat these 10 times and then do the same for the other leg. You can add some ankle weights like these to add more resistance.

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Elena Curtis