Mention the term cellulite in company and you will see most women shudder at its mere mention. Cellulite is the name given to the dimpled appearance of skin on the thighs and buttocks, most commonly found in women after puberty. It is thought to be caused by certain hormonal changes within the body, and affects up to 90% of all women.
Cellulite is very unsightly, and we all hate it! It spoils the smooth appearance of our skin, and gives it the appearance of orange peel, and once it appears it is extremely hard to get rid of. Cellulite is caused by fat under the skin becoming held tight by the surrounding tissue, which becomes inflexible and holds the fat in clumps rather than allowing it redistribute evenly.
So what causes cellulite? And more importantly, how can we get rid of it?
Experts think that it is caused by the blood and oxygen supply to the tissues being poor, so if your bum always feels cold to the touch, that’s probably why! Diet, lifestyle and genetics also have a large part to play – it goes without saying that a healthy diet packed with fruit and vegetables, moderate amounts of lean meat and the minimum of fatty, sugary foods and alcohol, combined with regular exercise will drastically increase your chances of either not getting cellulite or being able to reduce its unsightly appearance.
We all have fat cells – there’s no two ways about that – and having some fat is essential to life. But when you gain too much fat, with the buttock and thigh area being a favourite deposit site in the female body, it stands to reason that it will start to affect the appearance of those areas. The type of exercise that will help is brisk cardiovascular exercise such as walking uphill, jogging, swimming; you get the idea.
Do 20 to 30 minutes at a pace that makes you slightly breathless and makes you sweat at least three times a week, preferably four. Add to that specific butt and thigh exercises such as squats, lunges and donkey kicks, making sure you engage your butt muscles correctly by squeezing your butt cheeks together as hard as you can. No, I’m not joking! Most of the people I see doing leg exercises are letting their hamstrings and their lower back take all the work while their glutes just sit there (joke!).
As you have seen, there is plenty you can do to lose cellulite without any special products. Eat well, sleep well, drink loads of water and take regular exercise and you’ll go a long way towards reducing it.
