3 Tips to Take Control of Your Cellulite

It is important to feel comfortable in your own skin flaws and all, but truth be told it’s much easier said than done! Body confidence is something both women and men should mentally stride towards however, if there’s something you can physically do to give yourself just that extra drop of self-assurance, then by all means – why not? Cellulite is just one of those things that can get us down but fear not; with a bit of knowledge and perserverance you will find ways to both reduce and prevent it from appearing in the first place.

Cellulite doesn’t discriminate, it can pop up on anyone regardless of weight and unfortunately one of the dominant factors is genetics, so you can point the finger at mom. Other causes of cellulite include; poor diet, lack of physical activity, hormonal and rapid weight changes. Though some men may get cellulite the pesky orange peel will appear on 90% of women at some point in their lives, in other words -you are not alone! Figuring out which of these factors is contributing to your cellulite and taking an active vow to do something about it will put you well on track to combatting those lumps and bumps.

So What Can You Do?

1) Change the Way You Eat

This won’t just reduce and more importantly help in preventing cellulite but it will also improve your overall health in general – bonus! Your diet alone unfortunately cannot determine whether or not you’ll get cellulite but by eating a well-balanced and crucially, a plant-heavy diet, will help to reduce inflammation throughout the body.
Keeping your body hydrated through both water and vegetables high in water content will help to keep your connective tissues both strong and supple and may even help you shred a few pounds along the way. Vegetables with high water should be top priority, veggies with more than 90 % water include; tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and radishes, so stock up and get those salads rolling this summer!

2) Re-Vamp Your Exercise Routine

Cardio alone WILL NOT work. This is a common misconception and we are here to feed you the facts. Cardio may help keep your weight off, but to really smooth the skin and tone the body, strength training is a MUST. If you really want to beat cellulite you need to combine cardio with strength building exercises at least 2-3 times a week in order to tone up and build lean muscle mass. Regular exercise cannot completely cure cellulite but it can certainly help to prevent it and reduce the visible amount. Cellulite is partially caused when the connective fibers in the dermis layer of the skin weaken and lose their elasticity. Strengthening these cellulite prone areas by building muscle through weight training (don’t be afraid to go heavy!) in addition to burning away excess fat through cardio, will ultimately aid in tightening the skin and give the illusion that the cellulite is not there. This is because it is almost impossible to get rid of it completely; this regimen will simply help to cover the lumpy bumpy visible side effects.

Yoga routines that target the thighs and butt work great, as well as good old squatting and lunges with weights – why not build a nice ass in the process?
Not convinced cardio alone won’t help? One scientific study at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, found that adults completing 30 minute cardio workouts a week for a period of 8 weeks lost a total of 4 pounds but gained no muscle. However, when they paired 15 minutes of cardio with 15 minutes of strength training for the same time period they lost a huge 10 pounds of fat and added 2 pounds of muscle, showing a greater overall body shape. In other words, they looked better and more toned whilst losing some wobbly bits in the process!

3) Uncross Those Legs!

So you’re mom taught you to be lady like and cross your legs when sitting? Sorry ladies but momma may have taught you how to sit elegantly but it’s not helping those legs in the long run. Crossing your legs may not be the root cause of cellulite but it creates the perfect environment for cellulite formation and can even speed the process. Crossing your legs and even sitting too long in one place will ultimately affect blood circulation, and the lymphatic drainage system. Crossed legs can even have a bad effect on posture and the lower back. Weekly exfoliation and small office exercises (raising the legs up and down and walking around during breaks) can help get the blood circulation going but try not to cut it off in the first place with those tightly crossed legs!
Office workers spend around 1,920 hours sitting at their desk a year. If you can’t kick the habit in every scenario, the office is the perfect place to start. Crossing your legs will also make existing cellulite more visible so don’t give cellulite a hand, uncross those legs and get that circulation going.

In this article we’ve given you some great starting tips on how you can physically reduce your cellulite. There are of course cosmetic procedures and products that can also help but we won’t go into that just yet (stay tuned). These tips will not only help reduce your cellulite but is also a great preventative method. Not only that, it will help you to maintain a healthy lifestyle in the process. Now that you have the tools and information, it’s time to start treating your body like the temple it is.