What is cellulite? That’s an excellent question! I’m glad you asked. Here’s some information on the pesky stuff that never seems to go away.
There’s nothing “lite” about cellulite. Sometimes called cottage cheese, dimples, or orange peel syndrome, cellulite usually occurs on the butt, thighs, and hips of women, (but men get it too!) when fat deposits under the skin break through the connective tissue just below the skin giving a bumpy appearance. The fat becomes trapped where there is a higher ratio of fat to muscle. Almost 90% of women have cellulite regardless of age, body type or weight. Even skinny girls have it! Now doesn’t that make you feel better?
There are many causes of cellulite. Some women are predisposed to cellulite based on their genetic makeup. And sometimes cellulite becomes more noticeable during pregnancy or as we age when the skin becomes thinner and the fat underneath becomes more noticeable. Cellulite can occur as early as puberty due to hormonal changes in the body as well as later in life during menopause.
Millions of dollars are spent each year trying to eliminate cellulite from our trouble spots. I suggest starting with the obvious – clean up your diet and exercise. By including daily cardio and weight baring exercises you will decrease your overall body fat and change the ratio of muscle to fat. When you start to build more muscle, (which weights less than fat) you will start to give shape to that area. For example, if you focus of your glutes you will build the muscle underneath the fat that will give a nice rounded and uplifted shape. Think of it as sculpting your body and giving the smoother appearance working from the inside out.
In addition to diet and exercise, there are many types of cellulite creams and gels that claim to reduce the appearance of cellulite, like Nivea Body Good-Bye Cellulite Gel-Cream or Celluthin Topical Cellulite Reducing Cream. These are only temporary. So once you stop applying them to your skin your cellulite will come back. Other types of remedies include liposuction, endermologie, cellulite body wraps, and cellulite massage.
Some believe that cellulite is a build up of toxins and by deep massaging or rolling these cellulite treatments can help drive the unwanted fat from the body. Keeping yourself hydrated can also help get rid of of cellulite by flushing the system of impurities.
There is also new research that says rolling the area yourself using a foam roller (about $30) at home everyday can help with cellulite removal. I have been rolling my tight muscles for a while now, especially my IT band on my right leg. It tends to get very tight from exercising. Over the past few months I have only been rolling that side and have noticed that my right thigh is much smoother that my left. So now I roll my left side even if it doesn’t hurt! I am living proof that foam rolling helps breakdown cellulite.
I will show you how to roll different areas of your body in this post, as well as give you some homemade cellulite treatments. So stay tuned!
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