Using Diet and Exercise to Reduce Cellulite

One of the frustrating things about cellulite is that losing weight does not necessarily get rid of it. Even skinny people can have cellulite! Whether or not weight is an issue, though, cellulite’s appearance may be reduced through diet and exercise. Here are some tips.

An Anti-Cellulite Diet

Because cellulite cannot really be pinned down to a single cause, a healthy, anti-cellulite diet incorporates multiple factors. Here are some aspects of such a diet.

• Antioxidants – Cellulite may be partly due to the accumulation of toxins in the body. To address this potential cause of cellulite, sources recommend a diet rich in antioxidant foods, such as berries, tomatoes and green tea.
• EFAs – Essential fatty acids – EFAs – are important for overall health, but sources suggest that EFAs are an important component of cellulite reduction. It is said that EFAs help make the fat cells of the body stronger and more elastic, thus reducing the dimpled appearance of cellulite.
• Fiber – Diets that are high in fiber may promote intestinal health. While this may not seem like what you want in cellulite reduction, it’s actually very likely that healthy digestion can help cellulite. After all, toxins are said to play a part in the appearance of cellulite, and healthy digestion aids the body in getting rid of these toxins.
• Protein – If you want to build and tone muscle in order to reduce cellulite, eating lean protein may help. Muscle is made up of protein, and high-protein foods help your body build muscle. Replacing fatty foods with lean protein foods is a healthy step toward reducing cellulite.

Exercises

Exercises that work the quadriceps (front of the thigh), hamstring area (back of the thigh), buttocks, abdominal, and triceps may help with smoothing out cellulite. These are the areas where cellulite usually occurs – legs, belly, bottom, and back of the arms. Also, overall cardiovascular (“cardio”) exercises may also help, since they burn calories and enhance circulation.

Exercises like lunges and squats help to work the thighs and buttocks. There are quite a few exercises out there specifically for the buttocks and thighs, because these tend to be problem areas for so many people. Just about all of these target-toning exercises can help reduce cellulite. Look for videos on the internet to show you how to do them.

Swimming, jogging, walking, biking, and other cardio exercises are great for overall health and fitness. Ideally, an anti-cellulite exercise routine would involve 15-30 minutes of cardio and 15-30 minutes of target toning several times a week.