Exercises to Help Reduce Cellulite

Cellulite is one of those unsightly conditions that many people don’t know how to address. Regular exercise does not always help; even though you may lose weight and tone some areas, the cellulite-ridden places may stubbornly refuse to smooth out. Specific exercises, though, may help reduce cellulite’s appearance, especially in combination with a healthy diet. Here are some tips and ideas.

Cardiovascular Exercises

Not too long ago, we called this kind of exercise “aerobics.” Certain cardiovascular exercises work the areas of the body that tend to be prone to cellulite, as well as increase overall metabolism and circulation. Some sources say that cellulite is partially the result of poor circulation; cardiovascular exercises can help this. Some cardiovascular exercises you might try – and some of the areas they target – are listed below.

• Vigorous walking – buttocks, thighs, back of the legs
• Swimming – back of the arms, upper and lower legs
• Stationary bike – legs, buttocks
• Jogging – legs, buttocks, arms

Target Toning

It can help to target tone areas of your body that have cellulite.

• Sit-ups and crunches can tone the belly, but take care not to strain your neck or back. There are alternatives to sit-ups (“modified” sit-ups) that may work better for those whose backs can’t take traditional sit-ups or crunches.
• Leg curls, where you lift weights using the muscles in the back of your upper leg, help tone up the hamstring area and buttocks.
• Triceps presses can help the back of the upper arms. Like a reverse push-up, triceps presses use the triceps to raise and lower your body. If you are not familiar with these exercises, here is how they are done: get into a “crab-walk” position, with your knees bent, your bottom off the ground, and your arms behind you holding you up. Then bend and straighten the arms (don’t just move your bottom up and down) to work the triceps.
• Lunges and squats can help tone the upper legs and buttocks. There are various ways to do these – just make sure you choose low-impact versions of these exercises if you have trouble with your joints.

Step exercises are said to be good for cellulite, as they work the upper legs and buttocks.

Yoga, Pilates, and similar exercises

Some people swear by Yoga and similar exercises for smoothing out cellulite. This may be due to the circulation enhancement that such stretching, balancing exercises are said to promote. It could also have to do with targeted muscle toning. Regardless, these kinds of meditative exercises may be just the thing to complement your cellulite-reduction efforts.