Cellulite is the fat that appears under the skin like cottage cheese and is most commonly found on the thighs, butt and hips. There are plenty of products that claim they can remove cellulite but according to Mayo Clinic weight loss through diet and exercise is the most beneficial way to reduce cellulite.
Healthy Eating
The amount of cellulite you have is linked to your daily diet. If you consume excess calories, sodium, sugar and fat, your body will only use so much of these items while the rest is stored in your body as fat. If this fat accumulates in areas with weak connective tissue, such as the thighs, you will notice cellulite. Engaging in healthy eating promotes weight loss and will help to reduce cellulite.
Eat smaller meals more often each day. Try eating four to six smaller meals to avoid binge eating in between meals. Pick a variety of foods for each meal to ensure you are getting the proper nutrition. Vegetables, fruits, whole-grain breads, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, nuts and beans should make up a majority of your food choices. These foods are low in calories, fats, sugar and sodium but high in vitamins and minerals. Drinking water helps to flush fat from the body and reduce cellulite. Make it a daily goal to drink about 64 oz. of water.
Aerobic Activity
The main goal of aerobic activity is to engage your muscles and cardiovascular system to improve your body's composition. Daily participation in aerobic activity will slowly reduce cellulite because it works to remove excess body fat. ACE Fitness recommends participating in at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity per day. When deciding which activities to perform think of what activities you enjoy and you will be more likely to engage in on a daily basis. Add variety into your aerobic sessions to continually challenge your body and avoid hitting a plateau. Change the activity you perform, the intensity you work at and the length of your sessions. Aerobic activities that are beneficial for reducing cellulite include running, walking, jumping rope, step aerobics, cycling, the elliptical trainer and swimming.
Weightlifting
Weightlifting works to build muscle in your arms, legs, stomach, back and shoulders. When your muscle mass is increased your metabolism also increases resulting in cellulite and body fat reduction. Even with just one training day per week for each muscle group you will notice a reduction in your cellulite.
The major groups that should be trained are shoulders, back, biceps, triceps, abs, butt, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. Try grouping together two or three muscle groups into one training session that lasts 30 to 60 minutes. For each muscle group select two to five exercises that you can complete one to three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions for. If you wish to train your muscles more often aim for three to four sessions per week for each muscle group. Be sure to allow 24 hours for each muscle group to rest in between training sessions.
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