Even though there's no treatment that fully gets rid of unsightly cellulite, exercise is the most effective way to reduce its appearance and feel more comfortable in shorts and bathing suits. Exercise is also the cheapest way to treat cellulite -- other treatments, such as liposuction and creams, can be much more expensive with worse results.
What is Cellulite?
Cellulite usually occurs on fatty areas of the body, such as the buttocks and thighs. It is more common in women, which naturally have more fat in those areas than men. Cellulite is also known as "cottage cheese" or "orange peel" fat, because of its lumpy or dimpled appearance. It actually is caused when connective muscles pull on the skin, causing little pockets of fat to bulge outwards and form dimples in the skin.
Exercise and Cellulite
According to the MayoClinic.com, there's no way to make cellulite entirely disappear, but there are several ways to reduce its appearance. Exercise is probably the most effective -- and cheapest -- way to reduce the appearance of cellulite. While cellulite isn't caused by obesity -- it develops in women of all sizes -- excess fat can worsen the appearance of cellulite by making fat pockets bigger. Exercising can help get rid of body fat and make cellulite less noticeable. A healthy diet can help, too.
Best Exercises for Cellulite
Any sort of exercise, whether aerobic or strength training, will have some sort of effect on cellulite merely by decreasing body fat. However, targeting the thighs and buttocks with strength training exercises will have the most immediate effect. Lunges and squats are good exercises for targeting the muscles in these areas. All-body exercises, like yoga and Pilates sessions, can also be helpful. It's important not to ignore aerobic exercise, especially if you're overweight, as aerobic exericse helps burn calories, leading to weight loss.
Other Treatments
There are several other treatments available for cellulite, but most are only short-term solutions or don't actually work. Creams and massages can reduce cellulite's appearance for a short time by inflaming the skin, making cellulite bumps look smaller. However, once the skin recovers, the cellulite reappears. Retinol creams may have some long-term effect. Liposuction is expensive and may make cellulite look worse, as it may remove other fat layers while leaving the cellulite behind. Laser treatment may work better than liposuction, but treatments are definitely more costly than exercise.
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