Can Exercise Help to Reduce Cellulite?

 

Cellulite is a condition that as many as 90 percent of adult women have, so if you’re bothered by visibly dimpled areas, you’re far from alone. The most common places for this bumpy, “cottage cheese” flesh to occur are on the thighs and buttocks. There are plenty of strategies that are thought to help with this problem, including everything from weight loss and exercise to liposuction, skin-firming creams and lotions, ultrasound, and supplements. Most of the time, however—as in the case of liposuction and supplements—there’s no evidence that these techniques are actually helpful. Unfortunately, because cellulite is linked to the underlying structure of your skin, there’s not much you can do to change it without a very specific approach: releasing tension from beneath the surface, as is possible with Cellfina^®. The Philadelphia-area team at Cross Plastic Surgery offers the minimally invasive treatment and explains how it severs connective fibers below the skin.

While there aren’t any exercises that allow you to spot-treat cellulite in specific areas, burning fat and building muscle can make the skin look tighter. Before exploring exercises that can potentially help to make cellulite less noticeable, it’s important to note that while exercise is probably the most beneficial solution aside from Cellfina^®, the truth is that activity is not a cure for cellulite.

With that in mind, the following exercises are ones you can do along with a professionally administered cellulite treatment to make your skin look overall smoother and firmer.

Lunges

Running and other forms of cardio work well for reducing all-over fat, but they won’t make your skin look firmer. For that, you’ll need to include more strength training in your regular workouts. Lunges activate the muscles of your core, butt, and legs, so they’re perfect for a lower body workout. Mix things up with different variations of lunges that work the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, such as reverse lunges, curtsy lunges, and lateral lunges.

Squats

Another exercise that addresses the lower body areas where cellulite appears is the squat. Love them or hate them, squats target muscles all over the lower body, including the gluteus maximus, minimus, and medius, quadriceps, hamstrings, adductor, hip flexors, and calves. They’re also great for toning up the core muscles. As with lunges, you can include weights such as barbells and dumbbells or just use your own body weight. These help you to develop strength and power, make you more balanced, decrease the risk of injury, and even give you better posture.

Deadlifts

Deadlifts mainly tone up the hamstrings, glutes, and core. If you want a rounder, firmer butt rather than a flattened one, this is the go-to exercise to add to your lower body workouts. They’re also considered to be the ideal cellulite-improving move for the butt and the below the butt areas.

Fire Hydrants

Fire hydrants are the ultimate butt exercise. They strengthen the hips along with the sides of the glutes and thighs while stretching out the inner thighs.

Bicep Curls

Although it’s more common on the lower body, cellulite can actually occur anywhere. One of the places people often see it is on the upper arms, especially if you carry more fat in these areas. Bicep curls are one of the best weight training exercises you can do to add strength and definition to the arms. They sculpt the muscles at the front of the upper arms. You can start off by using 5- or 10-lb dumbbells and slowly lift the weights with the proper form.

It is important to consult with a trainer or similar professional before beginning any weight-training regimen to ensure you are performing exercises safely.

For further details on the benefits of using Cellfina^®, contact the Cross Plastic Surgery team today. Want to meet face to face with a plastic surgeon? Give them a call at (215) 561-9100 (Philadelphia) or (610) 688-9100 (Main Line). You can also submit a contact form to request a consultation.