Lots of clients in Lakeland, Florida, FL want to get rid of cellulite and you can certainly understand why. Our weather is perfect for spending a lot of time at the beach and nobody wants the cratered and dimpled skin that occurs when you have cellulite. It's often one of the reasons people seek out my help. Getting rid of cellulite is more than just losing weight. Even thin people can have cellulite. It involves diet and exercise, plus more.
Even though thin people can get cellulite, the distribution of body fat and amount makes a difference.
Cellulite occurs when fat under the skin pushes it's way through the woven connective tissue of the dermis. Since that connective tissue actually looks like a honeycomb, when the fat cells grow, it pushes into those spaces as it bulges through and makes the outer skin look dimpled. Some people don't get cellulite. It all depends on how thick the skin is, where the fat is distributed and how strong the connective fibers are. Hormones play a role in this, so women tend to have this problem. Women tend to have more body fat and a thinner outer layer of skin.
Working out with weights can help cellulite.
Not only will you tone your muscles when you work out with weights, you'll improve the appearance of cellulite by diminishing it. Strength building exercises helps define and build muscle tissue, while replacing fat tissue. It helps make those bulging fat cells far less noticeable, since there's not as much fat to push through the fibers. Lifting weights and building muscle tissue also helps you shed the pounds, which also smooths the skin.
Shedding pounds without exercising can make the problem worse.
You might think that since cellulite comes from fat pushing through, losing weight is all you need to do. You'd be wrong. When you shed those extra pounds, it takes a while for your skin to lose that baggy look, especially if you're older. Baggy skin makes the remaining fat and cellulite more pronounced. However, combining that weight loss with strength building exercises can make a marked improvement in the amount of cellulite, while also giving you a curvy, toned appearance.
- If wrinkled skin isn't enough to make you quit smoking, maybe reducing cellulite will. You need strong connective tissue to prevent cellulite and smoking weakens it by reducing the formation of collagen, the building block of connective tissue.
- Massages and creams may not help, but you can still try. Skin treatments that help build collagen, such as those with retinol or vitamin C, have a potential to help build stronger collagen. Treating yourself to a skin soothing rub definitely won't make it worse and could help.
- Be aware that some medical treatments for cellulite can actually make the condition worse. Liposuction is for contouring the body, but some doctors may suggest it for cellulite. It doesn't work and can leave you with baggy skin that's still dimpled, which makes those lumps and bumps more noticeable.
- At Habitat Health and Fitness, we can help you with a program of healthy eating and a workout that will tone your body and make cellulite seem to disappear. We even offer three free sessions to help you get started.
