What is cellulite? Well, anybody who looks at the backside of a celebrity in People Magazine knows what cellulite is, because they're always loving to photograph women with cellulite. Often known as cottage cheese or lumpy bumpy, it's mostly prominent in the thighs, butt, and abdomen. Also, ladies cellulite only seems to be a women's problem, men don't normally get it.
What Causes Cellulite?
Well, we don't really know. It's extremely complicated, but we know that gaining weight can cause it to increase or even begin to appear. Pregnancy, also seems to be a cause, as well as, high carb diets.
How Can I Treat Cellulite?
In order to treat cellulite it's important to understand what it is under your skin. First we have the dermis which is full of collagen. You can call this the leathery part of your skin. Below the dermis we have our fat cells. What happens is that there are tethers that go from your collagen layer down into underlying structures in your skin. It's kind of what holds your skin to the surface. So, when you have cellulite your tethers or collagen strands become stretched out & weak, meaning you start to see a bulging of the fat, AKA cellulite. This starts to appear on the layers of your skin, and that's what gives you dimples on the surface.
Think of it as when stretch marks happen. When you weaken the dermis & your collagen stands break you start seeing the lines on the skin, from being over extended (which are stretch marks). But with cellulite what's getting weak is the part that holds the skin down or the collagen tethers. Creating lift up you get this rippling affect in the skin or cellulite. And this seems to be uniquely a female problem.
Can Exercise Prevent Cellulite?
Cellulite is seen in fit people, unfit people, fat people & skinny people. When I say people I mean women lol. So, I think it certainly behooves you to be at your ideal weight, exercise regularly, and eat a good diet that's not super high in carbs. This will give your body the best genetic advantage. But, doing all that perfectly can not guarantee you will not have cellulite.
Collagen Production
Although this hasn't been proven, it seems to me like cellulite is more of a collagen problem along with maintaining a fairly healthy diet & weight. Personally I use a few collagen powders & products on my skin to fight against cellulite. First I drink collagen in my tea every night. Next, I use a dry brush on my legs to ensure I don't get cellulite dimples. Also, I use a derma roller which is great for collagen production; since it sends signals to your brain to send collagen to the place you poked with the roller. After I use my derma roller, I apply vitamin C oil. Lastly, I workout everyday twice a day for 45 mins & eat a healthy diet.
Workout with me daily if you need ideas for exercises & if you're a beginner check out my first workout program for beginners!