Can You Reduce Cellulite Naturally?

Cellulite refers to the fat beneath your skin that takes on a lumpy or dimpled appearance, which occurs when the fat beneath your skin pushes against connective tissue. This action causes the skin to take on a characteristic orange-peel appearance.

For women, this occurs most often in the years leading to menopause. Estrogen changes during this time can be associated with changes in circulation and a decrease in collagen production. When fat cells becoming larger and the collagen layer becomes thinner, this can result in a bumpy appearance of the thighs, hips, buttocks, abdomen and knees. Cellulite may appear as early as the teenage years and impact overweight as well as thin individuals.

Cellulite is not a disease or a pathology, however it is cosmetically unappealing to some people. Because of this, the beauty industry has made a fortune marketing creams, lotions, laser treatments and other "cures" for this aesthetic problem.

Naturally combating cellulite requires a multifaceted approach, including exercise.

These 5 exercises are from Skinny Mom and reported by The Huffington Post.

1. Pile Squat - Rather than standing with your feet hip-width apart and your toes forward, scoot your legs out a little wider and point each toe to the adjacent wall: left toes toward the left wall, right toes toward the right wall. Keep the same posture and technique as a regular squat.

But when you push back up to standing position, squeeze your inner thighs. Try to tuck your butt inwards and give a little pelvic thrust at the top to make sure you are targeting your inner thighs and outer thighs.

2. Squats With an Exercise Ball - Stand with feet about shoulder-width and hold the ball overhead. Hinge the hips backward and down as the upper body drops with them. Bring the ball down and in front of you at shoulder level.

Even though you're focusing on the ball in front of you, make sure the knees stay behind the toes and the chest is lifted. Exhale and push out of the squat to standing and lift the ball overhead again.

3. Bridge - Lie down on your back with your arms comfortably at your sides and your feet tucked under your knees. Push through your heels and thrust your hips upward towards the ceiling.

The upper part of your back and shoulder blades should be pressed into the mat or floor. Lower yourself back down and repeat the motion. For an extra degree of difficulty, do the lift on one leg!

4. Mountain Climber - Start in a standing position. Bend down while placing your hands on the ground and kick your legs out. You should be in a plank position now. Kick your right leg up as close to your right hand as you can; this should feel like a very deep lunge. Pull that leg back and repeat on the left side.

Then swing your right knee out to the side and tuck it on the outside of your shoulder … After each move has been done once on each side, jump or tuck your knees back in and stand up, returning to the start position.

5. Side Leg Lift With a Resistance Band - Grab a resistance band and lay down on your right side with your legs straight. Wrap the band around your ankles. Lie on your right side with your legs straight, your left leg on top of your right. Use your right forearm as a kickstand, holding your upper body above the floor.

Keeping your legs straight, raise your right leg as high as you can. Focus on keeping your knee straight. Lower your leg back to the starting position. Lift as many times as you can on this side for 30 seconds.

Switch to your left side and complete as many side leg raises with band as possible for 30 seconds.

Lionel Bissoon, DO is the author of "The Cellulite Cure". He believes cellulite is a relatively modern-day problem that began in the late '70s, in part because women adopted a much more sedentary lifestyle.

Taking 10,000 steps a day is one strategy to stay active, especially if you work in a sedentary office job.

Eliminating sugar, junk foods and processed foods, while embracing home cooked meals from scratch with plenty of fresh produce is another huge step in the right direction.

Bissoon believes that changing styles of underwear have also been involved in rising rates of cellulite in developed countries. He believes that tight elastic across your backside is bad for circulation and cellulite often appears in the area where that elastic sits. He claims that wearing looser underwear, or a thong, may be one of the most important preventive strategies there is.

Other Natural Strategies Include:

1. Whole Body Vibration Training (WBVT) - WBVT causes your muscles to contract between 25 and 50 times a second as you make gentle body movements. In one study, six months of WBVT led to a nearly 26% reduction of cellulite on the thighs and buttocks. Combining WBVT with a cardio workout led to a more than 32% reduction. I have a whole body vibration platform at my office and use it regularly.

2. Dry Skin Brushing - Dry skin brushing may help to soften hard fat deposits below the skin while distributing fat deposits more evenly. When you dry brush your skin, it also increases circulation, which may help to prevent and diminish the appearance of cellulite.

3. Grapefruit Essential Oil - One of the most recognized benefits of grapefruit essential oil and other citrus oils is their positive effect on the lymphatic system, which plays a role in your body's detoxification mechanism. Using grapefruit oil may help boost the activity of lymph glands, thereby preventing problems like poor circulation and cellulite.

4. Vitamin C - Vitamin C has numerous functions in your body, including the production of collagen. Good collagen production can help to reduce cellulite. I recommend vitamin C with bioflavanoids. Taking a good collagen supplement such as Genacol is also helpful. Healthy collagen production also aids your joints and can reduce joint pain.

5. Weight Loss - Many people notice when they gain weight, their cellulite deposits are more noticeable and when they lose weight, the opposite occurs.

6. Keeping Cortisol Levels Low - Getting high-quality sleep and reducing your stress can help to keep your cortisol levels low. Cortisol is a stress hormone that, when elevated, depletes lean muscle and can increase fat deposits, as well as cellulite deposits.

Read More