Ugh. Cellulite. Yes, that unsightly, dimply-looking skin that everyone hates, yet so many of us deal with. To make matters worse, it is often on our thighs and buttocks. You work out hard, real hard. But is your cellulite getting worse with exercise? Many think so. In this article, I will share what causes cellulite and ways to reduce it with leading experts.
Let’s get started.
From the Mayo Clinic, “Cellulite is a very common, harmless skin condition that causes lumpy, dimpled flesh on the thighs, hips, buttocks, and abdomen. The condition is most prevalent in women.
Many people try, with variable success, to improve the appearance of their skin through weight loss, exercise, massage, and creams marketed as a solution to cellulite.”[1]
From Healthline.com, “Cellulite is caused by a buildup of fat underneath the skin. Some women are more predisposed to it than others. The amount of cellulite you have and how noticeable it is can be based on your genes, body fat percentage, and age. The thickness of your skin also affects the appearance of cellulite.”[2]
Cellulite is just normal fat. It looks lumpy because it presses against connective tissue, resulting in the skin above it to pucker.
Whether you’re heavy or thin, you can get cellulite. Muscle tone can affect it, and very fit people sometimes have it. Hormonal factors and genetics both play a role. It might also be related to the thickness of your skin. Women are more likely to get it than men. It tends to form more as you get older.
Lifestyle factors may play a role. For example, cellulite may be related to:
- Unhealthy diet
- Fad dieting
- Slow metabolism
- Lack of physical activity
- Dehydration
- Total body fat (But at least one study showed that losing weight doesn’t change cellulite.)[3]
So, why is your cellulite getting worse with exercise?
As we talked about before, several factors impact why some people have cellulite and others don’t.
Genetics certainly plays a role. However, there is not much you can do about this so let’s focus our energy on the causes of cellulite which you can do something about.
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Poor Diet. You’ve probably heard the expression, “you can’t out-exercise a bad diet.” Yes, great bodies are made in the kitchen. This is especially true if you are no longer a teenager with a raging metabolism.
Regardless of how intense you work out, it is extremely easy to overeat and thus, eat more calories than you burn. Even marathon runners, who you would think could eat anything they wanted due to the nature of their activity, still have to carefully monitor what they eat to avoid excess weight gain.
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Exercise fires up your metabolism, as well as your post-workout appetite. Not only do athletic people still have to watch how much they eat, but also the quality of the food they consume.
Too much sugar. From Lipotherapeia, …“sugar is the number one cause of cellulite today and the increase of the appearance of cellulite in women in the mid-twentieth century has coincided with the increase in the consumption of various types of sugars, including sucrose (plain sugar), fructose, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), etc.”[4]
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Doing the wrong type of exercise. There’s no way to prevent cellulite, according to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, and it’s a very common condition. The risk increases with age and certain lifestyle factors.
While you can’t control your age, you can make some changes to your lifestyle that may help reduce the amount of cellulite on your thighs and buttocks, as well as other parts of your body. These changes can include things like starting a regular exercise program and a nutritious diet.
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When it comes to exercise, the most efficient or quickest way to reduce the appearance of cellulite is through strength training.
The use of free weights is a great way to build muscle strength and tighten the skin up around the thigh and buttocks areas. Free weights are easy to use and quite inexpensive for those who like to work out at home.
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Other products that can reduce the appearance of cellulite
Self-tanning lotions. Tanning gives you a darker hue, which reduces the appearance of cellulite. The reason for this phenomenon is darker skin conceals the skin’s texture more than lighter complexions.
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Here are some of our favorite self-tanning lotions:
- SELF TANNER BODY LOTION - Create a flawless light bronze tan with gradual, natural-looking color while nourishing and hydrating dry and extra dry skin.
- GRADUAL SUNLESS TANNING - Our Jergens Natural Glow & FIRMING moisturizer will gradually enhance and deepen your natural skin tone to provide hassle-free, streak-free color. Cruelty free
- CELLULITE REMOVER - Infused with collagen, elastin, and green tea infusions, our fast-acting, anti cellulite formula will help reduce cellulite appearance within 7 days.
- A NATURAL, SUN-KISSED GLOW: Goodbye to orange hues and hello to a natural-looking tan. Our bronzing tanning lotion comes in fair to medium & medium to dark shades for all skin types.
- CLEAN BEAUTY: Trust Beauty by Earth for a natural self tanner organic made with organic aloe vera, shea butter, and botanical extracts without any harmful additives or dyes.
- SUITABLE FOR FACE & BODY: Our organic tanning lotion can be used on both face and body for a seamless, all-over tan. For acne-prone skin, use our tanner lotion for glowing skin.
- Ultra long lasting self tan mousse
- Lightweight mousse format
- Easy to apply
Cellulite creams. There are many anti-cellulite creams on the market, which reduce the appearance of cellulite by firming the skin as well as moisturizing it.
Here are some of our favorite anti-cellulite creams:
- Holistic Massage Oil. A sensual massage oil specifically formulated to help minimize the look of cellulite and relieve sore muscles. Use with our dry brush for a lymphatic massage, our anti cellulite silicone body brush, or massage ball roller, to deliver results.
- Collagen and Stem Cell Infused Body Oil for Men and Women. Our anti cellulite is perfect for your post-workout routine, offering a soothing touch while targeting cellulite.
- Skin Tightening. Firm your skin with this body oil and rich antioxidants, fatty acids ingredients, the natural essential oils included in this cellulite body lotion, are quickly absorbed by your skin and give you strong tightening, moisturizing and regenerating benefits.
- Stimulates faster burning of subcutaneous fat tissue
- Eliminates cellulite swelling and heavy legs feeling. Gradual release mechanism through the night, ensures spectacular firming and smoothing skin surface effect
- NIGHT LIPO SHOCK THERAPY is an advanced product for intensive slimming and firming therapy. It's recommended for use during dieting, increased physical activity, and as supplementation of daily anti-cellulite treatment
- GREEN COFFEE BEAN OIL - Green Coffee Bean Oil is a superb choice for maintaining youthful & toned skin due to its rich blend of antioxidants, anti cellulite properties, & hydrating benefits. Packed with chlorogenic acids & polyphenols, the oil helps encourage the breakdown of body fats with high levels of antioxidants + reducing oxidative stress to mitigate premature aging. It also reinforces the skin's barrier to prevent moisture loss, leading to a smoother, more hydrated complexion.
- PERFECTLY PLUMP SKIN – This caramel-and-coffee-scented cellulite remover slimming body moisturizer can help to improve skin texture, improve skin tone, help plump sagging skin, & help prevent signs of premature aging. This Advanced Clinicals Thermo Firming Caffeine Cream contains a blend of firming + moisturizing ingredients like Green Tea Extracts, Caffeine, Chamomile, Collagen, Vitamin E, Aloe Vera, & more, which all work together to make your skin look smoother, firmer, & more taut.
- NOURISHING + FIRMING – With age our skin loses elasticity & moisture, our Clinically-Tested, Dermatologist-Tested, & Allergy-Tested Green Coffee Bean Oil Anti Cellulite Cream / Collagen Body Cream formula visibly smooths rough skin texture, plumps overall skin tone, & replenishes essential moisture to visibly restore volume to areas prone to sagging. Nourish, hydrate, & plump your skin for a healthier, fuller, & younger appearance while also improving your skin’s elasticity.
Anti-cellulite massagers. These massagers work by naturally drawing the toxins from your deep tissue using utility and eliminating the fluid retention and creating the sculpting, contouring effect.
- This is a manual massager designed for reducing cellulite, with clinically tested effectiveness. The device has been evaluated on women with cellulite in stages 1 to 3 on the Nürnberger and Müller scale and with a BMI < 30. This massager, with a registered patent, treats the entire thigh. After 2 weeks, it is possible to achieve a reduction in thigh circumference and an increase in smoothness. After 4 weeks, 87% of users notice improved circulation, 70% see firming effectiveness, and 67% observe a reduction in cellulite imperfections.
- For sensitive skin prone to bruising and/or with fragile capillaries, the use of Tesmed Cellulite, especially at the beginning of treatment, may cause slight bruising, redness, and flaking. Bruises appear due to skin sensitivity or excessive pressure. Normally, bruises disappear within a few days. However, it is recommended not to press on the skin and, in the case of very sensitive or bruise-prone skin, or at your discretion, to apply a body or anti-cellulite cream beforehand to mitigate the pinching effect.
- Tesmed Cellulite is the massager against cellulite imperfections. The invention features pairs of converging rollers that lift and squeeze the area with a "pinching" and "kneading" effect while simultaneously, pairs of diverging rollers work to stretch the skin. The action of the converging rollers promotes the expulsion of excess fluids and provides a toning effect, while the diverging rollers then relax the skin, giving it a smoothing effect.
- Reduces Cellulite: Varially anti cellulite massager boosts blood circulationand cellular metabolism, while the 5 steel balls provide deep tissue massage to break down fat deposits.Smooth skin allows you to show off your body with more confidence.
- Increase Skin Elasticity: The bluile cellulite massager stimulates fat-burning processes, helping to reduce excess fat and improve body contour for a more sculpted look. The anti-cellulite massager leaves your skin firmer, smoother, and more youthful.
- Adjustable 12 Suction Levels, Intelligent Safety: Revive anti cellulite massager come with 12 suction levels, you can choose the most comfortable strength according to your preference. After using 20 minutes, it will automatically stopped to prevent the massager from overheating.
References
[1] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cellulite/symptoms-causes/syc-20354945
[2] https://www.healthline.com/health/cellulite
[3] https://www.webmd.com/beauty/get-rid-of-cellulite#1
[4] https://www.lipotherapeia.com/the-peach-factor-blog/sugar-and-cellulite
Claudia Faucher is a full-time fitness training expert and lifestyle blogger. She is also been a certified Les Mills BodyPump instructor for the past 5 years and a fitness instructor for over 20 years. Claudia is a personal trainer and creates fitness training programs for seniors and people of all ages. She likes to use her skills and experiences to help others on their fitness journeys.
Last update on 2025-01-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API