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Best Leg Exercises for Cellulite Removal

Cellulite is a dirty word for many females and can be a source of embarrassment and frustration. It manifests itself in 90% of women and occasionally in men, normally around the abdomen, thighs and buttocks. It gives the appearance of dimpled or puckered skin and is often called orange peel skin due to its pitted look. Cellulite occurs due to fatty deposits under the skin.

What Causes Cellulite in Legs and Other Parts of the Body?

The exact causes of cellulite are not known but are thought to be related to one or a combination of the following:

• hereditary factors which predispose an individual to its occurrence
• too much fat in the diet
• inadequate oxygen supply to cells in a certain area
• poor circulation which can be exacerbated by tight fitting underwear with strong elastic

Treating Cellulite With Massage

Lymphatic drainage massage may help to reduce cellulite by stimulating the effective working of the lymphatic system and breaking down fatty tissue.

This system runs throughout the body and plays an important role in helping the body break down waste, proteins and fat. It is also important for the body’s effective immunity to bacteria and infection.

Lymphatic drainage massage is extremely beneficial to total well-being as it will help to flush out toxins and excess fluids.

Not all massage practitioners will be able to give a lymphatic drainage massage as it is very specific.

It is thought that massage alone will have little effect but if it is combined with exercise and a healthy diet it will be of greater benefit.

Best Leg Exercises for Cellulite

Exercise will increase blood flow and promote an effective oxygen supply throughout the body. As it is thought that cellulite may be caused or exacerbated by poor circulation and low oxygen supply to specific cells, exercise may be of benefit.

The best regime of all is to take part in some aerobic exercise followed by specific leg exercises. Aerobic, simply put, means doing any exercise that leaves you out of breath and can include running, fast walking, cycling, swimming or tennis.

• Squats – from standing, bend the knees until you are in a crouched position. For the most benefit don’t lower yourself all the way down but stop when the back of the thighs and ankles are several inches apart. Hold this position for a few seconds and then slowly return to the upright position. Repeat 10 times.
• One-leg Squats – once you have mastered the above leg exercise you can try its more extreme version which will have twice as much benefit. You may need to hold onto something to keep your balance. Balance on one leg with the free leg out as straight and high as you can manage it. Lower down into a crouch as for double leg squats. Try and keep the free leg off the floor the whole time. It will take time to build up to this leg exercise for cellulite.
• Mountain Climbers – start from a position of kneeling on one knee. Using the power in the foot that is placed on the floor, spring your body upwards to standing and return to your starting position but with the opposite knee on the floor this time. It is VERY important that you don’t use your knee to land on but take all the weight on the foot that is flat on the floor, slowly lowering the knee to the floor for the last few inches. Try and aim for 3 sets of 20 but you may need to build up to this and may only manage a few to begin with.
• Elastic leg pushes – elastics can be bought as training aids from most sports stores or use a bungy cord. Hold the ends of the elastic, one in each hand. Bend one leg up to your chest (or as high as you can get it) and place this foot onto the elastic, like a stirrup. Push down with your foot whilst holding the elastic in place with your hands. This resistance exercise is a highly effective, muscle specific one. Repeat a few times on each leg.
• Step-ups – you can use your stairs for this or any platform that requires a little effort to step onto. Step up with one foot, bring the other to join it and then reverse the process ending with both feet flat on the floor again. Try and keep this up for a minute, rest for 30 seconds and repeat. Start with as high a platform as you can manage, which may initially be quite low, but aim to increase this as quickly as you can.

If you are unused to exercise you must begin very slowly. It doesn’t matter if you can only manage one of each of the leg exercises listed above initially, it is one more than you were doing previously. Doing the exercises every day will soon make a difference and slow build up will ensure the best results for cellulite reduction without risk of strain or injury.

It is unlikely that even the combination of healthy diet, exercise and massage will completely remove all cellulite. However, with a little patience and time, practising all three may well drastically reduce the appearance of cellulite.

The article on leg exercises to get rid of cellulite has been written by expert author ‘Deneice Arthurton ‘