The Top 5 Cellulite Exercises

Cellulite is caused when fat protrudes out of the deposits it's contained in (normally smooth) so that it protrudes out and presses unevenly against the skin, thereby creating the dimpling effect on your skin known as cellulite. The reason for this is that the connective tissue between the fat becomes damaged and can no longer properly contain the fat cells in the flat, even arrangement that they're supposed to be in.

With a good diet (plenty of water, fruits, leafy green vegetables, very little trans fats and sugar, etc.) and the right exercises that are especially effective at getting rid of cellulite, you can significantly reduce or even completely eliminate any cellulite that you might have.

The 5 Most Effective Cellulite-Killing Exercises

1. Yoga, in particular the modified shoulderstand (ardha salamba sarvangasana) and the plow pose (halasana). Yoga is fantastic at stretching out your entire body, and this stretching effect not only helps alleviate the crumpling effect of cellulite by stretching out that connective tissue but it also increases lymph flow to the fatty areas--lymph is the bodily fluid that contains white blood cells that help flush toxins and thereby reduce cellulite. Upside-down poses, known in yoga as "inversions", are particularly good at doing these two things (stretching and stimulating lymph flow). Here's how to do them:

Shoulderstand

First, it's highly recommended that you do these poses with the assistance of a certified Yoga instructor, or at least find a good instructional video online (just search YouTube for "yoga shoulderstand"). Now, the way it's done is the following: you lie on your back with your arms down by your side and then bend at the knees and slowly rock your legs up, bringing the knees up to your forehead -- for extra support put your hands underneath your hips. Remember to keep your elbows on the floor and then hold this position for about 8 to 10 breaths. After that, slowly lower your knees and carefully roll back onto the floor.

Plow Pose

Begin in the half shoulderstand from above and straighten your legs while extending them back over your head, then resting your toes on the floor. Now, straighten your arms down onto the floor with your palms facing down. Just hold this position for 8 to 10 breaths and then bend your knees back up to your forehead and gently bring your body down to the floor.

2. Cardio (aerobic exercise)

You knew this was coming: it's pretty obvious that reducing the amount of fat on your body is going to help eliminate cellulite since cellulite essentially is fat (misshapen fat, but still fat). Pick anything you want, preferably something fun such as a sport or activity that you enjoy that way you'll be able to keep doing it in the long-term instead of just busting your butt for a few weeks, getting sick of it, and quitting. Cycling, racquetball (many gyms have racquetball courts), tennis, basketball, swimming, and running are all fantastic choices--consider taking lessons for a fun new sport you'd like to learn (such as tennis or racquetball), it's a great way to do this.

3. Squats

Squats are, hands down, the greatest, most effective butt-and-leg exercise in existence, nothing beats them. Since this involves moving heavy free weights around I highly recommend you get professional help with this and hire a trainer who can show you precisely how to do them correctly with the proper technique and form so that you don't risk hurting yourself. Doing squats while on a proper diet (high protein, restricted calories) will be massively effective in improving the appearance of your butt and legs, not just in reducing cellulite but in firming and toning them as well.

4. Lunges

Second best butt-and-leg exercise next to squats and can be used in conjunction with them. Again, involves free weights so I recommend you get a trainer's assistance. These work each individual leg on its own and really stretch your legs and butt out big time when you do them, so they're a great exercise to use if you're specifically looking to target cellulite.

5. Machine Kick-Backs

These are specifically designed to isolate and work the butt and these are done with a specific machine you can find in nearly any gym, so they're a bit safer than the other exercises that require free weights. This is the exercise, if you don't know, where you push back against a resisting arm with your foot by kicking your leg back, usually while standing up--when you do this you're almost exclusively using the muscles located in your butt to do so.

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