Women of all ages can fall prey to those frustrating cellulite bumps.
Though cellulite can pop up any time, it is true that cellulite does seem to appear out of nowhere and can get worse with age. Those strands of connective tissue thicken with age, and our skin gets thinner, making cellulite more noticeable.
Because fat is exceptionally soft, it doesn’t keep our skin taut like muscle does. It also takes up more space, so it bulges out. With the right exercise plan, you can reduce your cellulite and make your lower body look smoother and firmer.
The trick is working all your lower body muscles from every angle, reducing the underlying fat stores and replacing lost muscle tissue to give the area a taut, toned appearance throughout.
Side to Side
- Muscles worked: Quadriceps, abductors, adductors, hamstrings, and glutes
Equipment:
- Dumbbells. You can do this basic exercise without any weights. Just keep your hands on your hips. To make it more difficult, hold the dumbbells up at your shoulders while performing the exercise.
1. Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed out about 45 degrees and your back flat and straight. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and rest them at your hips.
2. Take a giant step to the left and bend your left knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor, keeping your right leg extended. Do not allow your left knee to jut over your toes or your butt to dip below your knee. Pause, then return to the starting position and repeat the motion to the right side without resting.
All-Fours Kickback
- Muscles worked: Gluteal muscles
Equipment:
- Dumbbells. When doing this exercise, remember not to arch or hunch your back. This will prevent you from putting stress on your back. Do the exercise with a light dumbbell held behind the knee in the crook of your working leg.
1. Get down on your forearms and knees (similar to the hands-and-knees position, but you bend your arms and support your weight on your forearms instead of your hands). Keep your back straight and your head in line with your back so that your eyes are looking down.
2. Keeping your back straight and leg bent, slowly swing your right leg back and lift your right foot toward the ceiling until your thigh is parallel to the ground. Your foot should remain flexed throughout the exercise. Hold for 1 second, then return to the starting position. Do one set with your right leg, then switch and repeat with your left.
Squat and Side Lift
- Muscles worked:Glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, and abductors
Equipment:
- Dumbbells. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with your hands on your hips, your elbows out to the sides, and your toes slightly pointed out. Remember to keep your head straight and your eyes facing forward. If you want to push yourself a bit, hold a light dumbbell in each hand as you do the moves.
1. Slowly bend at the knees and squat back as though moving your butt down toward an imaginary chair. Keep your back flat, and don’t allow your knees to jut over your toes. Stop when your thighs are just about parallel to the floor; don’t go any lower.
2. Pause, then straighten your legs, lifting your left leg off the floor and out to the side as you stand. Pause again, then return to the starting position. Repeat, lifting your right leg to the side this time. Alternate legs throughout the exercise.
One-Legged Lunge
- Muscles worked: Glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings
Equipment:
- A sturdy chair or bench Since this is a bit of an advanced exercise, practice doing regular lunges to get comfortable with the movement before you start. To make this move even more challenging, hold dumbbells down at your sides.
1. Stand about 2 feet in front of a sturdy chair or bench with your back to it. Bend your left knee and extend your left leg behind you, putting the top of your left foot on the seat of the chair. Keep your back straight, your head aligned with your spine, and your eyes facing forward.
2. Slowly bend your right knee until it is parallel to the floor. Do not allow your right knee to jut over your toes. Pause, then rise back to the starting position. Do one set with your right leg, then switch and repeat with your left.