Can you really get rid of cellulite? Despite claims and rumors, the answer is no. However, we can do things that will shrink it.
Cellulite is a common problem - a dimpled look on the thighs and buttocks, but for some people it’s also on the upper arms and abdomen.
Let’s dive deeper.
Knowing Your Fat Cells
There are 3 types of fat cells - one type was just only recently discovered!
The three types of fat cells are Brown, White and Beige.
We like the brown fat cells - these burn fat. The color comes from mitochondrial activity. The mitochondria are power plants - they produce energy and the bi-product is brown in color.
The white fat cells we are less enamored with because they store fat. Although this sounds bad, we actually need fat storage for a number of health benefits, not the least is cancer prevention. We just don’t need too much storage!
Through current research, we now know there are beige fat cells. These are versatile fat cells because they can adapt to be either fat storing or fat burning. I know, you’re still wanting them to be the burning kind, so I’ll show you soon how we can encourage the beige cells to burn fat rather than store fat.
As we age, we produce less brown fat cells, so we burn less fat. It makes sense to encourage fat burning. Our goal is to stimulate the fat burning activity of the beige cells so they act more like brown fat cells.
How can we do this?
Boost circulation and blood flow.
There are a few tried and true ways to boost circulation.
The best way to do this is with regular cardiovascular exercise. The increase in blood flow creates more oxygenation in the body, helping to clear stagnation. Cellulite is not just about fat storage but stagnation and toxin buildup. So we need to bring oxygen to the muscles and flush them with fresh blood flow. Exercise can also burn fat, so although it can’t target your thigh cellulite, it will help the area overall be a little smoother.
Another way to boost circulation is massage. Cellulite responds well to massage therapy. Targeted massage to the affected areas includes techniques such as deep tissue and lymphatic drainage done by a professional licensed massage therapist. You can also massage areas of cellulite at home.
Before your shower, use your dry brush. This is fairly light brushing but you can be a bit more firm on the outer thighs, outer arms and buttocks, and lighter on the inner thighs, inner arms and abdomen. The total time per section is about a minute. Then shower, and apply the cream after the shower to damp skin - don’t take all the moisture off the skin.
Dry Brushing tip: brush toward the heart, and do this every day.