As of: March 27, 2024, 3:20 p.m
By: Nina Dudek, Julia Schuster
Comments
Press
Split
Do you exercise regularly and intensively, but still have dents on your bottom and thighs?
Find out why exercise alone doesn't help against cellulite.
Note to our readers:
We create product comparisons and deals for you.
To make this possible, we receive a commission from partners.
This doesn't change anything for you.
The most important thing in
this message
What is
the cause
of cellulite?
- This is how the unsightly dents occur
Are you doing
the right exercise
to combat cellulite?
- If you train cleverly, you will soon see success
Are you designing
your endurance training
correctly?
- Achieve success faster with this trick
Complement your sport with
anti-cellulite nutrition
- fight orange peel with the right foods
Can you get rid of
cellulite with exercise
?
- This is the prospect of smooth skin
Additional push for sport:
New products against cellulite
- The best complementary products against cellulite
All chapters
Jogging on Mondays and Wednesdays, abs-legs-butt workouts on Tuesdays and Fridays and whenever possible a session on the stepper or cross trainer.
But a look in the mirror is sobering; orange peel stubbornly persists in the classic problem areas.
Do you feel the same way?
If you do a lot of exercise and still can't get rid of your cellulite, there may be a completely different reason than a lack of exercise.
We reveal possible causes of cellulite despite lots of exercise.
What is
the cause
of cellulite?
The main reason for this is the structure of the connective tissue, which cannot be changed: in women it is arranged vertically.
When the connective tissue is weak, fat cells push through the tissue more easily to the surface and form dents.
Hormones such as estrogen also affect fat distribution and size of fat cells, particularly in areas prone to cellulite such as the hips, thighs and buttocks.
In addition, women's skin is generally thinner than men's, so the underlying fatty structures are more clearly visible.
Unfair: Men are only rarely affected.
The reason for this is the stronger connective tissue.
While in a woman the connective tissue fibers run parallel, in men they are connected to each other like a network.
Fat accumulations in the subcutaneous tissue generally cannot squeeze through this network.
Are you doing
the right exercise
to combat cellulite?
Not all sports are the same.
The daily jogging session alone or the Pilates session on Friday evening are of course a first step.
However, they only help to a limited extent against cellulite.
So train cleverly and “outwit” those annoying dents with the optimal mix of endurance and strengthening.
That's why a mix of sports against cellulite is so important
Only those who fight cellulite from two sides can achieve success.
This means: On the one hand, reduce fat and increase blood circulation with endurance training, and on the other hand, build firm muscles in problem areas with targeted strength training.
Targeted strength training:
Building muscles, especially in the thighs and buttocks, is a key tip in the fight against cellulite.
Muscles ensure that the skin is “plumped up” from below and the cellulite is less visible.
Body shaping exercises such as squats, lunges, glute bridges, leg presses, sumo squats and step ups strengthen and define the muscles of the legs, butt and thighs.
Many of these exercises can be intensified with resistance bands.
Cardio training:
Sports such as running, cycling or Nordic walking with the use of sticks are particularly suitable.
But mountain hiking, rope jumping or running sports such as tennis, squash and handball also provide variety for endurance training.
You can train easily and regardless of the weather on a high-quality home trainer.
Aqua fitness:
If you are very overweight or have problems with your joints, you can use this gentle sport to combat cellulite.
Fitness courses in the water, such as aqua running, act like a gentle massage and also support muscles and connective tissue.
Yoga & Pilates:
These exercises not only strengthen the entire body, but also promote flexibility, mobility and tighten the skin.
Are you designing
your endurance training
correctly?
Can you already manage a full hour of moderate jogging?
Or don't you get out of breath even after cycling for several hours?
This is a great starting point in the fight against orange peel.
But did you know that when it comes to endurance sports, “the longer, the better” is not the only factor for success?
Studies1 have shown that intense, short-term training (such as high-intensity interval training, or HIIT) can be more effective than moderate strength-endurance training when it comes to fighting cellulite.
HIIT is considered an insider tip for losing weight and can melt body fat faster - and thus indirectly reduce cellulite.
Beginners benefit from this training method just as much as professionals.
However, it is important to adapt the intensity of the training to your personal fitness level.
Moderate endurance training |
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) |
|---|---|
Promotes fat burning over a longer period of time |
Burns a lot of calories in a short time |
Improves cardiovascular health and overall fitness |
Uses the afterburn effect (increased calorie consumption after training) |
Lower risk of injury |
Efficiently improves endurance and muscle strength |
May lower blood pressure and cholesterol |
HIIT sessions are short and efficient |
Cellulite and cellulite are not the same thing
Cellulite is often equated with cellulite.
This is a wrong assumption.
With cellulite, the skin only forms small dents.
Cellulitis, on the other hand, is an inflammatory disease of different layers of the skin.
Bacteria such as streptococci cause red, painful swellings.
While cellulite is unsightly but harmless, cellulite requires medical treatment.
Supplement exercise with
anti-cellulite nutrition
Sport is by no means the only thing you can do against cellulite - and that's why sport alone doesn't always help.
Because nutrition is an equally important component in the fight against the unpleasant orange peel.
If you eat the right foods and avoid bad ingredients, you will tighten your skin and connective tissue from the inside.
Overview of the do's and don'ts in nutrition
✅
Fruit and vegetables rich in vitamin C
: Strengthens the immune system and stimulates fat metabolism.
Go especially for citrus fruits like oranges and tangerines to keep the skin firm and supple.
✅
Drink enough:
Drink at least 2 liters of water daily, preferably water or unsweetened teas.
This keeps the skin elastic and helps the body detoxify.
This in turn can reduce cellulite.
✅
Fiber-rich food
: Whole grain products as well as fruits and vegetables strengthen connective tissue.
Fiber supports healthy digestion and can reduce water retention.
Flax seeds or superfoods such as chia seeds and berries are considered insider tips.
✅
Healthy fats
: Foods like avocado, nuts and seeds provide valuable fatty acids that make the skin glow.
Omega-3 fatty acids, found primarily in fish, walnuts and chia seeds, can help reduce cellulite.
❌
Sugar and processed foods
: Sugar often increases cellulite, as does excessive consumption of fat and salt.
Reduce foods containing refined sugar, white flour or highly salty foods, convenience foods and fast food.
❌
Cigarettes and alcohol
: Both are harmful not only to general health, but also to the skin.
Because both lead to toxins being deposited in the body.
This can promote cellulite.
Cupping massage against cellulite
One form of self-massage is the use of cupping glasses.
Massage some massage oil into the affected skin areas with your fingers.
Then place the cupping glass on it and press the silicone button.
Now you can slowly slide the glass back and forth.
The negative pressure stimulates blood circulation and lymphatic flow.
Can you get rid of
cellulite with exercise
?
Cellulite cannot be completely eliminated or even trained away due to genetic predisposition and structural causes.
Cellulite occurs more often in women than in men.
85 to 98 percent of all women suffer from the dents.
The good news is that cellulite can be reduced with the right combination of endurance and strength training, a healthy diet and supportive treatments such as massages.
Additional push to sport:
new products against cellulite
In the fight against cellulite, you can supplement your sports program with additional supportive measures.
This is easy to do at home and can achieve small successes if used regularly.
B-Lumix Body Cellulite Massager
B-Lumix Body Cellulite Massager with Cavitation © Amazon;
pchvector/PantherMedia
This massager combines modern technologies such as cavitation, RF (radio frequency) vibrations and EMS (electric muscle stimulation).
Photon light in red and blue can make the skin elastic and reduce redness and inflammation.
According to the manufacturer, the combination of these technologies is intended to model the body lines and firm the skin.
The highlight: Cosmetic gels or balms serve as conductors for the currents in order to achieve the best possible results.
According to the manufacturer, a maximum of three applications per week is sufficient for optimal effect.
To the B-Lumix Body
Reduce cellulite overnight with Alhena leggings
Anti-cellulite sleep leggings for overnight skin care © Third of Life;
AI/ChatGPT
Getting rid of cellulite while you sleep is too good to be true?
The Alhena sleep leggings from the German manufacturer Third of Life promise exactly that!
Bioactive minerals in the yarn improve the skin's blood microcirculation.
This smoothes and tightens it.
The leggings are available in sizes XS to XL.
To the Alhena leggings
Beurer cellulite releaser
Beurer cellulite releaZer Vibration massage for tightening the deep tissue © Beurer;
lubo.ivanko/PantherMedia
Beurer uses vibration technology to promote blood circulation and strengthen connective tissue.
A scientific study by proderm GmbH Schenefeld/Hamburg has proven that the device reduces cellulite with visible results after just 12 weeks of regular use.
To the Beurer cellulite releaser
Organic Birch Cellulite Oil
Organic Birch Cellulite Oil © Weleda
To the birch oil
If Weleda's care oil is used twice a day, it is said to tighten the skin by 22 percent and make it 21 percent smoother after just 28 days of use.
A dermatological study has shown that daily massages with body oil in combination with exercise and a healthy diet significantly improve the complexion.
prorelax vacuum massager
Electric cupping massage plus relaxation © prorelax;
AI/ChatGPT
The modern version of cupping.
The principle of the vacuum massager is based on the so-called subcutaneous endomassage.
This means that it uses negative pressure to lift the skin and thus promotes blood circulation in the problem areas and also ensures relaxation.
Four massage programs and three different sized suction cups adapt the treatment to different parts of the body.
The intensity can be regulated individually.
To the prorelax massager
With Schuessler salts against cellulite
Design without title (8).jpg © DHU
Schüssler salts are homeopathic preparations based on the theories of the German doctor Wilhelm Heinrich Schüßler.
Even the smallest amounts of mineral salt are said to provide impulses in the cells to reactivate the self-healing powers.
This set is based on a proven combination with the active ingredients Calcium fluoratum (calcium fluoride) and Silicea (silicic acid), which can help with weak connective tissue, wrinkles, varicose veins and cellulite or stretch marks.
To the Schüssler skin-tight
Here you will find further product recommendations for massage devices against cellulite
1 Tabata, Izumi/Nishimura, K/Kouzaki, M/Hirai, Y./Ogita, F./Miyachi, M./Yamamoto, K.: Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max , at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8897392
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here