Stretching for cellulite: basic exercises and technique

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You can get rid of cellulite, relax after a hard day, and give your body flexibility with just one group of exercises called stretching, or stretching for cellulite.

Show me a girl who doesn’t dream of a flexible, fit, slender body, there are no such things.

And if exercise helps you relax after a hard day or recover after a workout, there is no price for it.

In this article you will learn about effective stretching exercises for cellulite.

I will tell you why they are useful and what tips experts give for performing stretching.

When was cellulite invented?

The massive fight against cellulite began around the middle of the 20th century, when miniskirts and short shorts came into fashion. Before this, no one was interested in the condition of the skin of chastely covered female thighs. The fashion revolution contributed to a new wave in the cosmetology industry: ladies began en masse to improve the appearance of their legs. And today every woman caring for herself pays a lot of attention to the problem of cellulite.

The official medical name for the unsightly bumpy skin on the thighs is gynoid lipodystrophy. This is a stagnant phenomenon of impaired lymph exchange in cells.

Doctors actually call cellulite an inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue - the skin does not bulge, but turns red. Hence the suffix “-itis”, which in Latin words means inflammation.

To understand how cellulite occurs, you need to remember the structure of our skin:

• epidermis - the topmost layer;
• dermis - a layer under the epidermis, a complex interweaving of protein fibers of collagen and elastin;
• hypodermis - subcutaneous fatty tissue consisting of fat cells - adipocytes.

  
  Our skin consists of three main layers - epidermis, dermis and hypodermis.

The notorious orange peel is adipocytes stuck between the fibers of the dermis, in which metabolism is disrupted and slowed down. Why is this happening? Our body is most affected by lifestyle: lack of mobility and constant stress are the first step to cellulite. Genetics and heredity are also reflected.

Psychosomatic explanation

Psychosomatics is a direction of working with the body that claims that any disease or physiological problem has an emotional cause, obvious or hidden. Based on this theory, an unusual explanation is found for cellulite: the orange peel seems to become a kind of “armor” of the female reproductive organs, designed to protect against relationships with men. Stagnation of lymph symbolizes the suppression of emotions and the prohibition of feelings. There is a scientific explanation for this:

• long-term absence of relationships is reflected in hormonal levels;
• Suppressing feelings is always one of the stressors;
• Hormonal imbalances and stress contribute to the occurrence of cellulite.

Therefore, supporters of psychosomatics recommend that a woman who wants to get rid of cellulite pay more attention to herself and not forbid herself to live, feel and fall in love. The body reacts sensitively to whether it is hated or loved: if a woman accepts herself for who she is, but also works hard on herself, there is little chance of cellulite.

How to remove cellulite with exercise

Beautiful, smooth skin is already the result. And to achieve it, you need to try to get rid of excess fat and stabilize blood circulation. Good for: jogging, cycling, swimming, etc. It is imperative to force the muscles of the buttocks, thighs, and legs to work. To do this, you can use the following exercises for cellulite.

Exercise 1

Clasp your hands in front of you. You can take a dumbbell weighing 1.5 kg. Perform squats by raising your arms to your chest. Straightening up - arms down, leg to the side. For each leg you need to perform 20 squats.

Exercise 2

Starting position as in exercise 1. Squatting, we describe a semicircle on the left with clasped hands and lift them up. Straightening up - a semicircle to the right, hands in front of you. Do 10 times in each direction.

Exercise 3

Stand up with your feet wider than your shoulders. Hands in front of you are slightly bent at the elbows (with weights). We shift the weight of the whole body onto one leg and place the other on the toe. We squat, simultaneously bending our arms completely. Must be performed 15 times on each leg. Legs, buttocks and arms work here.

Exercise 4

Get into plank pose (on the floor). Elbow support. We do 10 lifts with the right leg, hold it and lower it diagonally onto the left. Repeat the exercise 10 times for each leg alternately

Is drying necessary?

In pursuit of a beautiful figure, you still shouldn’t pursue radical means. Thus, “drying” the body, which is popular on the Internet, involves getting rid of an excess layer of fat through significant dietary restrictions and intense training. If your body is not prepared for such a test, then you may lose weight, but then suddenly gain the fat back. “Drying” should be carried out under the supervision of a professional trainer (provided that you are already actively involved in sports and have muscle mass). Another option is to change your diet once and for all towards a rational one. Getting rid of the fat layer will not be so fast, but it will be natural and will not affect your hormonal levels and general well-being.

“Drying,” even the right one, is always a serious test for the body. It requires maximum “return” in the functioning of the kidneys, liver, gastrointestinal tract and heart. If you have any diseases, you should replace “cutting” with protein-carbohydrate alternation and try not to cut down on carbohydrates too much.

Elena Selivanova, personal fitness trainer

https://apelsinkam.net/diet/kak-provesti-sushku/

Squat effect

During active squats, a person’s muscles contract intensely, resulting in rapid fat burning, accelerated blood circulation and intensive removal of excess fluid from the body. Thus, cellulite tubercles are eliminated. Squats make all the muscles of the legs and thighs work, and they train the buttocks well.

Squats lead to the following results:

• Testosterone begins to be actively produced, which contributes to the formation of a proper muscle corset;
• the functioning of the cardiovascular system is normalized, tissues and cells are saturated with oxygen;
• strengthens the muscles of the buttocks, back, legs and abs;
• coordination improves, a sense of balance develops;
• endurance increases, osteochondrosis and pain between the shoulder blades are eliminated, correct posture is formed;
• lymph and blood flow is activated in problem areas: buttocks, thighs, abdomen;
• cellulite tubercles are eliminated.

Not only sports: what else should not be forgotten in the fight against cellulite

Any health problem, even of a cosmetic nature, should be addressed comprehensively. Exercising is a great way to fight the orange peel on your thighs, but don’t forget about the rest of your “battle arsenal.”

Proper nutrition

Do you spend dozens of hours in the gym, go jogging in the mornings, go swimming and dancing once a week, but still cellulite does not want to disappear? Pay attention to your diet: if after a workout you eat pizza and snack on cake, skip breakfast, eat irregularly and eat anything at random, then you are unlikely to experience serious changes in your figure. Don't forget: you are what you eat. It would be wise to review your diet and start with small changes:

• more healthy food, less fast food;
• eat small portions. If your plate is the size of a small basin, then your digestive system will simply be overloaded. At first, it may be difficult to train yourself to eat small portions of food. However, having eaten the required amount, try to switch to some very interesting activity - you yourself will not notice how your appetite will disappear;
• don't skip breakfast. Can't force yourself to eat in the morning? Don't eat dinner - in the morning you will enjoy breakfast like a child.

Recommendations for performing squats

• Before squats, it is better to warm up by jumping rope or jogging a little.
• The back should be arched - this will prevent injuries.
• To distribute the load evenly, your feet should not be lifted off the floor.
• You need to keep your head level and look forward.
• The shoulder blades should be brought together as much as possible.
• You need to do exercises every day, gradually increasing the load. The main thing is that the last 5 squats are performed “with difficulty.”

Do squats help with cellulite - yes, if in addition to physical training you use other methods of dealing with the problem. It is recommended to monitor your diet, drink enough water, periodically visit a cosmetologist and treat problem areas with progressive hardware techniques. Massage works well against cellulite; you can even do it yourself at home. You can also perform various wraps; one of the most popular is anti-cellulite wrap with honey.

How to complement the complex

Setting out to find out if cellulite goes away if you squat, girls are probably studying other methods of getting rid of it. In practice, it has been proven more than once that different methods work well together.

To speed up the process of smoothing out the orange peel, you should take into account important recommendations along with squats and use additional methods:

1. Healthy eating. It's worth reconsidering your diet. If you can’t completely give up fast carbohydrates, then at least limit their consumption and allow yourself sweets only in the first half of the day.
2. Water mode. In order for the body to remove toxins normally, it needs a certain amount of clean water. The norm is individual for each person. Calculate the required volume for yourself: per kilogram of body weight you need 30 ml of water. If you need to lose weight, you need to drink 40 ml of water for every kilogram of your weight. You shouldn’t sharply increase the volume of water you drink per day; this puts a lot of stress on the heart and kidneys, and edema may appear. You can’t drink a lot at once; you can drink a glass of water on an empty stomach in the morning. If you feel normal, after 5-10 minutes you can drink another glass. Nutritionists also recommend drinking a glass of water half an hour before meals. And in between, you should drink several sips of water, literally three or four sips. Gradually, over a couple of weeks, you can increase the volume of water you drink to the norm you need.
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3. Self-massage of buttocks and legs. It has a lymphatic drainage effect and helps soften fatty deposits. You can rub your body with a hard washcloth in the shower, or massage with anti-cellulite vacuum massage cups. Sage, wheat germ, primrose, and shea oils have anti-cellulite properties. They are widely used in massage. You can also select essential oils suitable for the procedure. Manual massage with honey gives excellent results. Its healing properties are clearly visible: fluid and toxins are removed, the skin is nourished, and the volume of the fat layer is noticeably reduced.
4. Baths, saunas, and turpentine baths can also be used to combat lumpy skin.
5. Caring cosmetics. Auxiliary anti-cellulite cosmetics (scrubs, masks, wraps) will also work well with squats. You can choose mud or algae preparations. Choose procedures to your liking, alternate, combine, and the result will not be long in coming.

6. Healthy sleep and physical activity. Doctors say that regular lack of sleep leads to hormonal imbalance in the body, which leads to excess weight and cellulite. Improve your sleep, and don't limit your physical activity to just squats. Move more, walk.
7. Eliminating bad habits. Among the causes of cellulite is smoking, which impairs blood circulation and suppresses the processes of fat breakdown. You need to get rid of this bad habit.

Be sure to read: Simple and effective exercises for a flat stomach

Determining how effective squats against cellulite will be for you is only possible through experience. And those who fell in love with them live without an orange peel on their butts and have long known the secret of smooth skin. Discover it for yourself and enjoy your beautiful body!

Safety precautions

To relieve the load on the spinal column and avoid problems with it, your back should be kept slightly arched. The load on the legs should be distributed evenly. Therefore, you need to stand on your feet completely, without lifting your heels.

Do not overload your knee joints. Let your knees not go beyond your socks.

The head should not be tilted so as not to round the back and not load the spine. It's better to look forward or slightly up.

Breathe correctly: you go down when you inhale, and it’s easier to go up when you exhale.

How do squats help against cellulite?

When performing simple movements, the gluteus maximus muscles, rear and inner thighs, quadriceps, and calves are pumped. The process involves: the abs, back flexors and extensors, and lower back. When doing squats regularly:

• volumes decrease;
• tissue trophism increases;
• venous outflow improves and lymph is cleansed;
• tissues become denser;
• the fat layer becomes thinner;
• balance and explosive strength develop;

Squats against cellulite reduce the size of subcutaneous nodules in the matrix, improve skin turgor and even out the relief.

Errors during execution

It is very important to study common mistakes made when performing squats, which can lead to injury to the muscles and even the spine.

Main mistakes:

• Transferring the load to the toes. Almost every beginner makes this mistake, putting their knees and back at risk. To prevent this, stand close to a wall while doing squats. This method will help you learn to fix your knees at the level of your toes.
• Ignoring warm-up, in particular, exercises to warm up the back muscles. It is recommended to perform a back straightening exercise (hyperextension) during warm-up.
• Bringing the kneecaps together. To break this habit, squat with a leg resistance band, trying to stretch it every second.
• Many people curl their tailbone when squatting. To stretch the hip joint, position your legs as wide as possible, resting your hands on your knees. Gently squat down as low as possible, supporting your own weight with your hands.
• Beginners using excessively heavy loads. Even a small weight when performing squats correctly will bring more benefits than the maximum.

Eliminating these errors will increase the effectiveness of training and prevent dangerous injuries.

Interesting fact about cellulite

Despite the fact that doctors around the world recognize cellulite as a dangerous enemy and see it as a physiological disease, some scientists consider it - don't fall - a secondary sexual characteristic. In their opinion, cellulite deposits indicate a woman’s sexual “maturity” and that the natural fat in the female body is enough to bear a healthy child. They also believe that cellulite on the thighs indicates the balance of female hormones in the body and the normal functioning of the endocrine system.

But let's leave the debate about this to the great pundits, the fact remains: cellulite is ugly. And if such imperfection causes you discomfort, you need to act, no matter what you call this phenomenon. So, is it possible to remove cellulite with squats? – Yes, you can, but it’s not that simple. Let's figure it out.

When can you expect results?

Squats against cellulite are not the easiest path to perfection, but all the effort will be worth it. How quickly the skin evens out and the bumps disappear depends on the severity of the situation.

Having chosen squats as your main weapon against orange peel, you need to understand that the effect will definitely come, but not as quickly as you want, you will have to stock up on persistence and patience.

The reduction in cellulite will become noticeable after two or even three weeks of regular daily squats. And after a month, the changes will become more obvious, and after another couple of weeks you can be proud of yourself and enjoy the state of your body.

Contraindications and side effects

Squats have some contraindications. These include pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, high blood pressure. It is also advised not to do the exercises at all or to carry them out in an easy mode if there are disturbances in the functioning of the vestibular apparatus.

People who suffer from excessive thinness, chronic fatigue, weakness in muscle tissue and atrophy of the muscles of the lower extremities are not allowed to perform squats. In such situations, it is necessary to do half squats.

Side effects from squats are possible if a person violates the execution technique or takes the wrong position during training. This can lead to problems with the skeleton.

Squats against cellulite on the legs are an effective solution to the problem, but you need to understand that the desired result can be achieved with regular training using the correct technique.

Variety against boredom

Squats are not as boring as you might think at first. After all, there are different variations of the exercise:

1. An ordinary squat. Starting position: place your feet shoulder-width apart, slightly bent, and bend your back slightly. Squat slowly, imagining that you are about to sit on a chair. You also need to rise slowly, without jerking. Watch your knees, they should not protrude beyond the line of your toes. Keep your head straight, don't lower your head.
2. Supplemented with load. Ordinary squats are complicated by weighting and are performed with dumbbells. Weighting agents can be bottles of water or sand. When squatting, arms with dumbbells need to be pulled forward or raised up.
3. Wide squat. By placing your legs wider, you can work out the inner thighs perfectly. Place your hands on your waist, pull your stomach in and sit down in a plie. You can hold the squat for a couple of seconds. It's hard, but the effect will soon impress.
4. Lunges. Stand up straight, hands on your waist, straighten your back. Place one leg to the side and squat, transferring your weight to the outstretched leg. Repeat the same for the second leg. Lunges can be performed to the side or forward. The exercise is very effective; after just a week of training, your legs will look more toned than before.
5. Squats with rotation. When squatting, usually turn your body slightly to the left and right. So, in addition to the legs, the waist is also trained, it will become noticeably thinner.
6. Squatting combined with jumping. A regular squat can be alternated with jumping up; your arms also stretch upward when jumping. Jumping in this case is an additional cardio load.
7. Augmented exercises. In a squat, perform 10 springs (mini-squats).
8. "High chair." Stand with your back to the wall. Feet - shoulder width apart. Sit down, sliding your back along the wall, on an imaginary chair so that your legs are bent at the knees at a right angle. Stay in this position longer (3-5 minutes), and then return to IP.
9. With a retracted stomach. You can pump up your abdominal muscles very well if you pull in your stomach while squatting.

Be sure to read: What sports activities help you lose weight?