Kenneth Gardner

Dear Mr. Gardner,

Thanks for your response to my previous email. I really look forward to your column in The Gleaner on Wednesday's. I am now seeking information as it relates to cellulite. Can you get rid of cellulite by losing weight or exercising? What is the best way to get rid of it? Thanks.

B.J.

Dear B.J.,

Cellulite is the name commonly given to fat deposits located in tissues beneath the skin. These fat deposits are the same as fats deposited any where else in the body.

The most common areas for cellulite deposits are on the hips, buttocks, thighs, breast and abdominal areas. Cellulite does not produce any serious problems other than those that are associated with cardiovascular disease, overweight and obesity. Cellulite can be a sign of an unhealthy lifestyle.

Cellulite develops mainly in women and there are many causes. The main causes are genetic factors, circulation problems, the body's inability to manage water efficiently, poor dietary practices and lack of exercise. A cellulite problem would have taken some time to develop and, likewise reducing the appearance or eliminating cellulite will require discipline and determination.

Build muscle mass

Regular exercising can help you to manage your cellulite. Your exercise programme should create a negative energy balance by utilising more of the energy that is stored in your fat deposits to perform your exercise routine than the energy that you get from your daily food intake.

A prudent combination of diet and exercising is the ideal solution to resolve the problem. Your exercise programme can follow any standard exercise routine. However, the most important way to eliminate cellulite is to increase your muscle mass. By using the fat deposit as your source of energy for the muscle mass development, the cellulite can be reduced or totally eliminated. As your muscle mass increases, there will be a greater need for energy to provide for the increased muscle need. This will likewise reduce the cellulite deposits as more energy is derived from the cellulite deposits.

When the exercises are done at a moderate pace more fats are used to produce energy. An exercise programme that involves activities that emphasise the use of your strength or working against resistance, such as working with weights, speeds up the development of muscle mass. Specific areas of the body can be targeted during the exercise routine. For example, if there is a cellulite problem with your thighs, exercises that target your thigh muscles can reduce the level of cellulite deposits.

Stretch more

Stretching exercises should also be an integral part of your exercise routine. Stretching increases the flexibility of the muscles and likewise facilitates increased muscle strength. Increased muscle strength will allow the muscle to do more work and similarly, increase in size.

The affinity that exists between a cellulite problem and blood circulation can be easily addressed by the improvements that exercise makes to blood circulation. Improved blood circulation improves the absorption and distribution of fats for energy production.

You can certainly get rid of cellulite by losing weight. Some persons have subscribed to the use of high-protein diets, massage, sauna, special skin creams, body wrappings and electric devices to reduce cellulite deposits. However, with the after effects of some of the methods mentioned above, I am more supportive of exercising. Exercise is also responsible for many other improvements in body functions.

Kenneth Gardner is an exercise physiologist at the G. C. Foster College of Physical Education: email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.