Just mentioning the word cellulite may cause you to groan: the lumpy, dimpled fat that often shows up on the thighs and the butt area is usually not a desirable look, and some people will try anything to get rid of it.
Statistics show that 90% of women suffer with cellulite – that’s right, it’s most likely. Fortunately for men, only 10% of them have this condition, because men store fat cells in a different way to women. So the septae (the connective tissue that fills the gap between cells) does not get affected. However the majority of us is prone to this cellulite and feels extremely self-conscious when at the beach.
All kinds of creams and diets are aimed at getting rid of cellulite, but the truth is there isn’t a magic solution to eliminate this unwanted fat. Creams and other products may reduce the look of cellulite for a while, but the most effective means of getting rid of cellulite requires a bit more work.
Cardio exercise is a great way to reduce cellulite. Swimming is one of the best aerobic exercises, since you’ll work every major muscle group in the body. Try swimming laps to firm and tone muscles and get rid of cellulite quickly.
Swimming keeps cellulite in check
Here are some tips to getting started:
- Figure out how many calories you need to burn to have a calorie deficit in your diet (there are 3,500 calories to a pound), then figure out how long you need to stay in the pool to burn that amount of calories.
- One hour of swimming can burn at least 800 calories whilst also strengthening your arms and legs.
- Try doing drills to increase your endurance in the pool.
- Use a kickboard to stabilize yourself for water aerobic exercises that strengthen muscles and burn fat.
- Practice the breaststroke or freestyle for an intensive workout.
- Incorporate interval training to maximize your calorie burning. Swim faster for a few laps and then go back to a standard pace, then repeat.
- Swim at least 30 minutes, three days a week, if you’re looking to see a noticeable difference in cellulite.
- Add weights for greater resistance and calorie burning.
Combine swimming with other cardio workouts including running and cycling and you’re sure to achieve the best results possible.
So, quit buying creams and treatments and get yourself to the pool. Cellulite will soon be a nightmare from the past!
Note: you can’t expect to kiss goodbye to cellulite just because you’ve started swimming on a regular basis. As much as that would be nice, it’s not realistic. If you’re eating an excessive amount of junk then keep on dreaming your way to a cellulite-free body; a balanced diet needs to go hand-in-hand with swimming.