Not all of us ladies have it, but unfortunately most of us do. It actually is not something we should be ashamed of, but it still can influence the way we feel about ourselves and even the way we dress. We think, we have to hide it and because of it we are probably aiming for the longer dresses when it comes to making a new gown choice. Let’s be honest, a short dress can be everything else BUT flattering, if you have cellulite.
Cellulite is NOT A DISEASE!
It’s just the fact that ladies tend to store more fat in those critical areas around the butt than men do – for hormonal reasons and tissue specifities. Women have weaker connective tissue and more elastic skin, which is good, because otherwise we could never get pregnant. Unfortunately though, there is a bad side to it: the elasticity makes it possible to store fat right underneath the skin, which gives it that “orange peel” look.
The predisposition to cellulite varies, depending on your genetic background. Around 10% of women are lucky and their cellulite might not show. All other women have to literally work their asses off to feel comfortable in short dresses.
Ladies, I feel obliged to tell you the ugly truth: No cosmetic, no surgery, no workout or any sport (including dancesport) alone will get you to completely erase your cellulite, if you already have it. But, Hey! No need to shed a tear, you still can reduce it by great means and soon you will be able to rock that super short fringe dress, you have always dreamed of!
So, cellulite fighting can be managed by monitoring four major lifestyle topics in combination:
1. Sports
If you are dancing on a regular basis, you can already pat yourself on the shoulder. You are on the right track, because dancing tones your arm, core, back, butt and leg muscles. Keep going! But also consider boosting your muscle shape with some additional strength training. Just fifteen to twenty minutes, three times a week of butt and leg exercises will make a huge difference and will help you tone your body, burn some extra calories and really tighten your backside. Target that extra fat by specifically working the muscles underneath the problem zones. Here are four exercises I do, to keep my “problem” zones in control.
Squats
1 Legged Kneebends
Bridge
Kickbacks
*** You can watch the full workout video HERE ***
2. Diet
Diet is, of course, an important topic when it comes to reducing cellulite. In general, a healthy diet composes itself out of fresh and unprocessed carbohydrates, proteins, the good fatty acids (like in avocado), minerals and vitamins. A really good way to control one’s diet is to check on every meal, if all of these components are given. Don’t forget to control your portion size though! Also, try to eliminate soft drinks for good. They give you nothing but the sugar rush, which in excess turns into fat. I need to mention, that I AM NOT trying to promote a weight loss type of diet. Healthy and balanced are the key words here!
3. Footwear and Blood Circulation
We love heels, we dance on heels, heels just make us look and feel so sexy. But the truth is, wearing high heels can support the development of cellulite. Prolonged wear of heels reduces the blood flow to the legs. Blood and also lymph flow have a major say in fat depot localization. Therefore everything that increases our blood circulation, like wearing flats, anti-cellulite massages and taking contrast showers can reduce our cellulite development. Keeping that in mind, it would probably be a good idea to leave the heels at home and only get them out for very special occasions, like a competition, practice (or a night out with bffs) 😉
4. A Healthy State of Mind
I also want to add another important message to this article. The amount of cellulite you have is not an indicator of your health, your strength or your fitness. It is all based on genetics, in the same way as your skin color, eye color or hair structure. And I am sure, cellulite will not have a negative impact on your dancing (or your competition results), if you don’t let it influence your self-confidence. So keep your chin up, no matter what, because those dimples are not the end of the world and will not make you less beautiful!
Author: Sophia Wedel
Photography: Egorich.ca DanceSport
Exclusively for Dance Comp Review