Cellulite is subcutaneous fat that appears as dimples on the skin, most commonly on the hips and thighs. Cellulite is more common in women than in men because cellulite can also be caused by hormonal factors and they have more of a tendency to store fat in the hip and thigh areas.
The benefits of yoga when fighting cellulite
A huge industry is built upon women striving to get rid of cellulite with creams and lotions. When Shiseido Body Creator product was launched in Selfridges London in 2002, the product sold out in one day with profits amounting to £85,000.
Women's magazines and newspapers are in constant debate over whether these products are a waste of money as a good healthy diet and exercise is recommended instead of just applying a cream twice daily. There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that these creams remove cellulite despite some marketing schemes presented by the beauty industry.
How yoga reduces cellulite
Yoga is one of the forms of exercises that is recommended to reduce the appearance of cellulite. Weight gain is one of the main causes of cellulite but Yoga is a form of exercise that can help you lose weight and therefore reduce the amount of fat around these areas. Yoga can also help reduce the appearance of cellulite because yoga uses resistance exercises that builds and tones muscle, which consequently reduces body fat.
Particular yoga poses that can help tone muscles in the hip and thigh areas are warrior pose, crescent lunge (pictured above), chair pose and tree pose among many others.
If you would like to see more yoga exercises that can help you reduce the appearance of cellulite please see the video below.