London, UK (Vocus/PRWEB) January 13, 2011
Through the LipoTherapeia Update, every month cellulite expert Georgios Tzenichristos publishes a summary of his recent lectures and articles on cellulite reduction, lymphatic drainage, skin firming and cosmetic surgery aftercare. This month the subject is the relationship between exercise and cellulite, exposing the myth of cellulite exercises for the thighs and hips; highlighting the effect of interval training, uphill running, fartlek training and circuit training; and describing how exercise can be combined with anti-cellulite treatments and creams to increase their effectiveness.
Cellulite exercises do not exist
Are you looking for exercises to reduce cellulite on a specific part of your body, like your bum, thighs or stomach? Then stop looking – because those exercises simply do not exist, emphasises Georgios Tzenichristos, a nutritionist, trainer and bodyworker who has devoted the last 10 years researching the subject of cellulite reduction. This is because adipose tissue (from where fat is released during exercise) is completely separated from muscle tissue (where fat burning takes place during exercise), Georgios explains.
For example fat from the cellulite fat cells in the buttocks cannot diffuse through several layers of tissues and reach the adjacent buttock muscles. This is not how the body works. So forget what tabloids, glossies, blogs or some uninformed personal trainers say and stop looking for cellulite exercises for specific body parts (there are thousands of website articles and press articles with such misinformation). Instead, you should focus on learning about which types of exercise are most effective for whole body cellulite reduction, Georgios adds.
What is the best type of exercise for cellulitereduction?
When it comes to cellulite reduction, exercise is not just about calorie burning. The ability of exercise to provide mechanical stimulation to the tissues of the legs and hips is as important, Georgios explains. Collagen cells, fat cells, blood vessels and lymph vessels all adjust their function according to the mechanical stimulation they receive from everyday activities. The more such stimulation these cells and tissues receive, the more the skin of the thighs retains a slim and toned appearance. Lack of mechanical stimulation inevitably leads to reduced collagen production, increased fat accumulation and weak blood and lymph vessel function (the most important physiological causes of cellulite).
This has important implications when it comes to using exercise for cellulite reduction. According to this recently discovered principle, stationary exercises such as Yoga and Pilates not only fail to burn enough fat to trigger cellulite reduction, but they also fail to provide mechanical stimulation to the superficial tissues of the thighs and buttocks.
In contrast, exercise types such as interval training, uphill running, fartlek training, provide both calorie burning and mechanical stimulation and are types of exercise that are optimised for cellulite-reduction and prevention.
Some types of exercise, such as vibration platform training, may provide enough mechanical stimulation but they fail to burn enough fuel.
Other types of exercise, such as cycling), may burn a lot of calories but they fail to provide intense mechanical stimulation.
How exercise intensity affects cellulite prevention/prevention
A third factor that affects the effectiveness of a type of exercise against cellulite, in addition to the calorie burning and mechanical stimulation which have been mentioned above, is its effect on the endocrine system and the fat cells themselves. Generally speaking, the higher the intensity the more pronounced is the beneficial effect of exercise on the endocrine system and the adipose tissue.
A practical implication of this principle is that low intensity types of exercise such as slow walking or slow swimming are much less efficient at fighting the flab than high intensity exercises such as fast running or fast swimming. So much for the fat burning zone myth of the past
Interval, uphill and fartlek training for cellulite reduction
From the above analysis it becomes apparent that the types of exercise that combine high intensity with increased mechanical stimulation have the most potential in the fight against cellulite.
Interval training, fartlek and uphill running are by far the best types of exercise when it comes to cellulite prevention and reduction. Especially for office workers these types of exercise are indispensable, given the lack of endocrine and mechanical stimuli the skin tissues receive during a typical day in the office, Georgios comments, and proceeds to affirm: Complementing interval training with spinning, power plate and circuits will form anpowerful cellulite-fighting exercise regime, and if combined with the right diet, treatments and creams, success in your cellulite reduction effort is absolutely guaranteed.
Fartlek, meaning play run in Swedish, is a type of exercise that involves random changes in intensity, which shocks the system as much as interval training. Like interval training, the fartlek training principle can be used not only when running but also when swimming, cycling or rowing, with running producing the most impressive results. As with all types of high intensity training, doctor permission is recommended for women with reduced physical capacity or cardiovascular or respiratory problems.
Focusing the effect of intensive exercise on a specific cellulite area
As we mentioned above, the effect of exercise can not be pinpointed to one specific area by any special type of exercise alone. This is physiologically impossible.
However, by receiving a vigorous anti-cellulite treatment and by applying a concentrated anti-cellulite cream immediately before or after vigorous exercise, the effect of exercise can indeed be focused on one specific area, thereby achieving true spot fat reduction. The mechanism by which this effect becomes possible is explained at http://www.lipotherapeia.com/spot-reduction.
Pressotherapy, cellulite-specific massage, radiofrequency and ultrasound are some of the techniques that can be combined with exercise in order to focus the effects of exercise in one area.
Interval training, fast cycling, fast running, uphill running and circuits are some of the best exercises to be combined with these treatments for spot reduction. Predictably, exercises that stimulate little adrenaline production, such as Pilates and most types of Yoga, will have no effect.
Georgios Tzenichristos specialises in cellulite reduction, lymphatic drainage, skin firming and post-cosmetic surgery treatments since 2000. In addition to running his busy cellulite clinic in South Kensington, London, Georgios has developed his own range or anti-cellulite creams and regularly lectures and writes about cellulite and related subjects.
Georgios is happy to assist in the writing of articles regarding cellulite reduction.
For more information, please visit http://www.lipotherapeia.com.
