If no amount of fake tan, healthy eating or dry body brushing is working to get rid of your cellulite, try amping up your workout routine.
The following exercises are easy enough to do at the gym, park or while catching up on episodes of Grey’s Anatomy in your living room. But even though they’re easy to perform, make no mistake – you will be feeling the burn in all the right (and dimpled) places.
RELATED: 4 myths about cellulite
RELATED: The cellulite-fighting breakfast
#1 Single-leg romanian dead lift
For this exercise, you will need a weight, but you can improvise with a drink bottle filled with water or a can of tomato soup. Try it without the weight first, and then once you’re confident with your balance, go ahead and add it in. Hold your weight in one hand and as you bend down, lifting your opposite leg. Beginners, start with just five deadlifts on each leg and work your way up.
RELATED: 7 reasons to exercise that have nothing to do with weight loss
#2 Kick backs
This move may look like something out of an Olivia Newton-John video clip from the 80s, but there is no way you’ll be able to sing, “Let’s get physical” once you’ve done 20 of them. Start on all fours and then kick one leg back and up into the air, as though you’re aiming for the roof. Then, bring your leg back down, but don’t let your knee rest on the ground before the next rep. You can definitely do this exercise without weights, but if you want to challenge yourself, do the last few sets as ‘pulses’ (faster, shorter kicks with your leg in the air the whole time).
RELATED: How to tone your trouble areas
#3 Squats
Want your bum to look good in a bikini? Squatting is the way to get there. Squats help to banish cellulite from your butt cheeks and upper thighs and make your derriere a whole lot perkier. But you do need to do them properly to reap the benefits. bh’s Health and Fitness expert, Luke, says, “Make sure the knees are behind the toes so your glutes are doing the work. The movement is similar to sitting down, so you can use a bench as a guide. This will give your butt muscles a good workout without putting a strain on your back.”
RELATED: 6 insanely good yoga poses
#4 Step ups
If you’re working out in a park, look for a bench to do your step-ups; or if you’re at home, a stable chair will do the trick. Beginners, start by simply stepping one foot after the other up onto your surface and then back down. Once you’ve got the hang of it, step up with one leg and then bring the opposite knee up into the air. You can repeat this move on the same leg before switching, or alternate as you go. Don’t forget to count your reps so you do the same amount on each leg!
RELATED: Michelle Bridges’ top tips for staying in shape
#5 Hip bridge
Yay! An exercise where you can lay down! This move is good to save for last, once your glutes and thighs are already warmed up. Simply lay on your back and then raise your hips up, so your bum comes off the ground. You can then repeat the motion, going straight up and down. Other options for this move are to try keeping your hips raised for 30-40 seconds at a time, or do faster, shorter pulses without letting your bum touch the ground. For even better results, rest a weight on your stomach while you do your hip bridges.
RELATED: Exercises you can do anywhere
#6 Side lunges
Why side lunges instead of regular lunges, you ask? Well, the side lunge not only works your thighs, but also your glutes, hips and inner thigh muscles – which are often the areas that fall victim to cellulite. Be sure to keep your head up and shift your weight from heel to heel. If you feel any pain in your groin, shorten your gait. Again, this move can be done with or without weights depending on your level of fitness and strength.
RELATED: Are you making these diet mistakes?
Have you tried any of these exercises? Do you have any other tips for getting rid of cellulite?
I do deadlifts and squats. It really does the trick.