Cellulite happens to us for many reasons. Some reasons– like genetics or hormones — you can do very little about. But cellulite is also related to a number of other factors that you CAN work with and improve.

Cellulite affects 90% of women and a much smaller percentage of men. The condition is such a complex one that no real cure is considered to be available. Some products, therapies and procedures do claim to be cures but the jury is still very much out on the subject of getting rid of cellulite.

The unsightly symptoms are found on the soft, fleshy parts of women’s thighs, buttocks, stomachs and upper arms. Though it is often associated with sedentary people, who are also overweight, the condition can make itself at home on the fit thighs and buttocks of marathon runners.

Opinions vary as to the exact causes of cellulite but most agree that something happens in the tissues to slow down and handicap the ordinary processes of lymph and blood circulation in the capillaries of the subcutaneous tissue. Some experts believe that excess fat will make the fat cells in the mesoderm swell, placing a strain on the surrounding connective tissue and resulting in a compromised microcirculation. Others believe that the situation is created by a genetic disposition coupled with hormonal imbalances.

The tissue responds to its embattled circumstances by forming extended tissue strands called septae that restrict the fat cells and cause the rippled, lumpy skin surface indicative of cellulite. The resulting sluggish and damaged microcirculation allows lymph fluid to leak into the surrounding tissue while hampering the transport of nutrients.

With this deeper understanding of exactly what is happening beneath the skin of the affected areas we can make informed decisions on what to do to alleviate the symptoms and revive the skin.

Here are some important aspects of a comprehensive cellulite reduction program:

Losing the Excess

Any plan to alleviate the symptoms of cellulite must include a healthy weight loss program for those carrying more than their healthy body weight. Excess weight causes fat cells to swell contributing to the tissue strain that results in the orange peel effect.

A diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as a good eight glasses of water a day to flush toxins, will begin the restorative process of proper nutrition at the point of origin. Making sure that your diet includes plenty of all the necessary vitamins especially B for stress, as well as C, bioflavonoids and minerals is a good way to begin the recovery process.

Eating Right

Vigorous exercise is an absolute necessity. It will help to stimulate sluggish circulation throughout the body as well as targeting the troubled areas. Regular exercise, at least three times a week for 40 minutes or more, will have far reaching effects on many of the body’s systems, firing up metabolism and getting the lymph and blood flowing.

Laying on Hands and Lotion

Milder cases of cellulite can be ministered to by means of a good massage regime using one or other of the reputable creams and lotions on the market. Many creams contain natural botanical ingredients that are tissue decongestants as well as stimulants for the microcirculation.

Consider having a few deep tissue massages from experts and learn some tips. Go home and practice on yourself. The more attention the problem areas receive the more dynamic and alive the tissues will become. Circulation will improve and toxins can be convinced to evacuate.

Consulting the Real Experts

Serious cases of cellulite may benefit from the advice of real experts. You will have to employ serious discernment when figuring out whom to turn to. The Internet offers you unprecedented opportunities to check and recheck claims. Procedures can be thoroughly researched before deciding which program to go for. Be skeptical. In this day and age it is the reasonable response to the plethora of false promises that threaten to take advantage of the vulnerable.

Burke Jones is a frequent contributor to the Cellulite Free Zone, an online resource for cellulite cream reviews and cellulite removal techniques.

Many sports injuries cause a progressive permanent osteoarthritis that will prevent a person from exercising to cause the very diseases that a regular exercise program is supposed to prevent. Sports medicine surgeon James Garrick, writing in the medical journal Lancet (December 2005), explains why. You are supposed to exercise. It makes you stronger, faster, healthier and may even prolong your life. However, every time you exercise, you risk injury and many sports injuries last forever. Depression, heart attacks, strokes, obesity and diabetes are all associated with a sedentary lifestyle. A twisted ankle can change an active person into a sedentary one. A torn anterior cruciate ligament or meniscus of the knee has a greater than 50 percent chance of causing permanent pain within five years, regardless of the treatment.

If you tear your anterior cruciate ligament of you knee, you must have it repaired as soon as possible. After it is repaired at surgery, you have an almost certain chance of tearing it again if you try to return to a competitive sport. When your heel hits the ground during running, your foot stops moving suddenly, forcing the upper femur bone to slide forward on the lower tibia bone at the knee. The anterior cruciate ligament prevents the femur from sliding too far forward and shearing off the cartilage in your knee. Once you tear your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), even if it is successfully repaired, you have a weaker ACL that still lets the top femur slide forward on the tibia and shear off cartilage. So running causes you to lose cartilage until you lose it all, bone rubs against bone and you hurt 24 hours a day. The only treatment then is a knee replacement. So anyone who has broken cartilage or ACL in his or he knee should never run again for the rest of his or her life.

On the other hand, strengthening the muscles of your upper leg stabilizes the knee and helps to delay and prevent a knee replacement. Anyone with broken cartilage or a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the knee should try to pedal a bicycle every day. Pedaling is done in a smooth rotary motion without sudden stopping, so it does not cause sudden forward movement of the femur on the tibia and does not shear off additional cartilage from the knee joint. If you pedal against increasing resistance you will strengthen the muscles around the knees and increase their stability so there is less wear on the cartilage.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

Free weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition.

Did you know that it’s possible to lose 1.5 pounds this month and almost 20 pounds this year with absolutely zero effort? It’s true! We’re going to reveal a weight loss ‘trick’ that will help you LOSE FAT and will make a nice addition to your exercise program!

So exactly what is this fat loss trick? It’s really quite easy to do, and the results are virtually guaranteed! The trick is to switch from regular soda to diet soda.

Now, don’t get all excited about the thought of drinking diet soda! It’s really not bad once you get used to it, and once you realize how much fat that regular soda is putting on your body you’ll be more likely to make the change from regular to diet.

Consider that a 32 oz. Classic Coke has 310 calories. That’s the average McDonald’s serving size. (Source: www.mcdonalds.com)

The Super Big Gulp holds 44 oz. of soda, and how about the 7-Eleven X-treme Gulp? It has 52 oz. of calories! Talk about sugar overload! (Source: www.7-eleven.com)

Enjoying the occasional soda doesn’t make our waistlines expand. Just like most other things in life, it’s the OVER-CONSUMPTION that makes regular soda a belt-buster!

Back in 1942 the average soda consumption in the United States was sixty 12-ounce servings per year. By 1997, the average annual soda consumption in the United States was a whopping 576 12-ounce servings!!!!! That works out to almost two 12-ounce cans per day for every man, woman and child in the country. (Source: Center for Science In The Public Interest – www.cspinet.org)

That same year (1997), diet sodas accounted for only 24% of soda sales. While that was up from 8.6% in 1970, it’s still too low a number.

So just how much fat can you lose by switching from regular to diet soda? Well, assuming you’re an average American, that means you’re drinking about 6,912 ounces of regular soda each year (576 12-ounce servings = 6,912 ounces). Each ounce of regular soda (we used Coca-Cola in this example) has about 9.6875 calories. So, by switching from regular soda to diet soda you can eliminate 66,960 calories per year!!

Do you want to get really excited? Let’s translate that calorie loss into FAT loss: It’s a fact that there are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat. If you eliminate 66,960 calories per year in regular soda then you will probably avoid putting on an extra 19.13 pounds of FAT (66,960 / 3,500 = 19.13). That’s more than 1.5 pounds per month!

Of course, there are certainly some factors that come into play here other than simple soda consumption. But isn’t that a great start? Just by switching from regular to diet soda you can literally eliminate almost 20 pounds per year!

Still don’t want to give up your regular soda? Then how about switching to a smaller size? Did you know that in the 1950′s the average soda serving was the 6.5 oz. bottle made popular by Coke? Compare that with the super-duper big mugs of today, and it’s easy to see where some of the problem comes from! Opt for a smaller size soda, and you’ll still reap some of the fat loss benefits.

Of course, the best solution is to dump the soda altogether and drink water instead…..but that’s a topic for another article…..

* Copyright 2005 Pick Up The Pace. Permission is not required for the distribution of Pick Up The Pace articles as long as they are used in their entirety, are properly credited to Pick Up The Pace, and are accompanied by our website link: www.letspickupthepace.com.

* The information in this article and on this site is for general reference purposes only and not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information in this article or on www.letspickupthepace.com should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com for more information.