Have you ever been to a true Italian pizzeria and watched the chef prepare their dough?
With a labour of love they knead, push and stretch the dough and continue to do so for at least 10 minutes. The firmer the hand, the better the result.
Oddly enough, the same rings true for massaging away cellulite.
Cellulite forms from fat build ups deep within the layering of our skin. It becomes more noticeable when our connective tissue fibres push down against it causing the blood flow to restrict, engorging the fat cells.
This is what causes that nasty dimpling effect we all loathe.
For those stuck on the pizza metaphor like myself, think of cellulite as pockets of flour that haven’t been properly kneaded and cause your dough to look lumpy and bumpy.
With dough, as with your skin, the more you knead it and work on it, the smoother it becomes.
I will describe an awesomely effective anti cellulite massage technique in a minute, but first I want to explain why it works.
Why Massaging Works
There are 3 main reasons why massaging your cellulite zones works:
#1 The high level of pressure used during your massage literally breaks down cellulite deposits.
#2 A key cellulite deterrent is circulation. Massaging stimulates blood flow and increases circulation, thus reducing your skin’s ability to form cellulite.
#3 Your lymphatic system manages waste-removal of toxins and byproducts from your skin. Massaging repairs and rejuvenates this system so your skin functions better and in turn, looks better.
Anti Cellulite Massage Techniques
Follow these effective steps to battle the bulge and diminish those dimples.
Step 1: Using a massage lotion or oil (I love Coconut!), rub some over your cellulite-affected area.
Do not use regular lotions as they will be absorbed too quickly and may cause you to chafe your skin during this process. Ouch!
Step 2: You want to focus on the areas the furthest away from your heart first. Use firm, circular motions with your fingers and massage your skin upwards towards your heart.
You want to use enough pressure to really stimulate blood flow at the deepest level and really target that fat buildup.
Just like my pizza dough, knead in using your palms or forearms if necessary. Knead your skin for 3-5 minutes per cellulite-affected area.
Step 3: Squeeze your skin to find secret cellulite zones. Some areas of your body like the inner thighs and knees can be less-obvious than the bum or outer thighs. Target these zones accordingly.
Step 4: To finish this anti cellulite massage, gently run your hands over your newly massaged area.
This will stimulate blood flow to the top layer of skin and get those lymphs moving.
Now, off I go to find pizza because this post gave me a hankering for a slice!
