We are increasingly aware of the importance of walking (at least 15,000 steps a day) for health, but perhaps you did not know that walking fast three times a week, for about an hour, is an ideal way to combat cellulite.
As always, the key to reducing cellulite is consistency, so if you are concerned about this aesthetic problem, think about putting on your sneakers!
This exercise is easy; you can do it anywhere, and you don't have to be a gym member.
How to reduce cellulite by walking?
Cellulite is a complex process, so it usually needs a global treatment, diet, exercise, anti-cellulite massages ... this is because cellulite is not about accumulated fat, which is susceptible to being burned by exercising. Cellulite is a combination of following:
- fluid retention
- poor microcirculation
- thickening and hardening of adipocytes (fat cells)
- loss of connective tissue elasticity.
However, sedentary lifestyle habits will only help it get worse. The moment we start walking, we activate circulation and help to eliminate excess toxins, in addition to burning calories. For best results, it is preferable to opt for prolonged exercise over time versus shorter exercises (even if they are high intensity), such as walking for at least 1 hour. But it is not enough to go for a walk; you have to go fast. This is the key. When exercising for more than 45 minutes, we begin to burn fat faster, so walking for an hour or an hour and a half will be much more effective.
Adipocytes, which form the lumps of cellulite, and the loss of elasticity of the connective tissue, which produces dimples, are more complicated to smooth. For this, we would have to help ourselves with massages, cosmetics, and even very specific nutricosmetics, that will help us from the inside.
In addition, walking fast will help us not only to improve cellulite and prevent it from getting worse, but also to have a more defined body, eliminate belly fat, and combat flaccidity.
And if, in addition, we walk at a fast pace, we will get other benefits: agility! , shoulders and arms will be toned, the hips will gain mobility, and the legs will become more agile. As we said, it will improve the circulation of the legs, since the movement and contraction will promote venous return and oxygenate the tissues. This is key to improving cellulite.
What is better to walk fast or take 10,000 steps a day?
Recent studies (published in JAMA Internal Medicine) compare the benefits of so-called "power walking" versus the popular recommendation of walking 10,000 steps a day by Japanese physician Yoshiro Hatano.
Walking is an optimal physical activity for maintaining good physical health, even if you need to give this routine some muscle strength and work on flexibility, mobility, and balance. What is clear, is that to get benefits, you have to get "cane": walk fast, do intervals of high and moderate intensity, and if possible, go through circuits with slopes that make us work more intensely at both cardiovascular and muscular levels.
Cities are not always flat, and this makes it a great advantage to achieve our goal.
Tips to increase the effectiveness of walking
- Walk faster (as we get background and rhythm, we can go up the speed of walking).
- Muscle activation of the abdomen, buttocks, and even the arms. How? When walking, be aware of tightening the abdomen and buttocks; thus, we will do extra work.
- To increase the intensity, we can use dumbbell-type bracelets, which are placed in the arms and ankles.
- To walk at a high pace, we must add a correct diet (low in fats and sugars).
- Hydrate yourself! As with all exercise, it is essential to hydrate ourselves. We burn not only fat but also mineral salts and water, so we must replenish fluids so that the body continues to function normally, with special care in hot weather where sweating is greater and there is more risk of dehydration. Therefore, a bottle of water will be our best ally on our walks.
- Choose good footwear. Walking does not involve as much impact as running, so our joints will be less stressed, but we must give the importance it deserves to footwear. We will need a comfortable sneaker, with cushioning, with a sole that avoids slipping and does not burn the sole of the foot. Preferably with a breathable fabric that makes our walk a pleasant and comfortable moment.
- If you need an extra push to reduce the "orange peel", add to your walks exercises such as SADDLES, which are ideal for shaping the buttocks and thighs. Do sets of 20 squats, start with 4, and try to reach 8 sets. You can use rubber bands to increase the intensity.
- Anti-cellulite massages are effective and will help you define your figure and smooth orange-peel skin. If you are overwhelmed by cellulite, the Glo910 anti-cellulite massager will be a great ally to reduce it once and for all. This device can perform a professional massage by inexperienced hands, with visible results in a few weeks. This device acts on the causes that produce cellulite, breaking the hard fat nodules (adipocytes), draining toxins, improving micro-circulation, and elasticizing the connective tissue. It does this using the deep kneading massage technique, along with LED and infrared light therapy.
