10 Exercises to Get Rid of Cellulite on Thighs – Tighten and Tone for a Smoother Appearance

Reviewed by: | Author: Manoja Kalakanti

How to get rid of cellulite? ‘Cause dimpled skin is never in, and by dimpled skin we mean cellulite! Ughhh it looks so ugly, especially when they appear on our thighs, making them look pitted. Okay, we have to accept the bad with the good, but isn’t there something that can be done to smoothen them out? Of course there is, and it isn’t your regular pots of cellulite-creams or hiding our thigh-baring shorts in the furthest corner of our wardrobes. We don’t want to hide them, we are looking for ways to erase those lines for good. Okay, nothing comes easy, but if you add a bit of sweat to it, read, add the right exercises to reduce cellulite, you’ll be sorted! Let’s get down to the bottom of this, today.

Best Exercises to Get Rid of Thigh Cellulite

What is Cellulite and How to Get Rid of it?

Are you on a mission to eliminate cellulite? Well, hop onto the bandwagon, we’ll tell you how to get rid of cellulite. That dimpled nuisance works on our thighs, butts, and bellies, and 90% of women will say an emphatic yes to that. There are too many myths surrounding cellulite. So in order to separate the myths from the facts, let’s find out all about cellulite.

What Is Cellulite

What Is Cellulite?

As some people believe, it is not excess fat. It is actually the fat cells pushing against the skin over the fibrous connective tissue bands. You don’t have cellulite because you have fat, you may still have it if your diet. So, what causes cellulite? There are actually many reasons that cause cellulite, find out here.

  1. Genetics

Do your genes play a factor? Actually, it’s a yes and a no. We love to blame our genes for whatever bad happens to us, but we are unwilling to own up to our responsibilities. More often than not it is our poor lifestyles that plays a major factor. You can modify your gene expression by making the correct lifestyle changes.

  1. Lymphatics

Lymphatics also have a role to play. Our lymphatic system serves as a drainage system, which helps the body dispel the extra waste. You can say the lymphatic system is like a sewer system. Our erratic and errant lifestyles make our lymph nodes bloated, read a bad diet and lack of daily exercise. This leads to cellulite formation.

  1. Aging

It is said that the more you age, the higher your chances of having cellulite. But it isn’t entirely true, it is just that mature skin makes the appearance of cellulite more noticeable. As skin ages, the appearance progressively worsens. The loss of elasticity makes it worse.

  1. Toxins and Diet

Though cellulite creams will have you believe differently, toxins aren’t the true cause of cellulite. It’s the diet that plays an important role in the formation of cellulite. The more inflammatory foods you have, the more are your chances of making the appearance of cellulite worse. So, have less dairy and soda. Include a diet rich in lean proteins and veggies; this helps get rid of the extra fat and cellulite. The other foods to strike off your dietary list are sugar, alcohol, starches, processed foods, and excessive salt or salty foods. The other way to help minimize cellulite or thigh cellulite is by having foods with a lower glycemic index, which also aids weight loss.

While most of you will look at me incredulously when I tell you that the right moves will make your dimpatles on the wrong areas disappear, remember that the two G’s have a role to play, genetics and gender. Well, we don’t have a magic wand that will make it go with the snap of your fingers but yes, their appearance will reduce, if you, as we said, sweat it out the right way.

The tricks are easy to follow; lose the extra body fat, work on the muscles underneath your skin and stick to a low-carb diet. While you are at it, also boost circulation and blood flow. You can go for regular massages and exercise to boost circulation and blood flow. Another interesting way to boost circulation is taking showers from hot to cold to boost circulation.

But the only thing that gives you sure-shot results is strength-training and the irony is we spend the greater part of our lives running away from strength-training. ‘We will turn bulky,’ that’s the excuse given by most women. But if you really wanna sculpt your body into amazing shape and knock off the extra fat and cellulite, then you have to go for strength-training. It builds your quads, buttocks, hamstrings, and hips. Two tips for strength-training: work your lower body at least two times a week and increase the weights as you slowly start becoming a pro in strength-training.

Top 10 Exercises to Get Rid of Cellulite on Thighs

Your thighs are the most affected areas when it comes to cellulite but no sweat, we have got the exact workouts that will tone, firm and smoothen the thigh areas and make them swimsuit-worthy in no time! Here’s how you can bid a firm goodbye to cellulite on thighs.

Cellulite is trapped in the connective tissues and weight training has the power to remodel the tissue and smoothen the appearance of cellulite. When you gain muscle mass, you tighten the connective tissues and change the dimply appearance. Strength training also increases your metabolic rate and when you have a super fast metabolism, you burn calories that much faster. Trust me you can never go wrong with strength training.

Split Squats

  1. Split Squats

This is an awesome lower body workout that steadfastly helps you get rid of the thigh cellulite and gives you enviable legs! Add the muscle, lose the fat from your legs with split squats.

Stand straight with feet hip-distance apart and take a long step forward almost like a lunge. Raise the heel of your back foot. Keep your torso straight and lower down slowly until your back knee brushes against the floor, then push back up. Continue to do all the reps with one leg, then switch to the other. Align your knees in line with your toes, especially on the front leg, but don’t allow the front knee move past your foot as you lower yourself down.

Sumo Squat Jump

  1. Sumo Squat Jump

Sumo squat jumps are a fresh new spin on traditional squats. This one will tone your quads and deep glutes for good and will also get rid of the cellulite on your thighs.

Stand with your feet hip distance apart and your toes turned out, arms by your sides. Bend your knees and sit down on an imaginary chair and jump up explosively. All this while, keeping your core all braced up. Land with your feet on your floor and get back into the squat position again. This forms one rep.

Barbell Squats

  1. Barbell Squats

Barbell squats are a passport to build muscles, get super strong, lose weight and get rid of cellulite on the thighs.

Get cracking with setting a bar on a rack just below your shoulder level. Once you’ve measured the correct height, step under the bar and place it over your back. Step away from the rack and stand with your feet hip-distance apart, keep your toes pointed outwards. Bend your knees and hip while you lower your body. Remember to keep your back straight. Keep looking straight ahead. Ensure that your upper leg and the calves are less than 90 degrees.

  1. Barbell Step Ups

Barbell step ups are a great exercise to build the lower body. This is one of the most potent tools in your toolbox to get stronger and get rid of cellulite.

Place a barbell on the back of your shoulders. Stand straight and keep a flat bench or any other hurdle which isn’t too high to step onto. Now, keep your left foot on the flat bench and bring your right foot slowly so that you place it next to your left foot. Step down with your right foot and place it next to the right foot. Do it as many times as you are able to.

Air Squat

  1. Squats

Squats are the king of all exercises. They say if you want to get a flat stomach you should work on your back and legs. So, whichever part of the body you want to work on, you have to squat it out and especially when you want to get rid of the ugly cellulite marks.

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, point out your feet out slightly. Keep your arms stretched. Maintain a straight back throughout the entire duration. Lower your upper body while you bend your knees and hips as if you are about to sit on an imaginary chair. Use your quads to get back to the starting position.

Glute Kickbacks

  1. Glute Kickbacks

Want to make your booty pert and at the same time remove cellulite from your thighs? Glute kickbacks are just what the doctor ordered. In fact, this is one of the best exercises for cellulite on thighs. Do this after your squat workouts to make this a killer leg workout.

Kneel down on the floor or on an exercise mat, keeping your arms extended. Keep them shoulder-width apart. Ensure that your calves and hamstrings are at a 90-degree angle to each other. Lift your leg, keeping your hamstring in line with your back. Try and hold on to this position for several seconds. Get back to the starting position and do the same with the other leg.

  1. Dumbbell Lunges

Do you need to improve your hip-flexor flexibility, improve your glute activation, make your body more symmetrical or just get rid of cellulite on thighs? For all of the above, dumbbell lunges are the perfect workouts to perform.

Stand up and keep your upper body straight, keep dumbbells in both your hands. Step forward keeping one leg until your shin and your thigh forms a 90-degree angle. Take a deep breath in while you do so. Ensure your knee does not go past your toes. With the help of your heels, push yourself up back to the starting position. Breathe out while you do so.

Straight-Leg Deadlift

  1. Straight-Leg Deadlift

This is a basic exercise but so useful for muscle-toning. It also works the lower body at the same time. Feel an amazing stretch in your hips, glutes, inner thighs, hamstrings and calves, and combat stubborn cellulite on your hips and thighs.

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, hold a pair of dumbbells. Now, hinge forward from the hips and bring your upper body parallel to the floor. Stretch your legs all the while and then hinge back to the starting position.

  1. V-Leg Pull

This is another effective resistance band workout that impacts your outer thighs. This is the problem area of most women; read, this is where most of the cellulite is deposited. As you work on the outer thighs you also cut on the extra cellulite and help bring stability and strength to your thighs.

Lie down with your face up on the floor, keeping both the feet raised and loop a resistance band around your ankles. Now, keep your legs apart so that the resistance band becomes taut. Now, bring back your legs to the starting position. Keep your back flat on the floor throughout the workout.

  1. Boot Strappers

How to get rid of cellulite? The simple answer to this question is, do bootstrappers. And the best thing about this exercise is, you require zero types of equipment for it. It stretches both the legs and back and reduces cellulite on your back and inner thighs.

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and hinge forward at your waist to touch the toes. Now, bend your knees and bring your butt closer to the floor. Keep your hands on your toes and slowly lift your butt up so you can go back to the toe-touching position. Bend your knees and bring your butt to the floor; stand and return back to the original position. This completes 1 repetition.

Complete one to 3 sets of each exercise.

Get rid of unwanted dimpled skin not by spending hours on the elliptical but by putting that hour to good use and do a bout of heavy-duty strength training. It never fails you!

Disclaimer: All exercise should be done under the supervision of certified professionals, or if any medical condition exists, please do seek the advice of the physician to proceed with this exercise.

Download App

Get our wellness newsletter

Health and Diet tips, Fitness,
Beauty and more.