Cellulite, the development of lumpy skin on the butt, hips and thighs, is a problem for many women. In order to get rid of it, they turn to weight loss exercises, diets, massage creams and even surgery. Cycling is an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise that also works the muscles that are usually affected by cellulite. So, does cycling help with cellulite? That’s the question we will explore in this article. We’ll also help overcome the confusion that many people have on this subject by identifying exactly what cellulite is, what causes it and how best to fight it with cardio exercises such as cycling.
Table Of Contents
- 1 Does Cycling Help With Cellulite?
- 2 How To Reduce Cellulite And Tighten Up Your Skin With Cycling
- 3 Which Bike Is Best For Cellulite?
- 4 Our Tips To Fight Cellulite With Cycling
- 5 Cellulite: What Is It Exactly?
- 6 What Causes Cellulite?
- 7 Frequently Asked Questions
- 7.1 Can Riding A Bike Get Rid Of Cellulite?
- 7.2 What Cardio Is Best For Cellulite?
- 7.3 Is Cycling Good For Flabby Legs?
- 7.4 Does Biking Tone Thighs?
- 7.5 How Long Should I Ride My Bike To Get My Legs Toned?
- 7.6 What Exercise Is Best For Cellulite On Legs?
- 7.7 Is Running Or Cycling Better For Toning Legs?
- 7.8 Is Walking Or Biking Better For Cellulite?
- 8 Conclusion
Does Cycling Help With Cellulite?
Yes, cycling does help with cellulite. Cycling is an effective calorie burner that will help you to achieve a daily caloric deficit to lose weight. This means that you are burning up more calories for energy than you are consuming through food. The extra energy requirement is drawn from your body’s fat reserves. This will help with weight loss, but that weight loss will be from all over your body and not just the areas where cellulite accumulates.
As well as helping you to lose fat from your hips, thighs and butt, cycling will also improve your blood circulation. This will help to firm the skin and reduce the effect of cellulite.
Just as you cannot lose fat from any specific part of your body, you can also not spot reduce cellulite. That means that you can’t do exercises that specifically target the most common areas where cellulite accumulates and expect them to remove the cellulite from those areas. The increased calorie burn that you get from cycling will help you to lose fat from your overall body fat evenly.
Though cellulite is different from fat, people who carry more fat on their bodies are more likely to develop cellulite. As a result, choosing an excellent calorie burning exercise like cycling will help to remove cellulite.
Cycling will not get rid of cellulite, but it will help to lose fat in the areas where cellulite accumulates. Cycling will also help to improve your circulation, tightening the skin and lessening the prominence of cellulite.
Check our reviews of the best foldable exercise bikes on the market.
How To Reduce Cellulite And Tighten Up Your Skin With Cycling
Cycling is an effective form of aerobic exercise both to lose fat and control your cellulite levels. This is a lower body centric exercise that combines cardiovascular and resistance training in one workout. When done outdoors, cycling also allows you to soak up vitamin D from the sun, which will help to keep your skin firm.
Here are some tips to help you to get the most cellulite reducing benefit from your cycle workouts:
- Perform A High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Workout On The Bike. After a warm up, sprint hard as you can for 30 seconds, then go slow for a minute. Repeat this fast slow pattern 8 to 10 times. HIIT style training has been shown to burn more calories both during and after your cycling workout.
- Combine Flat With Hill Cycling. When you go up the hill, you dramatically increase your calorie burn and this makes your quads and glutes – the main areas where cellulite develops – work a lot harder. This will help you to develop muscle tone in those areas while losing weight and reducing cellulite levels.
- Stay Well Hydrated During Your Cycling Sessions. Make sure that your cycle has a water bottle holder. Sip from it regularly during your cycling workout. Increasing your water consumption has been shown to reduce cellular levels.
- Combine Your Cycling Workouts To Reduce Cellulite With A Massage. Massage improves lymphatic drainage and stretches out the skin tissue to make it firmer. Using a foam roller on the butt and thighs for a few minutes after your cycling workout is, therefore, a great idea.
- Make Your Cycling Workouts Progressive. If you stay at the same level all the time, your body will adjust to what you are doing and no longer respond. To avoid this, you should gradually make your rides longer and increase the intensity level by adding more hill sprints and doing more HIIT sessions.
Which Bike Is Best For Cellulite?
The best bike for cellulite is a spin bike. Spin cycling is one of the most intense forms of cycling that you can do to lose weight. A spin bike is designed to be like a road cycling bike used by competitive cyclists. It encourages a more forward leaning cycling position and allows you to stand up while cycling during intense periods. Spin bikes often also use a chain drive mechanism instead of a belt drive. This provides a more realistic pedaling experience.
If you are cycling outdoors, a mountain bike is one of the best exercise bikes you can use. It will allow you to make use of ragged, hilly terrain to give your butt and thighs an intense challenge. At the end of the day, however, the best bike for cellulite is the one that you have access to regularly. If you have a bike that you already use to get around, you can use it effectively to help get rid of cellulite by following the tips provided in this article.
Recumbent bike workouts, which provide extra back support, are ideal for those with back problems.
Spin cycling is more challenging than exercising on an upright bike. It involves leaning forward, so you may want to avoid spinning if you have lower back problems.
Our Tips To Fight Cellulite With Cycling
- Pace your workouts. Begin with 20 minutes of steady state cycling and gradually increase your time and intensity.
- Introduce high intensity interval training to your cycling workouts by doing 30 sprints followed by 2 to 3 minute recoveries. As you get fitter, reduce the recovery periods.
- Stay well hydrated during your cycle session.
- Take regular cycling classes down at your local gym. These sessions will burn calories at a rate of about a thousand calories per hour.
- Combine your cycling workouts with a reduced calorie diet that emphasizes lean protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.
- Combine your cycle workouts with the bench or fitness step.
Cellulite: What Is It Exactly?
Types Of Cellulite
There are different types of cellulite.
1) Hard Cellulite
Hard cellulite is most common in people who do not appear overweight and are quite active physically. It usually can’t be seen unless the person moves their position or pinches the area where the cellulite is sitting. Hard cellulite is most common in women under the age of 40.
2) Soft Cellulite
Soft cellulite is the visible lumpiness of the skin that most people think of. It is commonly seen in women over the age of 40 who do not regularly do exercise. Women who have lost a lot of weight in a short time may also experience soft cellulite.
3) Mixed
If a younger woman remains inactive and does not follow a healthy diet, hard cellulite may transform into soft cellulite. Fluctuations in estrogen levels can also contribute to this change. This usually happens in combination with the loss of muscle tone and strength and the accumulation of body fat.
What Causes Cellulite?
The cause of cellulite is the accumulation of fat under the skin. This fat breaks through to form the dimpled effect of what we call cellulite. The following factors have been identified as contributing to this condition.
A Diet Too Rich In Fats And Sugars
A diet that is too rich in fats and sugars will lead to weight gain. The more fat you have under the skin, the more likely you will be to develop cellulite. That is why following a diet that is low in sugary processed carbohydrates and that removes unhealthy fats is a key step in the fight against cellulite.
Lack Of Physical Activity
When you are physically active, you burn more calories to help keep your weight under control. You also improve your blood circulation and exercising helps you keep your muscles toned and tight. As a result, following a regular exercise plan will help to reduce cellulite.
Water Retention
Water retention is a builder of fluid under the skin. This can push the fat cells up, contributing to the appearance of cellulite.
Hormones
Estrogen, the primary female sexual hormone, is a major contributor to cellulite. Postmenopausal women experience estrogen production. This leads to the breaking down of collagen fibers in the skin. The weakened skin condition that results allows fat to start pushing through to the surface, resulting in the effect that we call cellulite.
Genetics
Cellulite has been shown to run in families. In some cases, women who exercise regularly and follow a healthy diet, still have an excessive amount of cellulite. This is likely to be due to their genetics.
Stress
Stress can play havoc with our hormones, including estrogen. People who experience a lot of stress and anxiety, therefore, are more likely to have a cellulite problem.
Cellulite tends to run in families, so even lean people can develop it. A sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary choices also contribute to cellulite.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Riding A Bike Get Rid Of Cellulite?
No, riding a bike cannot get rid of cellulite. But it can help to reduce butt and thigh fat so that the effect of cellulite is not so prominent. Riding a bike will also work the main muscles that are affected by cellulite – the glutes and thighs. This will make those muscles more toned and the skin more firm. These effects will also help to reduce the appearance of cellulite.
What Cardio Is Best For Cellulite?
The cardio that is best for cellulite is cycling. Cycling focuses on the key areas of the body where cellulite accumulates – the butt and the thighs. It also burns a lot of calories to help you get rid of body fat. Another benefit of cycling is that it is a closed chain exercise, where your feet never come off the pedals. As a result, it is very joint friendly.
Is Cycling Good For Flabby Legs?
Yes, cycling is good for flabby legs. It will help to burn off calories so that you can lose the excess fat that has accumulated on your legs. By combining a regular cycling workout with a reduced calorie diet that is low in processed carbohydrates, you’ll be able to achieve the daily caloric deficit that is required to burn off fat for energy.
Does Biking Tone Thighs?
Yes, biking does tone the thighs. Cycling directly works the quadricep muscles as you pedal to move forward. During a typical cycling workout, your thighs will push down thousands of times. This will strengthen the thigh muscles, while also making them more toned and athletic looking. At the same time, cycling will tone your glutes, streams and calves.
How Long Should I Ride My Bike To Get My Legs Toned?
To get your legs toned, you should ride your bike for at least 30 minutes each day and at a moderate level of intensity. The American Council On Exercise (ACE) recommends 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise to lose weight. Of course, to get toned legs faster you can exercise for longer than that. To tone your legs more effectively, you should also incorporate high intensity training into your bike workouts.
What Exercise Is Best For Cellulite On Legs?
The best exercise for cellulite on legs is cycling. That’s because it is a very joint friendly form of exercise that allows you to burn a lot of calories while also targeting the key areas of the body where cellulite accumulates. Cycling, especially on a recumbent bike, is accessible for people of all ages and fitness levels and is scalable to make your workouts harder as you progress.
Is Running Or Cycling Better For Toning Legs?
Cycling is better than running for toning legs. The reason for this is that cycling is more joint friendly than running. Cycling and running will burn around the same number of calories but cycling allows you to give your legs a more intense resistance type workout. Every time you push down on the pedal it is like you are doing a mini leg press. This makes cycling an excellent way to tone your legs.
Is Walking Or Biking Better For Cellulite?
Biking is better for cellulite than walking. That’s because it will burn more calories helping you lose the fat that sits underneath your skin. Biking is also more joint friendly than walking because there is no foot impact with the ground when you pedal. That makes it a good choice for seniors and other people with joint problems.
