Though Pilates
was designed to re-align the body and re-balance muscle groups, many
people -- namely women -- use Pilates for vanity! From sculpted arms
to toned abs to tighter hips and buttocks, Pilates definitely helps
prepare the body for bikini weather!
But many people seek to "spot tone" and accomplish cellulite reduction in specific areas. At our New York studio, second only to questions about weight loss, women ask "will my cellulite
go away?" Unfortunately, spot toning is not possible with Pilates or
any other exercise system. Cellulite reduction occurs only with fat
loss.
Factors that contribute to one's susceptibility to
cellulite development are gender, race, age and body composition.
Women are more prone to cellulite development than men. This is due to structural differences
in the connective tissue that lie below the skin in men and women. If
you think of connective tissue as fish net stockings lying under the
top layer of skin, men have smaller squares per inch in their fish net
stockings, and the "netting" is thicker and lies more horizontal to the
skin's surface. On the other hand, in women, the squares are larger,
the netting is thinner and the strands of the netting lie vertical to
the skin's surface. Thus, more fat breaks through the squares and
produces the dimpling effect on the skin's surface.
Moreover, studies have shown that caucasian women are more susceptible to cellulite development, whereas African American and Asian women are less susceptible. Just as darker skin tones -- those with more melanin
-- display a stronger resistance to UV rays, so to do darker skin tones
show more resistance to cellulite development. As the levels of melanin,
and thus skin tones, can vary greatly among caucasians, an individual's
susceptibility to cellulite development will depend on genetic
make-up. The more an individual tans naturally, the more melanin in
their body, and the more resistant to cellulite development they
naturally are. Redheads with blue eyes have the least amount of
melanin in their bodies, while African American women with dark eyes
have the most.
Next, the natural process of aging causes a
decrease in firmness of the skin. The older one is, the more
susceptible they are to cellulite development. Research indicates that
most women start noticing cellulite most after the age of thirty. This
should not be new information to anyone, as wrinkles start to appear
"suddenly" after age 30 as well.
Finally, body composition
plays a part in cellulite development. Bodies with a lower body fat
percentage will be less susceptible to cellulite because the fat simply
is not there! Increasing your body's lean mass (or increasing muscle
tone) will not only help that percentage, but also increase the body's metabolism, or capacity to burn more calories, even when the body is at rest.
Pilates helps increase muscle tone, so in a very indirect way, yes,
Pilates can help. But if your goal is to rid yourself of unsightly
cellulite, you must do more than Pilates. Both engaging in
cardiovascular activity and consuming a sensible diet are key
components that can not be overlooked. As you know, we recommend CARDIOLATES, but any physical activity that elevates the heart rate is effective.
Losing
overall body fat and increasing overall muscle tone will help you lose
the unwanted cellulite! So keep up with your Pilates, take a brisk
walk a day and watch what you eat!