What fresh hell…cellulite WORSE with exercise?

[silverframetype]

More than aware we all have bigger things to worry about. But given I am a peri-menopausal witch who could park a Tesla in the shadow of my arse, I signed up for gym/exercise classes, and have been going several times a week since the summer.

Boringly, I feel great on it, even though on brand for me is more ‘drink too much and have a crumpet’. HOWEVER- despite all the exercise, my cellulite is worse! And it was pretty damn prominent before!

I looked online and this is a thing - something about muscle expansion. Did anyone else start exercising more and notice this?! Crucially, does it eventually get better?

I have this too. Didn't know it was a thing though. I'm planning on taking a collagen supplement in the hopes it'll help even things out

Not something I've ever noticed. I've always exercised and never had much cellulite, even when I was obese.

Yes. Also thread veins in my legs that were never there before.

But, but…I thought the whole point was exercise would make me look better, not worse! Particularly when I’ve been targeting my thigh/bum - which have always been a massive problem area, quite literally.

Some posters online suggest it’s temporary and you just work through it. Can anyone reassure me?!

Cellulite is 'caused' by connective tissue. We all have fat on our legs, with a layer of this connective tissue webbing over it, and the dimpling effect is where the webbing is. It is normal, healthy, and almost entirely genetic as to how it looks - there is very little you can do to influence it. It's an entirely made up issue that advertisers made up in the 80s to make women feel shit about themselves. It has very little to do with weight or exercise.

Could you have lipodema?.

It's often diagnosed around menopause.

@Willyoujustbequiet - I don’t think it’s lipodema tbh, my ankles and calves are slim.

I’m just shocked that exercise can worsen cellulite. Thought I was imagining it at first - but googled and it’s a known thing 😫

This comes with the important caveat that I know NOTHING about cellulite 😂

However!

I would assume / hope that it’s temporary, as for a while your muscles will be bigger while you still have a certain level of fat on your legs and your connective -tissue-whatsit is being stretched? But in time, the fat will lessen and your legs will slim down a bit and the cellulite will become less visible again? I wonder whether doing exercises that don’t bulk the muscles too much will help?

/here ends idle speculation

Thanks for the warning - my arse will remain firmly parked on the sofa, with a nice toasted crumpet that i will make a DC bring me to save me from further cellulite.

It will get better after a while, don't give up. It does seem to be a genetic thing, like bunions and crap eyesight.

What bugs me is when doctors say "There's no such thing" - well, there is fat storage cells just under the skin, it's there and has an effect! (Although I had one doctor friend who said sheepishly that her cellulite always disappears when she exercises properly, so that's a different take but still annoying.)

After many hours on the cross trainer, I can feel the muscles of my thighs more distinctly and they feel firmer, although the cellulite is still there and always will be, bless its loyal cotton socks...

It might be something to do with perimenopause @silverframetype

Google cellulite and oestrogen.