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Women of all ages can fall prey to those frustrating bumps. Here’s what you can do to help get rid of them. Q: Yikes! All of a sudden I see that my thighs are getting kind of bumpy. What can I do to smooth them out again? I’m in my late 30’s and never thought I’d get cellulite so young! Cellulite doesn’t discriminate. It can show up on girls in their teens—or younger. That’s because, despite what you’ve heard about cellulite being some mysterious condition linked to “trapped toxins” or poor circulation, cellulite is simply old-fashioned fat. It just looks different because of how it’s arranged. A: Everyone has strands of connective tissue that separate fat cells into compartments and connect fat to skin. In women, these fibers form a honeycomb-shaped pattern, so any increase of fat tends to bulge out like stuffing in a mattress. You see less cellulite in men because their fibers run horizontally, forming a criss-cross pattern that prevents bulging or dimpling. Though cellulite can popup any time, it is true that cellulite does seem to appear out of nowhere and get worse with age. That’s because our tissues change. Those strands of connective tissue thicken with age, and our skin gets thinner, making cellulite more noticeable. More importantly, we gain fat with age. The average woman loses 5 lb of muscle and replaces it with about 15 lb of fat every decade of her adult life, says Prevention advisor Wayne Westcott, PhD. “Because fat is exceptionally soft, it doesn’t keep our skin taut like muscle does. It also takes up more space, so it bulges out,” he explains. With the right exercise plan, you can reduce your cellulite and make your lower body look smoother and firmer, says Westcott. “When we put 16 women ages 26 to 66 on our program for 8 weeks, all of them reported less cellulite in their lower bodies. Seventy percent reported a lot less.” The trick is working all your lower body muscles from every angle, reducing the underlying fat stores and replacing lostmuscle tissue to give the area a taut, toned appearance throughout. Perform 1 set of 10 to 15 repetitions of the following exercises 3 days a week. Lift slowly, counting 2 seconds to lift and 4 seconds to lower. Before starting, warm up thoroughly with walking, stationary cycling, or light calisthenics. Side to Side Muscles worked: Quadriceps, abductors, adductors, hamstrings, and glutes Equipment: Dumbbells You can make this basic exercise easier by doing it without any weights. Just keep your hands on your hips. To make it more difficult, hold the dumbbells up at your shoulders while performing the exercise. 1. Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed out about 45 degrees and your back flat and straight. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and rest them at your hips. 2. Take a giant step to the left and bend your left knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor, keeping your right leg extended. Do not allow your left knee to jut over your toes or your butt to dipbelow your knee. Pause, then return to the starting position and repeat the motion to the right side without resting. All-Fours Kickback Muscles worked: Gluteal muscles Equipment: Ankle weights When doing this exercise, remember not to arch or hunch your back. This will prevent you from putting stress on your back. You can make the exercise easier by doing it without ankle weights. If you don’t have ankle weights, do the exercise with a light dumbbell held behind the knee in the crook of your working leg. 1. Wearing ankle weights, get down on your forearms and knees (similar to the hands-and-knees position, but you bend your arms and support your weight on your forearms instead of your hands). Keep your back straight and your head in line with your back so that your eyes are looking down. 2. Keeping your back straight and leg bent, slowly swing your right leg back and lift your right foot toward the ceiling until your thigh is parallel to the ground. Your foot should remain flexedthroughout the exercise. Hold for 1 second, then return to the starting position. Do one set with your right leg, then switch and repeat with your left. Lying Inner-Leg Lift Muscles worked: Inner thighs Equipment: Ankle weights By working these muscles, you can create a strong, lean line down the insides of your leg. While you’re doing this exercise keep your upper body stationary; resist the urge to sway back and forth as you lift and lower. You might also want to do the move without weights first to learn the motion, since it can be somewhat awkward at first. 1. Wearing ankle weights, lie on your left side, resting your head on your upper arm, and place your right hand on the floor in front of your chest for support. Bend the knee of your top leg, placing the foot of that leg in front of your other knee. Your bottom leg should be fully extended. 2. Slowly raise your bottom leg as high as is comfortably possible. Hold for 1 second, then slowly lower. Do one set with your left leg,then switch and repeat with your right. Squat and Side Lift Muscles worked: Glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, and abductors Equipment: Ankle weights Wearing ankle weights, stand with yourfeet shoulder-width apart, with your hands on your hips, your elbows out to the sides, and your toes slightly pointed out. Remember to keep your head straight and your eyes facing forward. If you want to push yourself a bit, hold a light dumbbell in each hand as you do the moves. 1. Slowly bend at the knees and squat back as though moving your buttdown toward an imaginary chair. Keep your back flat, and don’t allow your knees to jut over your toes. Stop when your thighs are just about parallel to the floor; don’t go any lower. 2. Pause, then straighten your legs, lifting your left leg off the floor and out to the side as you stand. Pause again, then return to the starting position. Repeat, lifting your right leg to the side this time. Alternate legs throughout the exercise.

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