Why Your Thighs Are Stubborn Problem Areas

There’s a reason women tend to gain fat around their thighs and buttocks and why they struggle to lose it. Here’s the skinny on why your stubborn thigh fat just won’t seem to go away and what you can do about it.

Why Do Women Gain Weight on Their Thighs?

The main culprit behind weight gain in your thighs is estrogen. This hormone drives the increase in fat cells in females, causing deposits to form most commonly around the buttocks and thighs. In fact, the size of body fat cells tends to increase at a greater rate in females than males starting at the age of eight, due to the onset of puberty and an increase in female hormone levels.

Unfortunately, even though your estrogen levels may decline once you hit menopause, your metabolism slows with age, meaning weight gain in all areas becomes a common concern. Add to this the fact that lower estrogen levels lead to a slowdown in collagen production and a loss of skin elasticity, and you have the perfect storm for cellulite.

What Is Cellulite and How Can You Target Your Thigh Area?

Cellulite forms as the body’s connective tissues weaken with age. Ninety percent of all women, including those who are thin, will develop cellulite at some point in their lifetime.

While there is no permanent treatment, there are a couple of ways you can help minimize the appearance of cellulite while shaping your thighs:

1. Engage in targeted exercise: Create workouts designed to target your thighs. While aerobic activity may be great for overall weight loss, the fat around the thighs responds less effectively to cardio, so you’ll want to focus on strength training.
2. Form healthy eating habits: Stay away from foods that may alter your hormone levels. Instead, try incorporating hormone-free meats and dairy products, as well as preservative- and chemical-free foods.
3. Seek alternative treatments: Massages and spa treatments may help treat some types of cellulite, but for more effective results for all skin tones, consider non-invasive body shaping treatments that use radio frequency and magnetic therapies. These therapies cause a thermal reaction that helps to shrink the volume of fat cells in the thighs. With no downtime, you can smoothen the look of your thigh area and minimize the appearance of cellulite.

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