Dear Sarah,

While swimsuit shopping this month, I was alarmed to see cottage cheese thighs staring back at me from the dressing room mirror. The horror! Bikini buying stopped there. Ditto wearing a bathing suit on the beach. Can exercise help get rid of my unsightly lumps? Are there any cellulite-beating workouts you recommend?
Rachel

Dear Rachel,

Cellulite is caused by clusters of fat cells. Unfortunately, you are born with these cells and will have them forever, but how big or small they get is up to you.

Fat cells are tiny compartments housed in between your muscles and your skin, within a network of fibrous connective cords. As fat cells grow with weight gain they push up against your skin, pulling down the fibrous connective cords, and creating the lumpy appearance known as cellulite. This generally happens in the hip and thigh area of females. (It's not so common in males. Not fair. I know.) There are a number of factors that contribute to the formation of cellulite, including hormones, stress, a diet high in saturated fats and sugars, and an inactive lifestyle.

According to Wayne Westocott, PhD and co-author of No More Cellulite, the best way to combat unwanted lumps is through reducing stress and regulating your hormones with a healthy, whole foods-based diet (no white sugar, flour or saturated fat) and exercise.

Cardio + strength training = no more cellulite. While cardiovascular exercise works the heart, lungs and burns calories, strength training builds muscles that help you burn calories even after you stop exercising.

The So Long Cellulite Workout

Warm-up: Two minutes on a treadmill, bicycle, stair climber or elliptical trainer.

Cardio: 15 -20 minutes at 70-80 per cent of your maximum heart rate (220 - age X percentage).This should feel hard to very hard.

Strength: Perform three sets of 10-12 repetitions on your major muscle groups. Keep this simple with moves such as squats, lunges, push-ups, and dips, or, you can use the weight lifting machines or free weights at the gym. No matter where you exercise, be sure to perform squats to work your legs and butt and stretch each muscle group after you use it.

It's important to remember that your cellulite may not disappear completely no matter how much you exercise or change your diet. That said, changing your lifestyle can significantly reduce its appearance. I cannot stress enough the importance of water for fighting cellulite; a hydrated body will help make your skin smooth by reducing lumps. Start fighting your cellulite with a change in attitude: you've got a problem, you know the solution, put in the effort and reap the rewards of unveiling your smoother looking thighs on the beach.

Sarah Brown is a very healthy woman. She is not only a fitness instructor at GoodLife where she teaches Body Pump, Body Flow, Boot Camp and yoga but she is also a registered holistic nutritionist. If you have a question for Sarah, leave a comment below and she will try and help, but note that not all questions will be answered.