The backs of my legs will not lose the "cottage cheese" look to them! I exercise every day for at least 30 minutes. What else can I do to make my legs look normal and toned?
- Joanna*

It sounds like you have cellulite — that dimpling of the skin commonly seen on the thighs, hips, and buttocks. Although excess fat makes cellulite more noticeable, even thin people can have cellulite.

Cellulite is more common in girls and women, and tends to run in families, so it might not be in your control to completely eliminate it.

There are no miracle cures, but to reduce the appearance of the cottage cheese look, you want to tone your legs and lose excess body fat if you are overweight. You can start by boosting your workouts from 30 minutes to 60 minutes every day. In addition to cardio, try to incorporate strength training into your routine 3 days a week. Strength training can focus on the areas you really want to tone, like your legs. Doing simple and effective exercises like hamstring extensions, lunges, squats, and leg raises can help tone muscles while burning calories.

If you are overweight, don't forget that working out alone isn't the key to losing excess fat — you will also need to watch what you eat.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: October 2011

*Names have been changed to protect user privacy.