Skin Benefits from Exercise
It’s no secret that regular exercise is key to a healthy lifestyle. It is good for your heart, your lungs, and your cardiovascular system. And who are we kidding? The reason most of us exercise is for the benefits of improved physical appearance. We want to look sexy in a swimsuit and in those skinny jeans. Most people doon’t realize that there are many skin benefits from exercise. It can give skin a healthy, youthful glow that all of us desire. According to dermatologist Ellen Marmur, “We tend to focus on the cardiovascular benefits of physical activity, and those are important. But anything that promotes healthy circulation also helps to keep your skin healthy and vibrant.” When you exercise, you increase the amount of blood flow in your body. When your skin gets red or pink during your work out, the blood cells are doing their job. The blood vessels in your skin are dilating, making room for nutrient and oxygen-rich blood. When that blood rushes in, your skin is cleansed with nutrients and toxins are removed. For this reason, exercise is the ultimate detox for your skin! If you are doing cardio, you will see the benefits of exercise on your skin even more intensely. Cardio makes you sweat. When you are sweating hard, the perspiration helps to unclog your pores. We are not telling you to ditch your daily skin care routine and replace it with exercise. When sweat sits on your face for a long period of time, it can make your acne worse. Just be sure to wash/wipe your face after you exercise! Lastly, exercise can help to reduce stress. According to the ADAA, physical activity can help to reduce stress by reducing fatigue, increase alertness, and enhancing overall cognitive function. On top of that, getting regular exercise will help you to rest better at night. We all know that a good night’s sleep is crucial in order for the next day to be productive. So what does this have to do with clear skin? Stress causes a release of the hormone cortisol.
According to Huffington Post, “Cortisol works on the testosterone pathway and one of the more common things we see in direct response to raising cortisol levels is acne.” So by reducing the amount of stress in your life, you can reduce the amount of cortisol being released, decreasing the probability of an acne breakout. Although exercise is great for your skin, keep in mind that by nature, gyms are not the cleanest of places. Most gyms make a great effort to sanitize the machines nightly, but you never know what could be left over. Touching the machines and the free weights throughout your workout can leave oil, sweat, and bacteria on your hands- and often end up on your face! To combat the post workout grime on your face, we love Dermalogica mediBac Clearing Skin Purifying Wipes. They are great to quickly wipe off your face and be on your way immediately after your workout. So there you have it. There are many skin benefits from exercise. Regular exercise might be the one thing that is missing from your daily skincare routine. What do you have to lose? Get your butt to the gym and see if you notice a hotter body as well as a healthier glow!
