The physical and mental health effects of exercise have been discussed tons of times. However, scant attention has been paid to the effects of exercise on your skin. So, without further ado, let’s discuss the implication of physical activity on the skin:
Healthy and radiant skin
Physical activity gets you all pumped up. Blood rushes to various parts of your body speedily in the aftermath of a workout. This translates into more blood being transported to your skin cells.
As more blood flows to the skin, it carries more oxygen and nutrients, which reflects on your skin’s health and radiance. The better your skin is nourished, the better the internal glow.
Cleanses your skin
Ellen Marmur, dermatologist, MD, author of Simple Skin Beauty: Every Woman’s Guide to a Lifetime of Healthy, Gorgeous Skin and associate professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine explains this point. Marmur highlights, “By increasing blood flow, a bout of exercise helps flush cellular debris out of the system.” And adds, “You can think of it as cleansing your skin from the inside.”
Put simply, exercise carries more blood to your skin cells. The circulatory fluid is not only responsible for the transportation of nutrients to the cells but it also carries away cellular waste. Therefore, the increased blood flow to the skin with exercise ensures that the debris is taken away. Subsequently, it helps detoxify the skin.
Great for skin regeneration and elasticity
Regular exercise can positively impact the skin’s regeneration. Exercise brings more blood to your body, which means your skin gets more minerals and nutrients. This helps in the regeneration of cells. It works to improve the skin’s elasticity too.
So, regardless of when you start having regular exercise, the effects on your skin show almost immediate in the form of improved health and elasticity.
Since exercise helps in the regeneration on cells, it chips in a role in healthy aging too. Physical activity also encourages the production of collagen, which maintains your skin’s elasticity and firmness. As your skin’s elasticity is not compromised, the odds of having wrinkles decline.
Jess Schuring, celebrity trainer and co-founder of Heartcore Fitness elaborates, “Skin starts to lose elasticity as we age and strength training and toning muscles help to maintain the skins firmness.”
Eases stress that reduces stress-induced skin condition
Exercise is known to reduce stress. In doing so, research speculates that skin conditions that are exacerbated by stress are also lessened. Such skin conditions include eczema and acne. The exact link between stress and exercise is still unclear though.
However, researchers are still investigating the association. Studies indicate that the sebaceous glands that produce oil in the skin are impacted by stress hormones. So, once exercise curtails these, there is a chance that your skin condition can improve.
It is critical to remind you here that you should take an immediate shower after a workout. This is because excess sweating after the episode of physical activity can cause or aggravate acne.
Exercise improves your sleep that betters your skin
Exercise helps you sleep better, which is crucial for your body. Your body and skin repair while you fetch some deep zzz. Therefore, by sleeping better, exercise helps your skin repair faster.
There is one heads-up though- exercise can increase the risk of sunburn. Sun exposure during outdoor exercise leads to faster aging and an increased risk of skin cancer. You already know that applying sunscreen is a must. However, you need to be extra careful after reapplying. This is because sweat from the workout makes it even harder for the sunscreens to stay on your skin.
The bottom line
Summing up, exercise has multiple benefits for your skin. It increases blood flow to the skin, which nourishes the skin and contributes to its health. The increased blood flow also cleanses skin cells by taking away cell debris. Exercise also makes your skin strong and boosts its elasticity.