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We all know that getting exercise is good for our muscles, heart, and lungs and can help keep us at a healthy weight, but did you know working out can lead to brighter, healthier skin? Working out can be a part of our beauty and self-care regimen, just like using a great cuticle cream every day or a healing hand mask weekly.
We will look at some of the ways working out our bodies benefits our skin too.
Exercise Boosts Circulation
When you raise your heart rate by doing some cardio or by lifting weights, your rate of blood circulation increases. That increased blood flood helps bring oxygen and nutrients to muscles and organs working harder, which benefits the skin as well.
Those nutrients help the cells of the skin to be healthy and strong. As well as bringing good stuff to skin cells, the increased blood flow also helps remove waste products from cells throughout the body.
By boosting circulation, the blood can carry cellular waste to the liver where it is cleaned out and removed from the body. Research shows that boosting the circulating levels of certain hormones through exercise can even reverse some signs of aging in the skin.
Reduces Signs of Stress
All forms of exercise have been shown to have beneficial effects on stress. Stress is a part of everyone’s life, and it comes in many forms: You have a deadline to meet or are worried about some test results; perhaps you have a toxic coworker or live in a noisy and crowded part of town.
Increased levels of stress create elevated levels of certain hormones that affect the body in many ways. Elevated levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) can increase oil production in the skin, which can lead to breakouts.
Working Out Reduces Inflammation
There has been a lot of research lately that points to inflammation in the body as a factor in many disease processes. Inflammation can happen anywhere and is triggered by an immune system reaction. Signs of inflammation in the skin are redness, warmth, itching, and sensitivity.
A study done at the University of California has shown that a 20-minute session of exercise at a moderate level reduces inflammation levels throughout the body. By stimulating the immune system to respond to an inflammation on a cellular level, exercise can lower inflammation levels, which can improve your skin condition.
Working Out Reduces Anxiety
It has been well-established that exercise reduces anxiety, but how does that help our skin? Lowering anxiety levels can help improve the health and appearance of skin in a few ways. By lowering anxiety levels, those stress hormones we talked about earlier will be reduced, leading to less oil production.
Reducing anxiety can also change your facial expressions. Fewer furrowed brows and frown means less creasing and wrinkling of the skin due to making the same faces over and over again.
Many people unconsciously pick at their skin when they feel stressed or worried. Reducing anxiety also reduces the likelihood of picking at pimples and blemishes, which allows them to heal for clearer skin.
Exercise Creates Energy for Cells
Every cell has a little engine inside it called mitochondria that helps it do all the jobs it needs to do. Those microscopic engines create a chemical called ATP, which is the fuel cells use to carry out all their functions.
As cells age, they make less ATP, which results in slower and less efficient cellular functioning. Science has not yet found a way to increase ATP production, but our bodies already know how to do it, and it’s through exercise.
Exercising increased activity by mitochondria by elevating ATP production. This has been shown to reduce signs of aging in human skin. Researchers found that the skin of older athletes was healthier than the skin of folks living more sedentary lifestyles. They noted that exercise improved whole-body metabolism and protected against age-related deterioration and disease.
Working Out Improves Sleep
Getting any sort of exercise at all can improve your sleep. Going out for a stroll around the park, attending a hot yoga class, or taking a swim will all benefit your sleep later in the day.
A good night’s sleep helps the appearance of skin by reducing dark circles under the eyes, as well as creating a less puffy look to the skin. Being well-rested also allows your body to heal and recover from the stresses of life, which can’t help but lead to healthier skin.
Getting exercise has many benefits. It helps improve physical as well as mental health and improves the quality of life. Exercise can also lead to feelings of well-being and a sense of connection to others when done in group settings. Knowing that exercise benefits your skin in so many ways is just another reason to get up and get moving.
