Exercise is one of life’s treasures. It can boost your mood. It can help you stay fit. It strengthens your heart, lungs, and muscles. It can even help you live longer. But did you know that exercise benefits your skin health as well? Of course, it does. Let’s take a look at how.
Exercise Benefits That Go Skin Deep
You Glow – There is no doubt you have heard about the amazing endorphins, those feel-good hormones that spike after a good workout session. It turns out those endorphins can make your skin glow brightly after exercise. This is in part due to the increased blood flow throughout the body. Your heart pumps a little harder to circulate blood and oxygen as you participate in cardiovascular activities. With improved blood flow, oxygen reaches your blood cells faster, giving them a much-needed boost. This includes skin cells, making your skin glow and appear youthful.
Flush Out Toxins – Along the same lines, getting your blood pumping helps your body flush out toxins faster, leaving skin healthy and radiant. An expedited nourishing journey means less time for toxins to build up in your cells. A win-win!
Increased Collagen Production – In addition to increased blood flow, this boost in circulation can also promote collagen growth. The cornerstone of youthful radiance is the most abundant protein in your body: collagen. Collagen is good for keeping your tendons, ligaments, bones, muscles, and skin together. The protein fibers literally hold things in place. Collagen helps your skin glow, feel soft and appear smooth, and helps to repair skin after injury. A few telltale signs of collagen loss include skin folds, loose skin, worn-out cartilage, decreased flexibility in tendons and ligaments, and the appearance of wrinkles; therefore, a good cardio session can do wonders to combat these signs.
Stress Relief – You may have heard that exercise reduces stress, giving your body an outlet to literally sweat out anxiety and tension. Well, stress can wreak havoc on your skin. Think about the last time you felt anxious. Did you furrow your brow? That alone can cause deep brow lines. Also, stress can lead to inflammation as your cortisol levels spike. Exercise placates that cortisol, balancing your hormone levels and reducing inflammation.
Eases Chronic Skin Conditions – If stress is a critical culprit in chronic skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis, then exercise may help. Since exercise benefits stress relief and reduce inflammation, you may experience relief from chronic skin conditions after establishing an exercise routine that works for you.
Improves Sleep – Exercise benefits sleep, and sleep benefits your skin. Our bodies take that rest time to repair themselves on a molecular level as we sleep. Our skin, brain, and muscles are included. This regeneration creates brand new fresh skin cells, preparing the way for old cells to shed. When you suffer from a lack of sleep, cellular repair slows down. This can make your skin susceptible to bacteria or delay wound healing. We want our skin to be healthy and strong. As our largest organ, our skin protects us from harmful pathogens and excessive water loss, even when we sleep. This is why sleep is so important to your health.
Makes You Look Younger – Some evidence suggests that exercise benefits your skin in ways the elusive “Fountain of Youth” would. Exercise can help combat premature aging, reduce inflammation, and produce a healthy and youthful glow. When you feel your best, you look your best.
Extra Skincare Post Exercise
While exercise benefits skin health, it is also essential to take a few extra steps post-workout to ensure the exercise is not detrimental to your skin. Take sweat, for example. While it helps rid the body of toxins and cools the skin down, it can also clog pores and lead to blemishes. Are you someone who works out in makeup? You may want to stop this practice because you may experience a buildup of dirt, oil, and makeup in your pores after a great sweat session.
Be sure to use a facial cleanser after your workout to remove sweat and dirt from your skin before continuing on your day. This will help you capitalize on the many skin benefits of exercise. Top it off with a light moisturizer to ensure you lock in hydration after all your hard work.
Best Exercise for Skin Health
When it comes to exercise, there is no one size fits all approach. Truthfully, there isn’t a singular exercise that benefits skin health. Instead, you will want to determine what exercises make you feel good. Ideally, you want to sweat a bit, elevate your heart rate, and combine a few different types of exercises into your routine.
For example, you may want to try yoga for stress relief and then go for a run or a jog for a cardio workout. Or try high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which includes vigorous exercise in short spurts with brief recovery periods.
Exercise for Muscle Tone and Skin Firming
Healthy skin tends to be firm, radiant, and youthful in appearance. Exercise can offer many benefits if you’re embarking on a fitness journey to help lose weight and firm your skin. In addition to those listed above, exercise can help with muscle toning, giving you a fit appearance. But when you reach a point where exercise is not helping you get rid of stubborn fat, you may want to try CoolSculpting®.
CoolSculpting® is a non-surgical alternative to liposuction, where stubborn subcutaneous fat cells (cells beneath the skin that cause jiggly fat) crystallize during the freezing process. Using a CoolSculpting® applicator to target the stubborn fat areas, your practitioner will freeze the area for 35-75 minutes. Since fat cells cannot tolerate freezing temperatures, they will crystalize and die off. These dead cell particles are eliminated through the body. The result? A firmer and sculpted physique with lasting results and no scars. Plus, those pesky fat cells are gone for good. The entire process is safe, effective, and non-evasive.
Experts on Skin Health
Not sure where to start? Need help choosing the right facial cleanser? Wondering what your skincare goals are? You may want to talk with the compassionate practitioners at First Impressions Rejuvenation Clinic. The team is always ready to provide comprehensive consultations to help you live your best life and put your best face (and body) forward.
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Need help eliminating stubborn fat that’s difficult to shed, even with diet and exercise? If you’re seeking a non-invasive remedy to fat loss, then a Coolsculpting® treatment may just be the right fit for you. Learn more when you download our FREE ebook, The #1 Secret about Fat Cells.