We all know that exercise does a body good. It can help you to lose weight, build and tone muscle, and look and feel great. As an added bonus, it generally boosts energy and reduces stress, to boot, not to mention reducing cholesterol, hypertension, and the possibility of heart disease.
In short, exercise has the potential to help you look and feel great all around. But did you know that there's even more benefit to be had from a regular workout schedule? In case you didn't know, an ongoing exercise regimen can actually have a positive impact on the state of your skin.
You might be worried about additional sweat causing further skin issues, but the truth is that exercising can provide a surprising supplement to your regular beauty routine. Here's how.
For one thing, intense exercise increases cardiac function. Okay, I know what you're thinking: what does that have to do with your skin? Everything, actually. Your skin is an organ, the largest in the body, and as such it requires blood-flow to receive nutrients, flush toxins, and function at its peak.
By increasing your heart rate you improve circulation, which is great for your skin. Additional blood-flow brings more oxygen and nutrients to your dermis and carries away waste products and free radicals that can build up and begin to damage cells.
This flushing process is necessary for skin cells to remain healthy and strong, fight off infection, and rejuvenate.
Now, you might have heard a rumor that exercise can help your skin to "detox", but this isn't exactly true. While better circulation can promote healthy, normal function, the only way to detoxify any part of your body is by cutting back on toxins and replacing them with healthy alternatives.
One of the best ways to do this is by drinking more water, which helps to hydrate your cells and flush toxins from your system. And if you're exercising frequently you should be upping your daily intake of water anyway to replenish after sweating out fluids.
Exercise has also been shown to reduce stress levels, and as it turns out, this is good for your skin, as well. When levels of stress hormones in the body (like cortisol) go up, the event may trigger overproduction on the part of the sebaceous glands.
While these glands normally produce the oils that form a protective barrier on your skin, they can actually contribute to acne and other skin problems when they go into overdrive. So in fact, working up a sweat may actually help to reduce blemishes (especially when combined with proper skin care).
Of course, there is a caveat. If you're exercising outdoors it's important to wear a suitable sport sunblock (one made specifically to withstand extreme temperatures and sweating) since damaging rays can counteract the benefits of exercise to your skin.
That said, working out is all kinds of good for you, body and mind. So don't hesitate to pull your jogging shoes out of mothballs and get yourself some home gym equipment. Your skin will thank you.
(Guest Post by Carol Montrose)
In short, exercise has the potential to help you look and feel great all around. But did you know that there's even more benefit to be had from a regular workout schedule? In case you didn't know, an ongoing exercise regimen can actually have a positive impact on the state of your skin.
You might be worried about additional sweat causing further skin issues, but the truth is that exercising can provide a surprising supplement to your regular beauty routine. Here's how.
For one thing, intense exercise increases cardiac function. Okay, I know what you're thinking: what does that have to do with your skin? Everything, actually. Your skin is an organ, the largest in the body, and as such it requires blood-flow to receive nutrients, flush toxins, and function at its peak.
By increasing your heart rate you improve circulation, which is great for your skin. Additional blood-flow brings more oxygen and nutrients to your dermis and carries away waste products and free radicals that can build up and begin to damage cells.
This flushing process is necessary for skin cells to remain healthy and strong, fight off infection, and rejuvenate.
Now, you might have heard a rumor that exercise can help your skin to "detox", but this isn't exactly true. While better circulation can promote healthy, normal function, the only way to detoxify any part of your body is by cutting back on toxins and replacing them with healthy alternatives.
One of the best ways to do this is by drinking more water, which helps to hydrate your cells and flush toxins from your system. And if you're exercising frequently you should be upping your daily intake of water anyway to replenish after sweating out fluids.
Exercise has also been shown to reduce stress levels, and as it turns out, this is good for your skin, as well. When levels of stress hormones in the body (like cortisol) go up, the event may trigger overproduction on the part of the sebaceous glands.
While these glands normally produce the oils that form a protective barrier on your skin, they can actually contribute to acne and other skin problems when they go into overdrive. So in fact, working up a sweat may actually help to reduce blemishes (especially when combined with proper skin care).
Of course, there is a caveat. If you're exercising outdoors it's important to wear a suitable sport sunblock (one made specifically to withstand extreme temperatures and sweating) since damaging rays can counteract the benefits of exercise to your skin.
That said, working out is all kinds of good for you, body and mind. So don't hesitate to pull your jogging shoes out of mothballs and get yourself some home gym equipment. Your skin will thank you.
(Guest Post by Carol Montrose)
I started heading to the gym again two months ago and it's been the best thing that I've ever done for myself. My skin looks better and I have more energy. I'm officially hooked.
ReplyDeleteCould you suggest any exercise that would help flatten a tummy? I know doing sit-ups is great but I wanna know if there is just an alternative.
ReplyDelete@Aleya, True, exercise works wonders on the skin. Ever since I started brisk walking for an hour a day, my skin has greatly improved.
ReplyDelete@Crystal A, Kapalabhati Pranayam is excellent for reducing tummy. Also if you are into yoga, poses like Bhujangasana, Pavanamuktasana, Shalabhasana, Paschimottasana etc. are great!
TRY Surya Mudra
ReplyDeleteIT Reduces weight of your body.
Put the tip of ring finger at the base of thumb, with thumb gently pressing on it.
Working out not only helps your figure, but also improves your complexion. exercise may be one of the best skin remedies for acne, wrinkles, dull skin and more.
ReplyDelete