Only Skin Deep? #2: Exercise

Regular exercise helps to strengthen mental and physical health, and few would argue against this. Some people exercise to stay fit, others do it to lose weight or to accomplish some sort of personal goal. Physical activity is personal and unique to each person who engages in it, but one universal feature is that exercise can greatly help with the state of your skin.

Purely from a logical viewpoint, the increased blood flow that occurs when you exercise brings more oxygen to the skin cells, and rids them of waste. It is, in part, thanks to exercise that some can lay claim to that healthy, rosy glow. In a less direct but nonetheless important way, exercise tones muscles, making your skin appear more taut and healthy. Physical activity also reduces stress and the levels of stress hormones that tend to trigger certain skin conditions, such as eczema and acne. As an eczema sufferer, I find that when I stop exercising for a week or two, my rashes get worse. Stick in a jog, a zumba session and 30 minutes of lunges, planks, and squats, and the pesky red itchy stuff fades away. It's not just my skin that benefits; my sleeping pattern and mood noticeably improve with exercise. And, oh, the good things that sleep does for your skin... (More on that in a future post.)

As with diet, if your body is functioning properly and is healthy on the inside, this will all reflect on the outside. Smoother, more radiant skin does depend on this. It is, however, vital to take several steps to prevent your skin from reacting adversely to exercising. This includes cleansing properly after a workout to prevent the bad stuff that came out with the sweat from being reabsorbed back into the skin. In the same vein, avoid wearing make-up when you exercise. If your exercise involves being outdoors, remember to use sunscreen: long-term sun damage to the skin manifests itself particularly through wrinkles. (Sidenote: there are concerns that using sunscreen when you're exercising is futile, as you would just sweat it all off. Fear not, because there are great sweat-resistant sunscreens on the market, such as the Clinique Sun Protection Face Cream SPF 40 and the Banana Boat Sports Lotion SPF 50.)

So, whatever floats your boat, be it yoga, dancing, football, or even a 30-minute daily walk, getting active brings such a wealth of benefits to your body and your skin that I'll bet those trainers are just aching to be dusted off and taken out for a spin...