SCIENCE SHOWS EXERCISE CAN GIVE YOU BETTER LOOKING SKIN

SCIENCE SHOWS EXERCISE CAN GIVE YOU BETTER LOOKING SKIN

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Our skin is largely determined by our genetics, which we cannot control, but of what we can control, 60-70% comes down to lifestyle choices and only 30-40% is our skin care regimen. In other words, the pursuit of breakout-free, younger-looking skin isn’t all about a stellar skin-care routine. In truth, it’s all about a healthy lifestyle: what you eat and drink and avoid (alcohol, drugs, sun exposure, etc.), a de-stressing routine including adequate sleep — AND exercise.

This post will focus on the benefits of exercising to your skin health. You may have considered physical activity only in the context of something you do to keep your heart strong and maintain your weight, but regularly moving your body also plays a vital role in skin health and appearance.

Immediate effects of exercise include increased blood flow to the skin and increased lymph flow, which decreases eye puffiness. So long as you aren’t managing an underlying skin condition, you’re left with a more radiant glow. (Indeed, exercise can worsen symptoms of conditions like eczema, and rosacea),  

When it comes to skin aging, though, the benefits of exercise are numerous.

Exercise May Create Changes in Skin on a Cellular Level

Let’s take a dive into skin’s cells. Each cell has mitochondria, the engines of the cell. They make a chemical known as ATP that fuels all cell functions. ATP is needed to repair skin damage and make components that keep skin young, like collagen and hyaluronic acid (ATP stands for adenosine 5’-triphosphate).

With age, however, mitochondria start to make less ATP and no medications or therapies have yet been shown to increase the number of mitochondria or restore them to their younger functional abilities.

Except there’s one thing that does: exercise. Exercise leads to a low state of energy, promoting the  onset of autophagy, which is your body's cellular recycling system, out with the old and in with the new, including the synthesis of new health mitochondria. This positive reversal of mitochondrial changes are seen within the muscles. A study published a few years ago looked at the muscle cells from older male and female lifetime cyclists, and found that their muscles had the same qualities and function of a person decades younger.

And while these studies are focused on muscle appearance and function, not skin, their conclusions point to what may be going on with our complexion in regards to exercise and aging. Exercise has been shown to improve mitochondrial function, especially in skeletal muscle. We don’t know for sure that it has an effect on skin mitochondria, but it would not be a stretch to presume that it is possible.

One cross-sectional study did compare the skin function between active people and couch potatoes. and found that skin from older athletes was healthier than that of older sedentary folks. In particular, the dermis (the second layer of skin) was thicker; thinning of the dermis is associated with sagging and wrinkles. So, what may be going on? A substance involved in the immune system called IL-15 is released during exercise. An increase in IL-15 is one factor that helps skin health.

Ultimately, it is believed that it all comes down to cellular energy. These findings indicate that exercise can attenuate some aspects of skin aging in humans and that these changes are associated with improvements in skin mitochondria.

Exercise Has an Indirect Effect on Skin Aging by Bettering Sleep and Lowering Stress

I believe we all know the feeling of elation after a good workout! Maybe it’s because you’re happy you’re off the treadmill, but it’s also likely a product of endorphins, which are feel-good hormones. And, in essence, those endorphins talk to your skin. Skin cells have endorphin receptors. Endorphins affect skin cells in ways we do not fully understand, but it seems to be beneficial. Previous research has also shown that exercise helps buffer the effects of stress, and reduces levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. While stress is both normal and inevitable, chronic stress is not healthy for your skin.

Recent research has confirmed skin both as an immediate stress perceiver and as a target of stress responses. Stress has been implicated as a trigger for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis symptoms and acne breakouts, and it may also compromise the skin’s healthy barrier, which keeps our skin hydrated and keeps potential allergens out and prevents irritation.

To respond to stress, the body releases cortisol, which in turn increases blood sugar levels. Increased blood sugar causes glycation, a process in which sugar binds to a protein, such as collagen, and damages it, leading to skin aging.

Also consider that people who exercise report better sleep, and getting enough sleep (for adults the recommendation is seven to nine hours per night), is a bona fide technique for managing stress. Simply put, stay calm and your complexion will benefit!

The Best Types of Exercise for Improving Skin Health

There are two ways to look at this. When you’re looking to change your skin at the cellular level by boosting mitochondrial function, weight and endurance training is your best bet.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) may also create adaptations that are similar to endurance exercise and it is  likely that the effects on skin would be similar.

Also consider what exercise tends to help you de-stress and sleep best. Yoga might come to mind immediately, and it’s true that yoga can fight stress. While there may not be a mountain of scientific evidence to suggest that the zen practice is particularly good at improving skin, still, one constant remains: The best exercise is the one that you enjoy and do regularly not just once in a blue moon. Consistency is the key.

Concluding Remarks

Ultimately, it may not be about one specific exercise, but that you’re following a regular routine that makes you excited to break a sweat so that you do it consistently. People who exercise a lot do tend to have tighter and younger looking skin. The whole-body benefits of exercise aren’t a mystery, they are well established. So, go pack your gym bag or lace up your running shoes today! Don't wait until after Christmas.  Remember, no expensive skin care regimen will help if you are not doing the basics right.  Improve your lifestyle choices and your skin will begin to glow with a little bit of help from you favorite products.  

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