It’s common knowledge that exercise is key for overall wellness as it keeps your body functioning at its best.
But…
Did you know that exercise is also great for your skin?
We hear time and time again that exercise is vital for physical health…
Yet, many people are completely unaware that it helps your skin too!
Surprisingly, your skin is your body’s largest organ – so obviously, you want to take care of it.
But what exactly is the connection between exercise and skin health?
We know that excess sweating can be a bit disruptive on our skin…
But, if you look beyond sweat, exercise itself is actually great for our skin.
Have you ever worked out and felt like your skin is glowing? And no, I don’t mean from sweat… That post workout glow! We have all felt it! We feel GREAT after a workout. And our skin does feel like it is glowing after.
Why?
Because we worked out SKIN too!
Exercise can actually give your skin a slight glow and help your skin look healthier. This is due to the increased blood flow that occurs when you work out. When your heart rate increases during exercise, it boosts circulation. Through circulation, oxygen and nutrients spread throughout your body – which of course includes skin cells!
By increasing blood flow, the exercise you are doing actually helps nourish skin cells and keeps them functioning at their best.
We know that blood carries oxygen and nutrients to working cells throughout the body. But, what we may not know is that INCLUDES our skin too! Blood flow also helps carry away waste, including free radicals, from working cells
Regular exercise also stimulates the production of our skin’s natural oils which can help your complexion stay soft and smooth!
Back to sweat…
As unappealing as sweat may be, it can actually be GREAT for your skin too!
Here’s why:
Sweating actually works to expel our skin of bacteria, dirt, oils and other impurities.
It’s important to note that you should clean your face before working out (wash off your makeup). Keeping your face fresh with your pores open will help that ‘glow’ set in.
While sweat can benefit our skin, it is still important to clean up after exercising to reduce the amount of impurities that could be reabsorbed by the skin. So after that good ol’ sweat fest, be sure to hop in the shower and wash your face with a gentle, natural product.
Working out and exercising can help reduce stress. And stress can take its toll on our body – including your skin.
Personally, if I start to get very stressed, I break out. Adult acne is real and it is not fun.
When we are stressed, our sympathetic nervous system actually releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline into our body. Cortisol causes increased oil production in our skin glands, which can lead to clogged pores and acne breakouts.
So it makes sense that less stress levels can benefit our skin too!
So the next time you are feeling hesitant to do that workout, remember that you are helping your body inside and out – Fueling it both internally and externally!
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