Benefits Of Physical Activity For Healthy Skin

Benefits Of Physical Activity For Healthy Skin. Hello everyone, I hope you are well. In today’s post, I will be sharing a guest post from Imdina Rizzo from Face Clinic London, a small boutique, doctor-led clinic based in trendy Soho, London. Face Clinic London offers all new clients an impartial and independent consultation where they work together to achieve their personal aesthetic goals. All clients receiving wrinkle treatment are offered a free two-week post-treatment review with a doctor. They provide treatments like Profhilo, SecretRF, Skin Boosters and many more.

Benefits Of Physical Activity For Healthy Skin

Pie-in-the-sky promises they are all too familiar in the skincare industry. From herbal remedies that guarantee to zap your wrinkles instantly to diets that claim to heal chapped skin overnight, knowing what’s real and what’s not can be tough. But if there’s one thing that can keep your skin in tip-top condition and is equally backed by science, it’s physical activity. So, what’s the relationship between physical activity and healthy skin? Can you indulge in any specific exercises to keep your skin looking healthier and more radiant, inside and out? Let’s dive in and find out.

What Are The Benefits Of Physical Activity For Healthy Skin?

The benefits of exercise for the body are well-documented and, quite frankly, undeniable. Everyone knows that working up a sweat is great for building strength, preventing heart issues, and boosting endurance. That’s reason enough to get moving, but if you need more convincing, research shows that physical activity can also benefit your skin in more ways than one.

Here’s what science tells us about the benefits of exercise on the skin.

Sweating Clears Skin Pores

While the thought of soaking in sweat may not be exciting, it’s essential for keeping your skin clear. When you exercise, the resultant labour helps to flush out toxins from your pores. When not released in the effort, these toxins can have consequences for your skin, resulting in pimples, acne, and blocked pores.

Besides the cleansing effect, sweating makes your skin feel fresh and radiant. If you’ve ever looked into a mirror after an hour of brisk walking or an intense workout, you must have noticed a glistened and glowing skin behind all that sweat. That’s because your body is free from all harmful toxins.

Proper Blood Flow Nourishes Skin Cells

Poor blood circulation can lead to several problems. For your skin, it can mean an uneven and blotchy tone, itchiness, irritation, dryness, a pale and washed-out appearance, and an increased risk of infections or wounds that are slow to heal.

Many factors can cause poor circulation most obvious one is a lack of physical exercise or staying in one place for too long. So the best way to improve your blood circulation is to exercise. It gets blood and oxygen moving around the body and has the bonus of nourishing and replenishing skin cells. Physical activity for healthy skin improves cellular turnover and collagen production for a healthy, glowing complexion.

Improved Sleep Renews Skin

Intense physical activity requires you to expend a lot of energy. It wears down your body, reducing your sleep latency in the process. Sleep latency refers to the time it takes you to fall asleep after turning the lights out. When you exercise regularly, you may fall asleep sooner after bed and enjoy 6-8 hours of rest.

It’s during deep slumber that our skin renews and replenishes itself. If you take some of that time away, your skin won’t have the hours it needs to look and feel its best.

That said, be wary not to exercise too close to bedtime. Since all a workout does is tire you to the core, you might have a much more difficult time sleeping if it’s the last thing you do before bed. This, in turn, affects your skin’s regeneration patterns.

Reverses The Ageing Process

Science keeps coming up with reasons why it’s essential to move around often and work up a sweat. The latest: physical exercise keeps skin radiant and young and may reverse signs of ageing.

In one study, researchers at McMaster University in Ontario set out to investigate the impact of aerobic activity on the skin of individuals aged between 20 and 84 years. There were 29 participants in total. Half were asked to undergo intense physical activity three hours a week for three months nonstop. The other half didn’t put much effort into the course, exercising for less than an hour a week. The findings at the end of it all were truly remarkable.

The skin of the participants who took exercise seriously closely resembled that of a younger person, similar to that of 20-40-year-olds. The rest didn’t experience any noticeable difference in their skin.

While it’s still unclear how much exercise (and which kind) will affect your skin health and composition, it’s worth looking at the results of this study as a friendly motivator to get moving. If anything, it could save you money on those costly skin creams!

Increased Endorphin Production Keeps Acne At the Bay

Regular exercise may help ramp up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. While this function is typically associated with high-energy routines, any physical activity, such as brisk walking or a rousing game of basketball, can contribute to this same feeling.

You’re far less likely to feel stressed when your endorphins are in high supply. Stress reduction helps decrease cortisol (your body’s primary stress hormone) and other acne-provoking hormones that occur naturally when stressed. It also minimises the risk of chronic skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea.

Using eczema cream can also help promote healthy skin for those without eczema. Many eczema creams contain ingredients beneficial for all skin types, such as emollients that help hydrate and protect the skin from dryness and environmental stressors. Anti-inflammatory agents like ceramides, niacinamide, or hyaluronic acid can help to soothe and calm irritated skin. Using eczema cream as a preventative measure can also help maintain healthy skin by strengthening the skin barrier and preventing moisture loss. Regularly using eczema cream can leave skin feeling soft, smooth, and healthy. However, it is essential to consult with a healthcare professional to ensure that the eczema cream is safe and effective for individual needs.

Physical Activity for Healthy Skin Also Encourages Toned Muscles

The more you exercise, the more toned and bulked up your muscles will look.

Replacing fat with muscle can help your skin appear firmer and smoother. Not to mention, toning your muscles can also help to reduce the appearance of cellulite—the dimpled skin that frequently develops on the thighs and buttocks.

How Often Should You Exercise?

You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to reap the healthy skin benefits of physical activity.

As a general goal, aim for at least 75 minutes of intense aerobic activity or 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week. Low aerobic exercise means breathing hard and fast—too fast even to talk. Moderate aerobic exercise means moving fast enough to speak but not to sing your favourite tune.

Split up your minutes however you deem fit. If you aim to have supple, healthy, beautiful-looking skin and nothing more, even weight-lifting or jogging for 30 minutes five days a week is enough to get you over the line.

Which Facial Exercises Can Help You Attain Healthy Skin?

“Facial yoga” is more than just a buzzword. It typically involves exercises that move the muscles on your face into certain positions—like yoga for your body. The idea is that performing these exercises will keep your visage looking fresh and toned, lifting sagging and drooping areas and trimming years from your face.

Some yoga exercises that’ll make you look like you had a facelift include:

Kiss And Smile As A Physical Activity For Healthy Skin

Smile widely and stretch your mouth as much as you can. Now, press your lips tightly together and kiss. Repeat this exercise 15-20 times. Working up the muscles around your mouth frequently and measuredly can improve the downward drift to pink, healthy-looking cheeks and a bright smile.

Forehead Smoother

Make fists with both hands, then glide your fingers and knuckles horizontally from the middle of your forehead towards your hairline. Then hold this position for 5-10 seconds. Do this three times, holding the last one for 10 seconds longer.

This facial exercise is excellent for minimising the appearance of wrinkles and releasing tension from the eyebrow area.

Puff Your Cheeks

Breathe in from your mouth and puff up both cheeks for 5-10 seconds. Now, release the breath through your mouth and repeat it several times. This pose is ideal for toning your face. It strengthens the cheek muscles and prevents them from looking hollow and thin. For lifted and plump cheeks, puff your cheeks regularly.

The Jaw Flex

Tilt your head back until you’re looking at the ceiling. While retaining that position, move your lower lip over your upper lip as far as possible. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Complete at least ten sets for the best results.

A double chin can make you look heavier and older than you are. This pose helps you trim excess face fat and attain a younger, more defined look.

How Do You Protect Your Skin After Physical Activity For Healthy Skin?

You gathered the courage, put in the work, and now itching to reward yourself accordingly. Before you kick up your feet for a binge-watching session or treat yourself to a high-protein snack, giving your skin a little post-exercise TLC is best.

First things first, hop in the shower. This clears bacteria, sweat, and oils from your skin protects you from breakouts and helps your heart rate and core temperatures decrease naturally. A cool or lukewarm shower works best. If possible, change into clean clothing immediately after washing off.

As for post-workout skin products, sunscreen should be on your list. Sunscreen guards against the UV rays that degrade collagen, the skin’s proteins that keep it supple, springy, and wrinkle-free.

If you’re looking for whole-body skin treatments at a face clinic in London, only settle for a certified, full-fledged clinic that guarantees you the best bang for your buck. A leading clinic like Face Clinic London will offer a wide range of skin-enhancing treatments, including Profhilo Body and Profhilo Bioremodelling, all of which treat and revive tired skin in a way no over-the-shelf skin product can.

Learn More About Physical Activity For Healthy Skin

Any physical activity is a natural skin booster and reviver. So, work up a sweat with a purpose, knowing that beautiful, glowing, breakout-free skin is waiting for you at the finish line!

For more information, feel free to talk to us, and we’ll be more than willing to assist!

I hope you enjoyed that.

Talk soon

About The Author

Imdina

Imdina is part of the clinic’s friendly front-of-house team and welcomes and looks after our clients during their visits. She is passionate about skincare, especially the ZO Skin Health products. Imdina’s favourite product is the Daily Sheer SPF 50.

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