Exercising regularly allows you to reap a myriad of health benefits, including improved bone, muscle, and cardiovascular health, better weight management, a stronger immune system, and relief from physical pain.
Following a workout routine can also do wonders for your mental health since it can improve your mood, boost your memory, and protect your brain against degenerative diseases and mental disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia.
However, if these reasons are still enough for you to be more physically active, there is another benefit that may convince you to start taking this seriously: Exercise can give you healthier, younger-looking skin.
The Trio for Healthy and Clear Skin
It is important to note that to have healthy, glowing skin, you need to combine regular exercise with a balanced diet and the use of the best skincare products in Dubai.
A healthy diet is crucial for giving you the energy you need to work out. Nutrition also plays a vital role in helping your body endure various physical activities and recover from them.
On the other hand, using the right skincare products, such as sunscreen when you exercise outdoors, allows you to protect your skin from the harsh rays of the sun and other environmental pollutants.
You also need to use the right cleansing products to get rid of the sweat, oil, and dirt your face and body get when you work out outdoors or indoors.
When you have a balanced diet and use the right skincare products during and after your workouts, you can improve and maintain healthy, youthful skin.
How Exercising Regularly Affects Your Skin
Below are the five specific ways having a regular workout routine benefits your skin:
1. It increases the flow of blood, which helps nourish skin cells.
A 30-minute exercise improves blood circulation throughout your body, including in your skin.
When blood flow is increased, it dilates blood vessels, allowing more nutrients and oxygen to reach and support the skin cells.
When you work out regularly, the improved blood circulation will give you a brighter complexion and glowing skin.
The enhanced blood flow also helps carry away toxic substances, including free radicals, from the skin cells. Since the skin has fewer waste products, it will become healthier and look less dull and more youthful.
2. Sweating enables the skin to release impurities.
Sweating is part of working out. Although you may find this uncomfortable and annoying, perspiring gives your body several health benefits, including enhancing the condition and look of your skin.
When you exercise, the sweat you release helps moisturize and cool down the skin. Your perspiration also contains dermcidin, an antimicrobial peptide that can kill harmful bacteria on your skin’s surface.
Additionally, when you sweat, your pores open and release toxic substances from your skin.
All these benefits allow you to have healthier and gorgeous skin.
However, sweat can also cause unhealthy effects on your skin. If you don’t wash your face or shower immediately after working out, you allow the oil, sebum, dirt, and grime to accumulate on your skin.
When this happens regularly, they can clog your sweat glands, which can cause various skin conditions, such as prickly heat.
The buildup of these substances can also clog and irritate your pores, causing small, red bumps and breakouts.
If you want to maximize the health benefits of exercise on your skin, always take a bath after working out as soon as possible and use the right cleansing products.
3. Workouts improve the self-healing process.
Workouts, particularly strength training, causes micro-tears in muscles, which leads to next-day soreness. However, this process also stimulates the muscle fibers to heal and rebuild faster.
Strength, resistance, and cardio training also help neutralize body inflammation by releasing anti-inflammatory proteins and reducing stress hormones at the same time.
Keep in mind that inflammation is a primary source of skin aging. As such, anything that combats it can protect collagen and keep premature aging at bay.
Additionally, inflammation and stress can also trigger and aggravate acne and eczema and make the skin dry and sensitive.
Lastly, if you get a rash or cut, being physically active can regulate your skin’s inflammatory response, reducing its red and inflamed appearance.
4. Reduced stress improves chronic skin conditions.
Stress is one of the biggest factors that cause the signs of premature aging to appear. It can also aggravate various chronic skin conditions, such as acne, eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis.
Additionally, stress can activate internal physiological responses that can lead to breakouts and inflammation.
Exercising regularly can lower the body’s elevated hormonal and immune responses to stress. This, in turn, can reduce the risk and frequency of chronic skin condition breakouts and flare-ups.
Also, having a workout routine keeps the immune system healthy and strong, enabling it to respond better in fighting skin and other health concerns.
5. A key factor that keeps the signs of aging at bay.
Exercising can help you fight the signs of premature aging. Moreover, it can help you look younger.
With just 30 minutes of physical activity each day, you can look younger for longer.
This effect is brought about by the aforementioned health benefits plus an additional factor: improved sleep quality.
Working out regularly allows you to have longer and more restful sleep at night. This single element can give you glowing and youthful-looking skin.
Working Out the Safe and Healthy Way
Following the right practices for working out allows you to experience all these health benefits for your skin; ignoring them can cause more problems.
The biggest danger you have to face if you exercise outdoors is sun exposure. Constant exposure to UVA and UVB rays can rapidly age your skin, cause sunburns, and increase your risk for skin cancer.
To avoid this, try to work out early in the morning and avoid exercising during peak sun time. And regardless of the time you go out, always wear sunscreen.
Also, for additional protection, wear cool, light clothes that cover as much skin as you can, and a hat to shade your face whenever possible.
Chafing is another skin problem that you may develop when running, biking, and engaging in other intense workouts. This skin issue can cause rashes and if you are prone to acne, it can lead to frequent breakouts.
To avoid this, wear moisture-wicking clothing to keep your skin drier and cooler, and always shower immediately after exercising.
Lastly, after taking a bath, apply a soothing skin moisturizer or powder to prevent skin irritation.
All these steps can ensure you get the most health benefits from working out, including maintaining and improving your skin.
