Can exercising really improve your skin?

We’ve seen the biggest transition from makeup to skincare this year, something which was likely never anticipated. Tanning products like tanning lotion include active ingredients like hyaluronic acid to keep us hydrated and glowing. After all, YouTube influencers are booming, with makeup tutorials and reviews. Yet, skincare appears to take centre stage in terms of what is popular right now, with makeup sales taking a hit this year.

Skincare is important and spending time and energy looking after it pays off. But have you ever thought about the cheapest way you can achieve fantastic skin?

The beauty benefits of exercise

It’s hardly surprising to learn that exercise is good for your skin—what isn’t it good for? As a general goal for good health, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day. Of course, there are many other things you should include in your lifestyle to achieve this, like eating a healthy balanced diet and drinking around two litres of water a day. But the best thing about exercise? It’s free!

Jess Schuring, a celebrity trainer, told Cosmopolitan: "Regular exercising has tremendous regenerating effects on our ageing process and therefore on our skin as well."

"Studies prove that regardless of the age you start regular exercise, it will have almost-immediate positive effects on our skin’s thickness and elasticity."

#Glowup with glowing skin

Glowing skin is a sign of good health. Carrying out regular exercise helps tiny arteries in our skin to open up, improving blood circulation to the skin’s surface while delivering nutrients to repair damage from both the sun and environmental pollutants. These nutrients can also help boost your skin’s collagen production which is essential in keeping wrinkles at bay.

The best exercise you can do for glowing skin is aerobic exercise which makes you sweat out toxins. You can do aerobic exercise at home or at the gym, including brisk walking, running, swimming, jump rope, or cycling.

Fighting acne

There’s a common misconception that acne is a hormonal teenage issue, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. People as old as 40 can be hit with acne, which can be incredibly confusing as well as demotivating if you’ve had clear skin most of your life. You’ll probably be wondering what on earth has gone wrong. Well, many different things can trigger acne onset from hormones, stress, certain foods your body might not be able to tolerate as easily such as sugar and dairy, and ‘maskne’—acne triggered by wearing a face mask all day. With the face mask material constantly rubbing against our skin can cause micro-tears, allowing bacteria, dirt, and oil to enter and clog our pores. The purpose of face masks is to limit airflow, preventing skin cells which would usually shed, being trapped on the surface with nowhere to go.

As well as seeking advice from your GP or a dermatologist, break a sweat with a workout. Audrey Kunin, MD and dermatologist said: “When the pores dilate, sweat expels trapped dirt and oil. Just be sure to wash your face afterwards so the gunk doesn’t get sucked back into the pores.”.

Working up a sweat can have similar benefits to getting a mini-facial! Both are fantastic forms of stress relief, too.

Lymphatic facial drainage workout

It isn’t just physical exercises that we can do—facial workouts are taking social media platforms like TikTok by storm, as estheticians give mini-tutorials on facial lymphatic drainage massages and exercises we can do to reduce bloating and puffiness in our skin. We have 42 muscles in the face, working tirelessly all day every day and holding stress while showing emotion. Giving your face the well-needed massage it needs can help boost circulation, bring nutrients to the surface, and support healthy cell production.

https://www.tiktok.com/@carlyvwhitee/video/6785542618982911238

If you’re struggling with your skin and find that even your diet and exercise aren’t having any improvements, seek advice from your GP.