Confession: This blog post may be written more for me than it is for you. I wish I could tell you that I have mastered the art of exercise. That I was your mentor/coach/example on the subject. The truth is, I would rather curl up with a great book or binge watch the Hallmark channel. As your beauty advisor, I can assure you that exercise for your skin is essential for your overall health.
I hope this post inspires all of us to do better. We all know that it’s good for our heart, reduces our risk of cancer and diabetes, and increases the probability of living a higher-quality lifestyle as we age, so why don’t we jump off the couch and onto the treadmill? I’m no psychologist so have no answers for you. However, I can tell you how it affects your skin.
Benefits of Exercise for Your Skin
It Reduces Stress. Did you know stress affects your skin? It is linked to acne. I discovered this several years ago when a few of my high school clients went off to college. I couldn’t understand why their skin was healthy during their teen years using my skin care products but developed acne when away at school. And yet, when they were home during break, and continuing with their skincare routine, the acne cleared. My researched led me to the correlation of stress and acne. One way to reduce stress is to exercise.
It Increases Blood Flow. Endurance/Aerobic exercise gets the blood flow pumping which improves circulation of oxygen and nutrients which gives you a healthy glow. For even more radiance, include Royal Jelly in your skincare routine.
It Creates Better Sleep. We have all heard it. Beauty Sleep. It’s a real thing. Plus, sleeping well also reduces stress, which in turn, reduces breakouts. Sleep is also when your skin regenerates new skin cells and does skin repairs.
It Tones the Body. I do love how exercise sculpts the physique, including slenderizing and defining the face. What a natural way to contour.
Types of Exercises
I was never the athletic type. I will spare you the details of how I was always the last picked for teams during my junior high and high years. My first attempt to a routine began during my freshman year at UCSD. A friend and I would jog in the morning. I have also joined a gym or two over the years. Yes, I actually went regularly. But I soon realized that for me, the best exercise is when it didn’t feel like a workout. The rule of thumb is: THE BEST EXERCISES ARE THE ONES YOU ENJOY AND RETURN TO REGULARLY. If you are like me and need a non-traditional routine, here are a few of my personal favorites:
- Disneyland. After many years of having an annual passport, I got to the point where I would do lots of walking around the perimeter than going on the rides. Also, instead of the tram, I would do the hike from the parking structure to the park.
- Botanical Gardens. Yes, the stroll is nice to observe the variety of plants and watch the rabbits, lizards, and other creatures, but I first like to do a brisk walk around the perimeter.
- Dancing. How fun to crank up an upbeat set of tunes on my vinyl or CD and boogie.
- Okay, technically, these are traditional exercises, but they work for me because I think they are fun: Stability Ball, Yoga, and Figure 8.
Additional Tips
If you are exercising outdoors, be sure to wear sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and try not to be out between 10 am and 4 pm. Sun protection is the first key to keeping younger looking skin.
If possible, don’t exercise with makeup.
Use a facial cleansing wipe to remove sweat and dirt after your workout. And shower as soon as you can with a shower gel, never soap. Apply body lotion or oil to keep your skin hydrated.
Now that we have the facts of why exercise is good for our overall health and great skin, I hope WE (I’m in this with you) can develop and maintain a routine that works with our personality and lifestyle. The health benefits are so much more than this article. My focus here was skincare.
