5 Ways That Exercise Benefits Your Skin Health

Skin is the largest organ in the human body. And many organs, like your lungs and heart, benefit directly from regular exercise. You might be surprised to find out that exercise also helps make your skin more healthy and strengthens its defenses from aging, wrinkles, and other types of damage.

Below, we’ll discuss 4 ways that exercise directly benefits your skin health and youthful appearance.

1. Higher IL-15 Levels

The moment your heart rate increases, muscles start generating more IL-15. This has a direct effect on your skin health; IL-15 is a protein that helps the mitochondria of skin cells to run as if they were much younger. One study from McMaster University suggests that over time, higher IL-15 levels make skin appear younger by as much as 25 years.

2. Reduced Glycation End Products

It’s well known that exercise can help modulate your body’s oxidative stress and blood sugar levels. But did you know that this has a direct effect on your skin, as well? The key is glycation, the covalent bonding of a sugar to a protein or fat cell. Exercise has been shown to reduce the end products of glycation that make skin look older. One example of a glycation end product is collagen.

3. Reduced Inflammation

Everyone knows that bodybuilding and lifting work because they cause microscopic tears in muscle fiber, which causes the muscle to regenerate and grow back stronger. Speaking specifically to skin, general exercise can help to (1) release anti-inflammation proteins in the body, and (2) lower stress hormone levels. As a result, your inflammation levels will decrease – and inflammation is a key factor in aging. In fact, stress and inflammation are directly related to the skin: they threaten your skin’s natural balance and contribute directly to eczema and acne. One interesting study showed that skin injuries healer much faster — 9 days faster — among people who regularly exercised versus people who were more sedentary. This underscores the reality that exercise directly influences skin health.

4. Improved Circulation

Exercising directly increases your body’s blood flow, and that includes blood flow to your skin. An increase in blood flow means better circulation, which expands your blood vessels and allows for more effective delivery of O2 and nutrients to your skin cells. It’s no secret that you can tell someone’s general health level by looking at their skin – and the bright, sunny tone we so desire is a direct byproduct of healthy blood circulation.

5. Sweating Opens Pores

Even the process of sweating has direct health benefits for your skin! When you sweat, your body opens up the skin’s pores to release impurities like dirt. Additionally, sweat includes a substance called dermcidin – a peptide with antimicrobial properties that defends the body from bacteria like E. coli.

Keep in mind that you must always clean yourself after you sweat. While sweat does have positive impacts for your skin, if you don’t clean it off of your skin within a reasonable amount of time, then naturally-occurring yeast and bacteria on your skin will begin the fermentation process. This fermentation can stuff up and aggravate your pores. This could ultimately result in a rash or unsightly red bumps. If you do end up having some issues with your skin, we recommend visiting a partner like the Dermagical Skin Clinic.

Parting Words

In this article, we’ve provided several ways that exercise can support the health of your skin. The benefits include things like opening up your pores, improving your blood flow, increasing healthy peptide generation, reducing inflammation, and more. If exercise doesn’t clear up your skin health or you need more support, we recommend visiting a local skin clinic for support.