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Break a Sweat: It’s Good for You!
Black man running on a treadmill. We can see sweat dripping off his muscular arms

Regular physical activity helps nourish skin and contributes to healthy aging. Although you can’t avoid aging, exercise can improve your appearance and slow down the aging process.

Ways to Protect Your Skin

Before/during a workout
Icon of makeup tools with a circle and slash - avoid wearing makup

Avoid wearing makeup

Icon of a sunscreen bottle. Always use sun protection

Always use sun protection

After a workout
Icon of person washing in the shower - Wash your face and shower as soon as possible

Wash your face and shower as soon as possible

Icon of a person next to an icon of a shirt with arrows pointing back and forth between the too - Change into clean clothng

Change into clean clothing

Immediate Effects on Appearance

Exercise helps reduce blemishes and other impurities. Working out causes increased blood flow to the entire body, which gives the skin a flushed appearance. This look comes from the delivery of oxygen and other nutrients to skin cells, which plays a key role in healthier-looking skin.

Physical activity also helps manage stress and regulate sleep. Working out regularly can protect against or improve certain skin conditions. Additionally, getting enough sleep can reduce dark eye circles and aid in skin repair.

Close up of a woman's back as she is flexing. She is lean with defined muscles and sweat beading on her skin
Contributions to Healthy Aging

Exercise weakens several key factors of aging by reducing inflammatory responses in the body. It can have beneficial effects on the aging process of various organs, tissues and DNA. In addition, regular physical activity increases anti-aging properties that improve skin structure and reduce the risk of mental decline, chronic disease and death.

Being active also slows down the body’s aging process by protecting against cellular damage. Physical activity improves antioxidant defenses and restricts harmful free radicals in the body. It plays a role in regulating healthy cell growth and injured cell removal too. In fact, older adults who are physically active can have similar cellular activity as younger, sedentary individuals.

Aging is inevitable, but exercise may be one of the best ways to delay or reverse several mechanisms of aging. So next time your skin is flushed after a workout, remember that you are positively contributing to your looks and health in the future!

A group of older adults outside being active

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