In a world obsessed by beauty, we’ve spent billions of dollars a year on products to enhance our skin, hair and nails. However, what we don’t realize when we buy and use these beauty products is that there are easier and more natural ways to enhance ones beauty. By eating healthy, living a healthy lifestyle, and exercising you can preserve your beauty from the inside out.

When most people think of reasons to exercise it doesn’t include a clear complexion, blemish free skin, less wrinkles and strong, healthy hair. However that’s exactly what exercise can do for your beauty. Exercise benefits beauty by rewarding you with healthier skin and hair. Exercise reduces wrinkles, restores color and glow to dull skin, decreases acne, and revives weak and brittle hair. So next time you need a motivation to exercise think about your beauty. Going for a walk, doing yoga or working up a sweat around the house can all enhance your beauty.

Dull Skin- Dull, pale or sallow skin is a direct reflection of ones health. Poor health causes fewer blood vessels in the skin, reducing the skins rosy color. The skin needs oxygen and nutrients to retain a vibrant color. The easiest way to restore color to your skin is by increasing the circulation of blood to the skin. Aerobic exercise increases the heart rate, which in turn increase the circulation of blood. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the body and directly to the skin. Blood flow also gives skin its glowing color. Additionally aerobic exercise causes you to sweat, which flushes out the pores. Clogged and backed up pores can reduce blood flow to the skin, leaving you with dull skin color and acne. Sweating also helps to clean out the skin making it easier for cell turnover. When old, dead skin cells slough off you are left with new, fresh, supple and vibrant looking skin cells. Exercise is also a stress reliever. Stress can have a major impact on the body and the skin. Stress reduces the availability of nutrients in the body leaving the skin starving for nutritious elements. By exercising you not only reduce stress, but also you increase the circulation of nutrients to the skin.

Acne- Acne is normally caused by an over production of sebum which clogs the pores. Sebum is released into the pores on a regular basis, however certain hormones cause an over production such as testosterone and the stress hormone cortisol. Any increase in these hormones corresponds to an increase of acne on the skin. By exercising you can correct hormonal imbalances that lead to acne. Exercising relieves stress and lowers cortisol levels in the blood. Therefore eliminating the over production of sebum which can lead to blocked pores. Additionally, exercising creates sweat. Even though most people think sweating actually causes acne it’s quite the opposite. Sweat cleans out pores and removes dead skin cells, oils, and chemicals, which build up over time. By flushing out these toxins you remove existing acne on the skin but also impeding any further inflammation response that the body has to foreign particles on the skin. Exercise also nourishes the skin by increasing circulation of oxygenated and nutrient rich blood. When the skin is healthy there is less chance for the occurrence of acne.

Wrinkles- As we age the collagen which holds our skin in place begins to breakdown causing wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging. However, aging is not the only cause for the breakdown of collagen. Stress, poor health, disease, and environmental pollutants can also cause signs of premature aging. Exercise is a great deterrent of wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin. Exercise supports the production of collagen, a protein that is the support structure of our skin. When we exercise we strengthen t and tone the muscles beneath the skin, making the skin look healthier. The stronger that your muscles are the more support the skin will have and the firmer and more elastic the skin will look. Firm skin keeps wrinkles at bay. Exercise increases the circulation of oxygen and nutrients to the skin. It boosts detoxification and encourages cell renewal. Exercise also decreases stress, which has an enormous effect on the skin. When we are stressed our bodies release stress hormones such as cortisol. High levels of cortisol in the body can cause collagen to breakdown, which increases wrinkles and sagging skin. So exercise not only relieves stress and decreases cortisol levels it firms and tightens skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Stress relieving exercises such as yoga and tai chi are a great way to reduce fine lines.