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The list of the benefits of exercise is seemingly never ending. Weight loss, a healthier heart, better muscle tone, increased energy, better mood… The reasons to exercise just go on and on. But here’s one you may not have heard of: exercise will help you have gorgeous skin. So don’t neglect your sunscreen, keep moisturising, eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, but while you’re at it, keep moving.

As good as a mini-facial

Audrey Kunin, US dermatologist and author of The DERMAdoctor Skinstruction Manual, says breaking up a sweat is just as good as having a mini-facial. She told Care2 that, ‘When the pores dilate, sweat expels trapped dirt and oil. Just be sure to wash your face afterward so the gunk doesn’t get sucked back into the pores.’ So before you spend a lot of your hard earned money at your beauty therapist, consider getting out your running shoes and hitting the track.

Reducing inflammation

Exercise doesn’t only help you have gorgeous skin when you break a sweat, it also helps your body fight inflammation, helps your body produce hormones that are good for your skin, and helps protect your skin against free radicals. When you exercise, the small arteries in your skin open up, and more oxygen-rich blood can reach its surface, delivering nutrients that repair damage from the sun and environmental pollutants. These nutrients also help the production of collagen – the substance responsible for your skin’s elasticity. Kunin says, ‘As we age, fibroblasts [the collagen-producing cells in the skin] get lazier and fewer in number. But the nutrients delivered to the skin during exercise help fibroblasts work more efficiently, so your skin looks younger.’

What else you can do

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If you’re already exercising and not happy with the way your skin looks, think about how your lifestyle might be taking its toll on your looks. The biggest culprits in premature ageing and skin damage are smoking and sun damage. So if you haven’t quit yet, quit now. And if you don’t wear sunscreen daily, it’s not too late to start.

Diet

Your diet also plays an important role in your having gorgeous skin, so be sure to eat your five servings a day of fresh fruit and vegetables, and include as much fatty fish like salmon in your diet as you can. If you’re finding it hard to eat fatty fish three times a week, consider taking a fish oil supplement. It’ll provide your body with all the omega-3s it needs to keep you looking beautiful and staying healthy.

Tags: exercise, Healthy diet, Keeping Healthy, skincare