Regular exercise is important for many reasons, one of those reasons is stalling the aging process of the skin. There are two layers of skin – the outer layer (epidermis) and the lower layer (dermis) likened to the roots of the skin supplying the nutrients that keep skin younger. As we age, the epidermis gets thicker and dry while the dermis gets looser and thinner, resulting in leathery skin that feels and looks older. Exercise keeps both layers of skin healthier and helps to maintain our youthful appearance. Research proves it.
McMaster University in Ontario, Canada recently conducted a study to how exercise affects the skin. Researchers examined volunteers’ skin in the buttocks area with skin biopsies, focusing on this area because it is the least likely to have sun damage. The results were amazing. Examiners found the skin of people who exercised was more youthful, with thinner epidermis, or outer layers of skin, and thicker dermis, or mid-layers. In spite of their age, individuals who exercised had skin resembling that of someone years younger.
Don’t exercise regularly? It’s never too late to start. In another study, researchers focused on a group of volunteers who were not regular exercisers. The volunteers in the study began a regular aerobic exercise program and, by maintaining their exercise program over several months, the volunteers in this study group achieved the same youthful skin as the volunteers in the original study.
Bottom line, it’s never too late to start exercising to improve your skin and of course your overall health.
