Health and Wellness

Exercise for Skin Health - Larisa Lehmer, M.D.

It is no secret that exercise is good for your heart, mental wellbeing, and waistline, so perhaps it comes as no surprise that it enhances skin health as well. Regular, moderate-intensity* exercise: ● Enhances natural antioxidant production. ● Increases resistance to oxidative damage from ultraviolet (UV) light and other physical stresses by enhancing DNA repair. ● Decreases fatty tissue, which: ○ Reduces circulating pro-inflammatory insulin, glucose, leptin, and sex hormones. ○ Increases anti-inflammatory adiponectin. ● Improves immune function . Additionally, exercise increases blood flow which brings more oxygen and nutrients to the skin and improves the removal of harmful waste products. Increased circulation not only helps the skin repair from damage, but enhances skin appearance through improved tone. Exercise improves skin quality by reducing cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone known to trigger acne and cause increased breakdown of collagen in the skin . Starting a habit of regular exercise, (with the caveat that diligent sun avoidance or protection is practiced using sunscreens of an SPF of 30+ containing a mineral filter such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide), has been shown to prevent the onset and progression of: ● Skin cancer. ● Psoriasis and other inflammatory skin diseases. If you need a boost of strength and endurance to get started, TruSculpt Flex has been shown to increase muscle mass and reduce body fat in the treated body area: quadriceps, gluteus complex, abdominal, triceps, and biceps . For optimal results, two body areas are treated in each 45min session for a total of 4-6 sessions. Bottom-line: get moving! Aim for >4 hours a week, but even 10-15 min a day is better than 0. Keep getting back on the trail, bike, mat, etc. and your skin and everything within, will be better-off for it. References 1. Kruk J, Duchnik E. Oxidative stress and skin diseases: possible role of physical activity. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2014;15(2):561-8. doi: 10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.2.561. PMID: 24568458. 2. Holistic dermatology: An evidence-based review of modifiable lifestyle factor associations with dermatologic disorders Hu, Sophia et al. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Volume 86, Issue 4, 868 - 877 3. Spring LK, Petrell K, Depina J, Dover JS. Use of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Abdominal and Quadriceps Muscle Strengthening: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Dermatol Surg. 2022 Mar 1;48(3):334-338. doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000003368. PMID: 34966120. * In contrast, infrequent or overly intense exercise can actually increase DNA damage through over- production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).