The Beauty Benefits of Exercise

Here at The Velvet petal beauty, we believe beauty comes from the inside. A key component of this is to be healthy and happy. Some love it and some loathe it, but exercise can help you achieve at least one of the above. No matter the reason, the benefits of exercise are well documented and undeniable. But what you may not know is exercise can help you achieve instagram ready skin (no filter needed), read on to hear about how exercise can benefit your skin.

Instant Glow

It's not just the warm fuzzy feeling of accomplishment that will greet you after you run, jog or cycle , you will also get that great post-workout glow.

When you get your heart pumping, you supply your skin with a good dose of oxygenated blood. Leaving you pumped up! (both physically and mentally)

Wrinkle Reduction

Stress is terrible for our skin and the last 2 years have been... Let's not talk about it. When we are stressed we produce more of the stress-related hormone cortisol, increased cortisol levels have been linked to increased sebum production, which means more acne breakouts. Too much of this hormone can also cause the collagen in your skin to break down, which can increase wrinkles and sagging.

Luckily our new friend exercise is here, to help us fight acne and wrinkles. Exercise supports the production of collagen and reduces stress (say bye bye to cortisol). The result is healthier, clearer, firmer, more supple and more elastic skin.

Acne Relief

Exercising regularly boosts circulation, your heart pumps lots of oxgenated blood around your body, nourishing your skin. As you supply all this oygenated blood to your skin, you also take all the toxins away to be removed by your kidneys. Plus all the sweating cleans out your pores, which is great especially if your prone to blackheads and breakouts. Finally as we mentioned earlier exercise helps correct hormanal imbalances that can cause acne (pesky cortisol).

To really see the beneficial skin effects of your work out, you will need to take a few extra steps post exercise. If you are acne prone, make sure to cleanse your skin straight after exercise using a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser. If you suffer from eczema, make sure to wear fabrics that wick perspiration away from the skin, since the wet-dry-wet-dry cycle will dry out your skin and provoke flare-ups. And above all, avoid exercising with makeup on your face.

Healthier Hair

Exercise helps keep your hair stronger and healthier. As we know working out is a big stress reliever and it promotes circulation, pumping blood full of nutrients and oxygen all around your body. These nutrients and oxygen, stimulate the hair follicles and promote growth. Lower stress also means your hair is less likely to be brittle and, worse, fall out.

Every type of exercise will improve circulation and reduce stress, but it's a great idea to mix up your workouts as often as possible. Try adding 30 minutes of a few simple yoga postures or a brisk walk to your day three times a week, to see the beauty returns in your hair and skin.