Wrinkles used to be a sign of wisdom, maturity, hard work and experience. Today’s culture, however, looks at wrinkles in a very different light and is willing to do anything to maintain a youthful appearance. They exercise more to stay in good physical condition and they eat right to stay healthy and fit.
With all the efforts to maintain a youthful and lean body, it is only logical that wrinkle elimination is also part of the standard routine. During our teenage years, most of us rarely think about our skin and the aging process that will one day affect its condition and appearance. However, aging changes are beginning to show in the skin; Changes that will progress as we age into our 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. .
As we approach our 30s, the body’s production of collagen and elastin (two substances that give skin firmness and elasticity) begins to slow, loosen and unravel, resulting in sagging skin and poor elasticity. As the number of collagen-producing cells decreases, they also become lazy as we age. The skin becomes looser, drier, less supple and wrinkled.
At the same time, fat cells under the skin can begin to disappear. With the loss of this supporting fat, collagen and elastin, and gravity, skin begins to sag and wrinkle.
Most of the time, exercise conjures up images of weight loss, muscle building, and thigh trimming, and we don’t often think that exercise has specific anti-aging effects on skin, but experts say it definitely does. Regular exercise can play a big part in how young and healthy your skin looks and feels.
It’s no secret that strength training has important benefits for the entire body. However, what many people don’t realize is that our skin is the largest organ in our body and therefore the benefits can be enormous. Tightening and tightening the muscles beneath previously loose, sagging skin creates a tight, toned, shapely body. And not only the muscles of the entire body, but also the muscles of the face. Each time a strength exercise is performed, every muscle in the body and face is contracted to push against the resistance and help tone those muscles and the muscle group being worked. As muscles increase their tone and firmness, the skin attached to those muscles is pulled tighter, reducing wrinkles. This can provide results similar to a facelift, allowing you to influence the rate of aging of your face.
Strength training increases blood flow and delivery of nutrients to skin cells, flushing away potentially harmful toxins and bringing more nutrients into the skin. It also increases tissue oxygenation, which keeps skin looking young and healthy. The cells in the base layer of the skin, where skin cells are formed, actually become more active and productive with exercise. When these cells function better, your skin looks much younger. People who exercise have fewer wrinkles and look much younger compared to people who don’t.
Fighting the aging process isn’t just for those whose birthday cake has lots of candles. The sooner we begin preparing for these rapidly approaching years, the better we can minimize their impact on us. Although your skin continues to age as you age, there are certain precautions you can take to keep your skin looking healthy, refreshed and youthful from the inside out.
What is known is that exercise is always good for you. It can make you stronger, more flexible, healthier and fitter, improve your endurance and balance, and increase your energy. In this way, it will make you “younger” no matter how old you are or what your skin looks like.
Thanks to Carolyn Hansen
