How diet and exercise can improve your complexion
We all know that exercise is good for our bodies. But did you know that you can tailor your work out to help plump your skin?
BY KATY YOUNG | 12 APRIL 2013
PART OF THE NO7 LIFT & LUMINATE DARK SPOT CHALLENGE HOT TOPICS
It's stating the obvious that a workout can improve your body. But the good news for anyone who needs an incentive to hit the gym, is that exercise can also improve your skin. There is, however, an art to getting it right. "If you tone your body in the right way, you can also tone your skin," explains celebrity trainer Dalton Wong.
"The key in training to tone your skin is to focus on increasing lean muscle mass," explains Wong. As we age, our skin naturally loses its plumping, youthful layer of fat. But if you exercise the right way, you can build up muscle which gives that same volumising effect. As Wong explains; "it's the lean muscle mass that sits just under the surface which can create a lifted, taught looking, skin."
So where to begin?
To build up the right kind of muscle - the lean skin toning type - you need to focus on resistance training. In science speak that means any exercise where you use resistance to induce some kind of muscular contraction. Simply put, that's any move where you're challenging your own body weight. Examples include lunges, press ups, or plank.
A great body and skin toning routine would be a circuit of three to four sets of weight bearing exercises, interspersed with two to four minutes cardio. Repeat that four times and you've got yourself a toning workout.
And that post workout glow? It's great for your skin, too. Increasing the flow of blood - as exercise does - including skin friendly oxygen and nutrients, is key to a healthy complexion. On the flip side a sluggish circulation can lead to a dull, sallow skin - and worse still, cellulite.
One of the things Wong tells his celebrity clients - who include Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence - is to stay well hydrated.
"It's not just that it helps you train better - no one can work out if they're not properly hydrated - it makes your skin look better, too. Conversely, if you're training without drinking enough water, you'll damage your skin pretty quickly," he warns. How to tell if you're drinking enough? Try the hydration test by pinching the skin on the back of your hand; if it doesn't spring back fast, you're dehydrated.
When it comes to skin health, remember, "not all exercise is made equal," says Wong. "What you don't want to do is excessive cardio training. I can always tell if someone is doing too much running, particularly if they're over or under weight. Their skin loses that youthful springiness - it's just too much wear and tear.
"Plus, exercising too hard for too long is actually incredibly stressful on the body. You can actually end up producing the stress hormone, cortisol, which can cause inflammation - one of the main reasons our skins ages."
