Is your workout making you look older? – GOOD SHAPE

The regular practice of physical activity is one of the foundations of a healthy lifestyle, as it brings a number of benefits to the body, including body posture correction, fat reduction, muscle toning, improvement of the respiratory and cardiovascular system and prevention of diseases. In addition, habit is also able to improve skin health. Physical activity, including aerobic exercises, weight training and stretching, is important for the skin in several aspects, as it reduces the level of cortisol, improves elasticity, acts to control acne and oiliness, strengthens the skin’s protective barrier and prevents premature aging.

However, like everything else in life, excessive exercise can be harmful, especially for the skin, since favors premature aging and the appearance of wrinkles, stains and sagging.

This is because, firstly, most athletes, amateurs or professionals, enjoy exercising outdoors and unprotected sun exposure is among the main causes of premature aging. Sun exposure is linked to inflammation, oxidative damage and the production of collagen-degrading enzymes, resulting in sagging skin with wrinkles and blemishes called photoaging.

In addition, certain physical exercises, especially those with a high impact such as running, can contribute to the appearance of sagging in the face due to the action of gravity. The skin tissue has structures, such as collagen and elastin fibers, which are responsible for keeping the skin firm and elastic. However, these sustaining fibers lose their strength over time and no longer have the strength against gravity, which ends up making the skin flaccid. The result is the unwanted bulldog cheek effect, where the inverted triangle shape that the face has when we are young becomes a common triangle.

Another factor that contributes to the appearance of sagging is the consumption of facial fat caused by intense and excessive exercise. Weight loss, especially in cases where there is a significant decrease in the amount of fat, causes a reduction in the volume that kept the skin taut. As a result, the skin tissue becomes saggy and wrinkled. As if that weren’t enough, the grimaces and expressions we make during physical activity, especially in bodybuilding, can also favor the appearance of wrinkles. The expressions we perform during the exercises generate small momentary demarcations on the skin due to the movement of the musculature. However, over time, these muscle contractions, combined with natural skin aging, definitively mark the skin and make these lines, which appeared only with movement, become static, becoming evident even with the face in rest.

HOW TO AVOID

Of course, giving up physical exercise is not an option to combat the emergence of these changes. But it is possible to combat these signs of skin aging through some habits, such as carrying out a daily skin care routine, especially with regard to photoprotection. Another very important factor is hydration. During physical exercise, there is a great loss of water due to sweat as a way to eliminate the heat produced. Therefore, water intake is very important throughout the day, especially during exercise.

Loss of volume due to weight loss and sagging caused by gravity can also be combated through treatments such as skinboosters, collagen biostimulators and injectable fillers. Always consult a doctor.

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