Your resistance training routine may contribute to a healthy complexion, new research suggests.
You probably know by now that strength training is essential for improving muscle and bone health, plus enhancing cognitive function. But there’s another under-the-radar reason you should pick up a set of weights: Resistance training is linked to strengthening skin.
While it’s known that cardio enhances your skin’s appearance, newer research in Scientific Reports led by Satoshi Fujita, Ph.D., an exercise scientist in Kyoto, Japan, investigated whether strength training would have a similar effect. Here’s what he and his team found.
How Resistance Training Impacts Skin
In Fujita’s study, researchers divided healthy, sedentary, middle-aged women into two groups. The first group rode a bike for half an hour twice a week for 16 weeks. The other group lifted weights for the same duration, performing three sets of 10 reps of leg curls, arm curls, rows, shoulder presses, chest presses, and leg extensions that got progressively harder as the weeks went on. The scientists theorized that since cardio and resistance training have different effects on the body, they would also have different impacts on the skin.
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Participants’ skin cells were analyzed in a lab after each workout, and the researchers found that both groups experienced improved skin elasticity (its ability to stretch and bounce back, which naturally deteriorates from factors like UV exposure and aging). However, the group that did only weight training also had a thickened dermal layer (epidermis), which can contribute to firmer skin, less hyperpigmentation, and an overall healthier appearance.
The team hypothesized that resistance training increases the production of biglycan — proteins that help regulate the structure and function of various tissues in the skin (as well as bones, tendons, cartilage, and muscles).
Exercising for Beauty Benefits
It’s important to note the team examined only the inner layer of the dermis, and more research would need to be done to see the impact on the outer layer of skin and how long the benefits last if you stop exercising. Since muscle hypertrophy wasn’t the primary indicator contributing to improving skin strength, it’s possible to see skin improvement without weight training as often as the participants did or at the same difficulty level — just as long as you’re working hard enough to produce an anti-inflammatory effect, according to the study.
The research shows that several factors (e.g., your current level of physical activity) will play a role in what exertion level is right for you to create those anti-inflammatory benefits. So, it’s best to work with a trainer to determine how to efficiently utilize those larger upper- and lower-body muscles like the participants in the study to see results reflected in your skin health.
Essentially, the research shows that both cardio and resistance training can do your skin some good. Still, that doesn’t mean you should ignore other parts of your self-care routine. “Strengthening your skin barrier should be a holistic approach,” says Yin Ping Yue, an esthetician at the Spa at Equinox. “In addition to a proper diet, getting enough water, sleep, and exercise, focus on a skincare regimen with replenishing ingredients, like peptides, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid. These help keep skin moisturized and increase collagen production that makes your skin appear vibrant.” And remember the ultimate defense for stronger skin: Wear sunscreen daily.
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