Exercising with Acne

by Cedric Hamilton, May 26, 2010 4:24 PM

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Exercising with Acne

Okay, so what does working out have to do with my zits? A lot more than you may think. Treating acne is about living a healthy lifestyle. Living a healthy lifestyle requires regular exercise. And a healthy lifestyle means you will be able to better handle acne.

How can exercise help my acne?

• Exercise keeps your skin healthy through sweat. The concept of sweat is pretty simple. It puts water onto the surface of the skin, so your skin can cool down. In the process, sweat does some amazing things for your pores. It cleans them out. Dirty pores, clogged pores, and infected pores are a leading cause of acne. When those pores are clean, you can reduce the outbreak of acne and keep your skin healthier.

• Exercise fights stress. Stress is an amazingly powerful force in the human body. It can cause a whole slough of different health problems, including acne. If you fight stress through exercise, you are fighting the outbreak of acne at the same time.

• Exercise maintains healthy body systems. Although the skin is a different organ from the heart, and the heart is a different organ from the lungs, all the body’s organs work together. As you improve whole-body health through regular exercise, you will be improving the health of the skin. The healthier the skin, the more effective your fight against acne.

There are those who think that exercise and getting sweaty results in a major breakout session the next day. Is it true? Can sweat and acne really cause a breakout? Not exactly. Usually the increase in acne is due to improper exercising practices, not the exercise itself. Here are some suggestions for avoiding a breakout when you workout.

• Shed the gunk. Before you workout, rinse out the hairspray, wash off the makeup, and get rid of the scents. When you perspire, these chemicals may infiltrate deeper into your skin, blocking pores and contributing to acne.

• Loosen up. Tight clothing causes acne. Wear loose, breathable, and comfortable clothes.

• Clean off. When you’re done working out, get a shower as soon as possible. Be sure to wash your face carefully and rinse thoroughly.

Whatever you do, don’t neglect exercise just for the sake of trying to keep from getting more acne. Exercise is a great way to fight acne.