Lifting Weights May Improve Skin Health, Study Finds

A recent study published in Scientific Reports reveals that both aerobic exercise and weight training can positively affect gene expression and improve the health of facial skin cells and tissue.

The study, conducted with middle-aged Japanese women, found that exercise can lead to “more youthful” cellular changes in the skin. Notably, weight training produced the most pronounced effects.

Traditionally, exercise has been linked to the improvement of muscles, organs, and overall health but its impact on the skin has been less explored. However, previous research has shown that active individuals have thinner outer layers of skin, thicker dermis layers, and more and healthier mitochondria, which are associated with a more youthful appearance.

This latest study sought to investigate the impact of resistance training on the health of facial skin. The researchers evaluated the elasticity, thickness, and structure of the dermal layers in the participants’ facial skin before and after 16 weeks of exercising.

The results showed that both aerobic exercise and weight training improved skin elasticity, density of the extracellular matrix, and activation of genes involved in the creation of skin collagen, all signs of improved skin health. However, only weight training increased the thickness of the dermal layer, suggesting that it promotes the production of proteins that strengthen connective tissue.

Although the study did not examine the participants’ skin appearance, the changes observed could potentially reduce wrinkles and improve overall skin appearance.

The researchers acknowledge the limitations of the study due to its small sample size and lack of diversity in participants. Further research is needed to confirm and expand on these findings.

Nevertheless, this study adds to the growing body of evidence that exercise, of any kind, can have significant benefits for the health of our skin. Incorporating weight training into our exercise routines may have additional advantages for maintaining youthful and healthy skin.