Can Martial Arts Have Benefits for Your Skin?
Although the karate hype has died down somewhat since the ’80s and perhaps will never be the social phenomenon that it once was, there’s been something of a renewed interest in Eastern combat traditions since Cobra Kai became the No. 1 most watched show on Netflix this past year. Intense martial arts like karate, kung fu, and judo—along with more gentle traditions like yoga, qigong, and tai chi—aren’t just cool to watch; they also offer plenty of real benefits for your physical and mental health. Regular martial arts training can also be a more fun way to stay active if you’re trying to incorporate consistent exercise into your lifestyle but are bored or put off by conventional workouts at the gym. Some martial arts, like karate, help to tone and build muscles to make you stronger and boost your immune system. You can burn up to 1,000 calories during an hour-long session, making it an ideal choice if you want to lose weight. Additionally, these activities can improve posture, coordination, and stability, sharpen your reflexes, help you build self-confidence, lift your mood, and instill a feeling of inner peace. Did you know that these exercises are also great for your skin? The team at New Jersey’s Burnett Plastic Surgery, providing cosmetic surgery and skin care treatments, outlines some of the ways that different martial arts styles can help to improve your complexion.
Sweating is Great for Your Skin
Want your skin to look more youthful and less wrinkled? Building up a good sweat can be the best way of getting a more balanced complexion. When you practice martial arts often, sweating because of the exercise helps to purge away the stuff that’s blocking up the pores—including toxins from grime or pollution—along with dead skin, cellular debris, and oil, leaving you with a brighter complexion.
Developed Muscles Make Skin Look Tighter
As we age, our skin begins to lose its elasticity and fullness. Although it won’t make you bulk up like a bodybuilder, practicing martial arts is one way of developing lean muscles, as mentioned above. The strength training not only makes your overall physique look better, but can also make loose skin on the body from weight loss or aging look tighter and more lifted as the increased muscle volume below the skin’s surface acts as a replacement for any fat content that has been lost.
Improved Blood Circulation Nourishes Skin
It turns out that the “post-workout glow” is an actual thing. Another way in which martial arts are advantageous for the skin is how they improve blood flow and make the heart rate go up so that oxygen and nutrients get to the skin. This encourages skin cell turnover and initiates collagen production to reduce the effects of aging. It’s common to have luminous skin for hours after workouts.
Addresses Stress, Anxiety, and Other Mental Health Issues
There’s a definite connection between our mental or emotional health and the state of our skin, nails, and hair. You may have noticed that you tend to have bad breakouts when you’re feeling stressed out because of the release of hormones, like cortisol, in the body. Not to mention, if you’re overwhelmed, you may start to neglect your everyday skincare routine, so that existing, chronic skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis might become worse. If that isn’t bad enough, high stress contributes to wrinkles, graying hair, and hair loss. Martial arts can be used as stress management techniques. Some systems such as qigong are centered on relaxation. Exercise in general is good for providing relief from stress. Chemicals like serotonin and endorphins are released during martial arts, which can make you feel better. You’ll learn deep breathing and mindfulness that can help you let go of anger and calm your thoughts.
Talk to practitioners who specialize in non-invasive treatments and plastic surgery at New Jersey’s Burnett Plastic Surgery for more tips on improving your skin quality through exercise and a healthy lifestyle. If you would like to arrange a meeting, call their office at 908.233.0200 or fill out a contact form through their website.
Comments