Does Exercise Make Acne Worse?

Exercise is good for you, but what if your skin disagrees? When you commit to an exercise regime, you commit to fitness and health, but you also sign up for sweat and sore muscles. If you have acne, will your new fitness plan make your acne worse?

Acne happens when the pores of your skin become blocked. This is due to bacteria, oil and dead skin cells clogging up the pores. During puberty or monthly cycles, hormone levels shift, and this can cause acne breakouts. If you're trying to look and feel healthy, will exercise help your acne or make it worse? Exercise can have huge benefits for your skin, but you need to exercise consciously when you have acne.

Exercise helps you look strong and fit. However, it also changes your body in ways that can trigger acne. According to Fitness Magazine, "Losing or gaining weight can throw off your levels of hormones like cortisol and androgen, triggering pimples." Luckily, when your hormones level off, your acne will too, giving you an incentive to lose weight and keep it off.

Clean exercise equipment before you use it: yes, this includes your headphones.

Do you notice breakouts after you've been sweating in the gym? According to Shape , sweat it's not the trouble, it's bacteria and yeast that are the likely culprits. When you go for a run, do you wear headphones? At the gym, do your hands touch equipment that's less than clean? The buildup of bacteria can lead to skin trouble. Make sure that you wipe off anything that touches your skin. Wash your towel after every use, and be conscious of areas where your clothes fit snugly to your body, such as under a sports bra. Anything that occludes the skin such as a headband or chin strap can aggravate acne. Have a wipe on hand to clean off right after your workout, shower as soon as possible, and reapply your acne medications. You'll find that you reduce your troubles with acne.

While sweat might seem like a problem, it's actually a fantastic way to open clogged pores. Sweating is your body's way of regulating its temperature, and your sweat is more than just water. As stated by a FitDay article, "Because your circulation is increased during sweating, many of the toxins and impurities are able to exit your body by way of your open skin pores