According to a recent study in the Journal of Health Psychology, patients with severe acne reported being less likely to engage in sports or exercise, due to reported decreased self-esteem levels. Yet, this could be one of the worst things that a patient with acne could do, as exercise may actually help to alleviate acne. According to dermatologist Dr. Richard Fried, M.D. in this month’s Women’s Health magazine, “[Exercise] can save your skin…Exercise reduces levels of insulin and stress hormones, which when elevated, can trigger the production of breakout-boosting sebum.” Â
Still not motivated to exercise? One of my favorite ways to motivate myself to exercise on “blah” days is with time or money I would not otherwise use on myself — that is, time for a fun lunch out with friends, say, or money for something I can afford that I wouldn’t otherwise have (a pretty bar of soap or a new lipstick is always a fun option). Another great way is through FitDay.com. I absolutely love their nutrition and exercise tracker, and it’s graphs let me know if I’m on track to meet my fitness goals for the holiday season! 🙂 (And no, I am not sponsored by the site, I just found it one day and have been using it avidly ever since. I hope some of my readers find it helpful too. 🙂 )
Come back tomorrow for a review of L’Oréal’s new cleansers!