“HIIT training, and resistance workouts are the best forms of exercise to focus on in the gym for collagen production because they stimulate the human growth hormone.” For those who are intimidated by the acronym, HIIT workouts don't require a gym membership, fancy classes or a personal trainer.
There are a few ways that exercise can boost collagen levels: Exercise delivers nutrients, like vitamins and oxygen, to skin cells, helping them repair and multiply. Specifically, these nutrients feed the fibroblast cells in your skin that produce collagen.
Eating foods rich in vitamin C and amino acids can increase the levels of hyaluronic acid and collagen in the body as both are important for skin. Foods such as oranges, red peppers, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and strawberries are all rich in vitamin C.
A long jog equals a free spa treatment...
“Increasing your circulation with cardio delivers a greater amount of oxygen and nutrients to your skin, which helps repair it and increase collagen production,” says Kanchanapoomi Levin.
By strength training either by using resistance bands, weights or aerobic exercise, such as swimming, you can rebuild muscle and prevent bone loss. Taking care of your core and your spine has the added benefit of keeping your body and joints strong, and your taller posture will shave years off of your appearance.
Sweating gives your skin glowing results
It can also stimulate the body's production of collagen over time, helping your skin to appear plumper and healthier[5].
To make collagen—or any protein—your body combines amino acids. You can get amino acids by eating and digesting protein-rich foods, like meat, beans, and dairy products, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Then your body can repurpose the amino acids into collagen.
Building muscle mass through weight training exercises can help decrease the appearance of loose skin, especially if the loose skin is from weight loss. If excess fat distends the skin for a long time, the skin can lose some of its ability to shrink with weight loss.
A diet full of protein-rich foods, whether from plant or animal sources, can help supply these critical amino acids. Other nutrients that aid the process of collagen production include zinc, vitamin C, and copper. So, fruits and vegetables high in vitamins and minerals are also a friend to supple skin.
How can I naturally rebuild collagen? You can naturally support the collagen production process by using topicals such as vitamin C and retinol, collagen peptide supplements, eating a nutrient rich diet, and avoiding habits that damage the collagen (such as poor sleep and sun exposure.)
Exercise stimulates the production of collagen. “Studies show that collagen is in a constant cycle of creation and destruction in the body; age and environment play a factor in the breakdown,” Redpath adds.
Exercise Keeps Your Skin Soft and Glowing
A dewy sheen on your cheeks from all the sweat dripping off your forehead may be one of many ways fitness keeps your skin young. In one study published in 2019 in Biology (Basel), researchers studied a small group of adults aged 20–84.
Collagen levels decrease with age and, unfortunately, there's no way to prevent this. The good news is that there are several cosmetic treatments that can rebuild or restore collagen.
Oral supplementation, along with eating foods that either contain collagen or boost your natural production, is the best way to absorb it into your body and increase your collagen levels. Foods that contain Vitamin C are helpful for increasing collagen production.
“The collagen you ingest is broken down into individual amino acids, and there's no way they will automatically regroup to form collagen and smooth out wrinkles.”
Massaging our face promotes oxygen and blood flow in our skin. Not only does this result in reducing puffiness, it also creates a brighter skin tone and appearance. The massage will also increase collagen production, which prevents the formation of wrinkles.
Exposure to light is a top cause of premature aging: Sun exposure causes many skin problems. Ultraviolet (UV) light and exposure to sunlight age your skin more quickly than it would age naturally. The result is called photoaging, and it's responsible for 90% of visible changes to your skin.
This is called extrinsic aging. As a result, premature aging can set in long before it was expected. In other words, your biological clock is more advanced than your chronological clock. Controllable factors such as stress, smoking and sun exposure can all play a role in expediting extrinsic aging.