When it comes to exercise, I’m lazy, and will always look for an excuse to get out of doing it. I had pretty much resigned myself to never become a runner…because I had heard that it can cause the skin on your face to sag and lose elasticity. I never knew if this was true, but the last thing I wanted to do was force myself to jog, and then find out I was causing my skin to prematurely age! I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of this “does running cause wrinkles or sagging skin?” question, and the answer remains as elusive as my quest to determine if airplanes have super strong UV rays coming through the windows.
I’ve been searching for the answer, and various sources claim any sort of high impact aerobic activity will cause your skin to sag. I even came upon a patent website where someone wanted to create some sort of band you put around your head when you run, to prevent sagging. Ha! Then I’ve come across sources that say it’s hogwash to think running can cause your facial skin to sag. Other sources say to get good running shoes and don’t run on really hard surfaces and you’re fine. Hmmm, aren’t most surfaces hard? I still don’t know if running causes facial sagging, but if I had to guess - I’d say probably not.
Does running cause saggy breasts?
Again, I’ve come across so much conflicting evidence on this, but most people seem to be in agreement that running can cause irreparable sagging to breasts, since ligaments that hold up the breasts can stretch from the impact of running. Luckily a good sports bra can really help with this, and obviously you’d want to be wearing a good sports bra anyway to be comfortable.
I’ve noticed a lot of runners have really wrinkly skin
Once I heard the alleged report that running causes sagging, I started looking around at runners. Sure enough, I spotted lots of them with an unusually large amount of wrinkles (but not necessarily sagging)! But remember, I have only lived in hot climates - Hawaii, California, and Nevada, and I basically only see runners when I’m outside. So all that sun exposure is probably the main reason for the wrinkles. Even the best sunscreens won’t completely protect your skin, and hours spent outside each day will take a huge toll on your skin. Plus, a lot of runners are in great shape and are extremely slim. Wrinkles are more noticeable on someone that doesn’t have a lot of body fat, or a few extra pounds to fill out the face.
My solution
When I am not lazy, I do weight lifting at the gym to gain muscle. I also like yoga for overall toning, flexibility, and relaxation. Then I walk on the treadmill as fast as possible, and somehow I’m able to get my heart rate up to 80% of my maximum heart rate. Plus, I have exercise-induced asthma, and literally can’t run more than a few minutes without feeling like I’m going to die. So, lucky for me, that’s my excuse for not running! I do like aerobics, but have to admit I’m so neurotic about aging that I’m sort of afraid to do high impact aerobics again until I can get a definitive answer about this whole sagging issue!
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October 30th, 2007 at 8:21 am
The elliptical machine is also a good lower-impact cardio option too! I used to be a runner but am not so much anymore because it just tears up my joints too much. I like it because you can really get yourself to sweat and it doesn’t feel like it’s too jarring.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Great skincare, like makeup, doesn’t have to cost a lot. A $100 jar of moisturizer? Forget it! Not many of us could afford a daily routine in that price range. So don’t get caught up in the marketing madness and don’t pay for pseudo science. Your endorsement is the only one that counts.
Here, my top 10 skin tips:
1. Protect yourself from the sun — use sunscreen and avoid direct sunlight between the hours of 10 and 2.
2. Don’t — I repeat — don’t smoke. Your skin is a large organ and it needs a lot of circulation. Smoking impairs that dramatically. That’s why smokers’ skin looks dull and gray. Instead of having oxy-generated blood delivered to the surface of the skin, they’re getting poisons and oxidants.
3. Get adequate rest and nutrition.
4. Protect yourself from stress — both emotional and environmental stress.
5. Wash your face twice a day and put on the proper treatment product. I’m amazed when women tell me they don’t wash their face in the morning. A lot of icky stuff collects overnight — dead skin cells, dirt, and dust!
6. Don’t neglect certain areas of the skin. Elbows, heels, neck, and decolletage need moisturizing, and your scalp and the tops of your feet need sun protection.
7. Touch your face less and wash your hands more! Don’t get too surgical on yourself. It’s very tempting to pick, poke, squeeze, and scratch in front of the mirror. But the more you traumatize the skin, the greater your risk of scarring. Apply treatment products and let them work.
8. Keep your makeup clean. Replace the sponges in your compact on a regular basis. Now and then, toss the whole works and start fresh — the average shelf life for cosmetics is 6 to 12 months. Don’t buy products so expensive that you’ll be heartbroken if you have to throw them away.
9. Exercise moderation. More is not always better. Moisturizer, for example, is the most overused product in America. We’ve been bamboozled by cosmetic companies into thinking every square inch of our body has to be slathered. And it’s simply not true. Exfoliators are another thing to be careful with. Used too often, they overacidify and irritate your skin.
10. Beware of counter girls. If it were up to them, you’d be in the bathroom for two and a half hours each morning — putting 80 layers on your face. Keep your regimen simple. And when you do add a new product, do it gradually so your skin has time to adjust. Each skincare or makeup product has an average of 20 to 40 ingredients — you’re introducing 20 to 40 potential allergens to your face every time you try something new.
Thanks, Candy
October 30th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
i am quite lousy at jogging, lousy stamina. I could only run for 5 mins and pants like hell
October 31st, 2007 at 12:55 am
Candy,
Your list is very similar to my anti-aging checklist that I wrote last week: http://www.savvyskin.com/anti-aging-skin-care-checklist . And speaking of smoking, I just wrote a rant about that, since it’s my biggest pet peeve!
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:02 pm
I also have noticed that some female runners look older than what they really are. However, I think that it’s the skin care. Maybe some of them haven’t taken the time to take care of their skin. I think that if you exercise, drink plenty of water and fluids, and take care of your skin, you should be looking and feeling good.
January 18th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
if you look in the mirror while jogging on a treadmill at a gym you can see the skin on your face moving up and down - so i think it does lead to sagging - at least for me - i think a power walk,bike ride with a higher gear or eliptical is good too - but not runing - that is hard on the joints too. Good shoes are important as well
:)