How do physical activity&exercise  help you maintain &improve your beauty?

         Physical activity is essential for  maintaining health, wellness, and body functions, particularly as you age or grow old. Research  studies show that exercise helps in multiple ways to improve health including physical, emotional, intellectual, and social wellness, such as improved sleep, quality of life, and mental health.
 
The terms physical activity, physical exercise, and physical fitness are slightly different. Physical activity refers to any body movement produced by muscle action that helps burn out or consume your energy.
 
 Physical exercise refers to organized, structured, repetitive, and purposeful physical activity.Physical exercise is a deliberate,goal oriented process which has multiple benefits if followed consistently.

In physical activity there is no time bound strategy for achieving a goal. But physical activity is also rewarding to us, although it is carried out unknowingly as part of our routine. It helps to avoid or prevent the bad effects of sedentary life style.
 
 Physical fitness is the capacity to perform physical exercise. Physical fitness makes reference to the full range of physical qualities ;It includes  aerobic capacity, strength, speed, agility, coordination, and flexibility.
 
 It can be understood as an integrated measurement of all the functions of all body systems [heart,lungs,kidneys,hormonal systems etc.]Impairment of any of these systems reduces or limits physical fitness.
    Fitness has role in another aspect of health too. It helps to maintain beauty of your skin, hair and body in general.Physical exercise gives a more positive body image with better self-esteem, quality of life, physical and emotional well-being, social competence, and self-care.

  A well balanced emotionally calm mind  & flexibility and healthy functioning of all the vital organs and systems are achieved by means of physical fitness.All these are capable of driving one towards glowing  skin and beauty  from inside- out
 
Exercise has an overall revitalizing effect. Regular exercise helps to improve blood circulation to the extremities and vital organs, which also means improved oxygenation of cells of your body.
 
Benefits of physical exercise for enhancing your beauty
 
· Improves the glow of your skin.

Physical exercise helps the circulation of blood, which in return supplies oxygenated blood and rejuvenate your skin making it glowing and radiant.
 
· Reduces acne &pimples

Acne is often the result of an excess of sebum that clogs the pores in people with oily skin. Sebum is a normal secretion from oil or sebacious glands of skin and its production varies in different individuals due to multiple causes.Sebum  lubricates your skin and scalp.

Acne is common during puberty and adolescence due to increased production of sebum under hormonal stimulation.Over production of sebum cloges the sebaceous gland duct  and may lead to infection by cutibacterium acnes most commonly.This can cause comedo  or black heads or white heads.

 Sebum is released into the pores on a regular basis, but its over secretion happens in hormonal disorders such as excess of testosterone and the stress hormone cortisol. Any increase in these hormones corresponds to an increase of acne on the skin.  

Exercising helps to keep these hormones in balance and thus relieve acne. Exercising relieves stress to a large extent and lowers cortisol levels in the blood, and hence the over production of sebum which can clog pores. Thus physical exercise aids in giving you clearer ,acne free healthy radiant skin.

If you follow healthy  nutritious diet lowering sugars, along with exercise it is more beneficial to your skin and  body health .
 
 
· Exercising improves  hair health
 
Exercise helps to promote blood circulation to the scalp and hair follicles. This facilitate the nutrients in the blood stream reach  the hair follicles which in turn ,promotes hair growth and controls hair loss. Exercise also helps to release endorphins and reduces stress.Stress is one of the prime reasons for hair loss.Exercise helps to increase the oxygen flow to  the scalp.Jogging,neck exercises, side to side hops & certain yogasanas are very helpful for hair growth.

· Wrinkles reduction

Exercise is helpful in the prevention of wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin.

Exercise supports the production of collagen, a protein that is the supporting framework of your skin. The exercise strengthen and tone the muscles beneath the skin, making the skin look healthier. The stronger your muscles are, the more support the skin will get .It will look firmer and more elastic .Exercise also enhances blood flow to your skin and improves the glow. Stress reduction and better sleep are the other benefits of exercising which indirectly help in enhancing skin health.

· An anti–aging  solution
 
Numerous studies have found that lifelong exercise may keep people healthier for longer;

It can delay the onset of  multiple chronic conditions or diseases; Exercise prevents early cognitive decline and helps in mental or intellectual capacities.

It can reduce the risk of falls related to old age,strengthening bones and muscles.

 Exercise and physical activity can alleviate depression, stress and anxiety and enhance quality of life and longevity .
 
Ageing is affected by your genes as well as environmental factors.Although you can not modify your genes  normally, you have a great option to alter  some extrinsic factors causing detrimental effects to your health  such as, toxins, sun exposure,nutritent deprevations, diseases arising from sedentary life styles etc.

Afew recent scientific studies show that regular and right kind of physical exercise, aid in improving physical fitness, and it is currently the best way to delay or even prevent the consequences of aging.On the otherhand, a lack of exercise,sedentary life style clearly accelerates aging and its effects on your physical appearance and beauty.

Exercise is one of the best strategies to follow to look younger and maintain a more youthful nature.The benefits are multiple if you practice physical exercise  in combination with healthy living.

 
Recent research has shown that a person’s degree of physical fitness is an excellent predictor of life expectancy and quality of life. Improving one’s physical fitness increases life expectancy and prevents age-associated diseases. To  make it more effective , the aerobic capacity needs to be increased, along with strength and joint mobility enhancing exercises.
 
In short,  physical fitness is  the best  natural remedy available till date for combating the process of aging.Physical exercise is  one of the best means currently available for delaying and preventing the consequences of aging, and  for improving health and wellbeing.

Benefits of physical exercise or fitness are:

Reduction in the risk of developing ischemic heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases.

Reduction in the risk of developing obesity and diabetes.

Preventing & managing of high blood pressure and dyslipidemia or bad cholesterol.
Reducting the risk of developing breast and colon cancer.
Aids in the control of body weight and improves appearance.
Toning of muscles and preserves or increases muscular mass.
Strengthens bones and joints.
Increases coordination of nervous system.

Exercise reduces the risk of falls related to degenerative changes of ageing.
Improves immune system functions.
Reduces depression and anxiety and improves mental health.
Promotes well-being and social integration.

 
Individually adapted training programs should be prescribed based on fitness assessment results and an adequate knowledge of patient lifestyle and daily physical activity. Such training programs may help people to develop their maximum physical potential, improve their physical and mental health, and minimize the negative impact of aging on the body and mind.

aerobic training
 
Physical activities that develop cardiorespiratory fitness lie at the heart of any exercise program. These activities are designed to improve both the capacity and efficiency of cardiovascular and metabolic systems. They also help in the control and reduction of body fat.
 
The results of aerobic exercise, eg: walking, are very positive, especially for cardiovascular health. These improvements are independent of race, sex, age, and body mass index. A program of regular aerobic exercise of three to six months duration can improve aerobic capacity by 15%–30% .
 
There is substantial evidence that aerobic training exerts a favorable influence on the blood lipid and lipoprotein profiles at any age & it causes  reduction in insulin resistance. Similar results have been obtained in the treatment of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. 

Aerobic exercise performed for 30 min at least three times per week has been shown to have a potent therapeutic effect on certain mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety and panic syndromes.
 
A training frequency of 3–5 days a week is recommended. It is preferable to avoid single, hard bouts of exercise once a week . Training intensity should be at some 55%/65%–90% of the maximum heart rate, or of the maximum reserve heart rate (maximum HR –rest HR).

Lower intensity values, eg, 40%–49% of the maximum reserve heart rate and 55%–64% of the maximum heart rate, are recommended for unfit individuals. The duration of training should be 30–60 min of continuous or intermittent.

 How does exercise help the age related or pregnancy related changes of breasts in females?

    The chest muscles play a very important role in supporting the back and upper trunk and help you maintain a good posture.

Swimming, and breaststroke in particular, are excellent ways to tone and strengthen the chest muscles while also working the shoulders. However, there are also many more chest exercises at home you can do in your swim spa, such as:

Pistons

Chest press 

Reverse flys

Backward arm circles 

In females,swimming helps to increase the tone and improve the appearance of your breasts .

      There are a few specific, simple but effective  fitness exercises,  other than swimming ,which will help you strengthen the pectoral muscles yourself.They are the following:

     Dumbbell Chest Press

        Pushup
        Dumbbell Fly
        Dumbbell Inner Chest Press
        Standing Press

 Reviewed by Dr.Sanjana.VB
 
References 
1.   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4354895/
2.   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2695180/