I am excited to say this is my first guest post and it comes from Tracy Griffen, a Personal Trainer and Author who lives here in Edinburgh. I'd highly recommend her book - its full of great tips, food and exercise ideas month by month (you can buy this book yourself, see Tracy's links at the bottom for details).
Want to look younger? Get outdoors, get some exercise and get your blood pumping.
As a Personal Trainer I am
accustomed to tailoring fitness programmes to fit in with my clients busy
lifestyles. Once they are exercising regularly (often outdoors), they notice
all sorts of changes. One of the most immediate changes is that their skin
becomes clearer. There are a number of reasons for this.
Increased cardiovascular (pulse
raising) exercise gets the blood pumping around the body. More blood and oxygen
pumping to the skin as well. This helps nourish the skin, and also assists in
removing waste products, including free radicals. Aim for at least three
sessions of 30 minutes or more weekly. Work at a pace where you feel slightly
breathless, and yes, even a bit pink in the face!
I always ask clients to drink
around 2 Litres of water a day. Get in the habit of sipping water (or herbal
tea) throughout the day and your skin will thank you. Simply drinking more
water helps to flush toxins from the body. Combined with exercise this process
is speeded up. Drinking more water also helps speed up the metabolism, which is
how fast calories are burnt. Good hydration is essential for plump-looking
healthy skin.
Eat fresh! Eat the freshest food
possible. Even better grow your own. Even if you only have a wee patch of
communal garden, see if you can grow some herbs and salad leaves. Fresh green
leaves are full of nutrients, and offer numerous health benefits. Gardening is
good exercise and you can use your herbs in home made beauty preparations or
herbal teas. Foodwise try to eat fresh fruit and vegetables or nuts and seeds
(full of lovely oils, great for strong shiny hair and nails) as snacks instead
of processed rubbish.
Exercising outdoors can be harsh
on the skin, so remember to wear sunscreen. If anyone has a suggestion for a
good non-greasy sunscreen that can be worn every day, please do let me know.
I’m terrible for remembering to put on sunscreen and I’m outdoors for a few
hours every day. Despite my negligence in the sunscreen department, people
regularly guess my age to be at least 5 years less than it is. I’m 37, and the
more I do my job (and the older I get), the more I realise that regular
exercise can help keep us all feeling and looking younger. Your skin is a
reflection of your internal health. Look after your internal wellbeing and your
skin will reflect this. Become more energetic and you can develop radiant skin.
Personal Trainer Tracy Griffen runs Griffen Fitness, 3 Balfour Street, just
off Leith Walk. She is the author of the newly published Healthy Living
Yearbook, 192 colourful pages of seasonal fitness ideas and easy healthy
recipes.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/tracygriffen
Facebook: www.facebook.com/griffenfitness
