It's common knowledge that exercise is good for your overall physical health, but many people do not know their exercise level can also have a great deal of impact on their hair. In recent years, the link between exercise and hair health has only grown stronger, encouraging many women (and men too) to incorporate regular exercise into their beauty routine. Even those who believe this is true, however, don't necessarily understand why. Here are some of the reasons that exercise improves hair quality.
1. It gets rid of toxins.
Skin glands in your scalp secrete an oily substance known as "sebum," which works as a conditioner to keep your hair from getting too dry. Many things can have a direct impact on the quality of sebum, and one of the most important is flushing toxins from your body. Regular exercise, especially very intense cardio, chases those toxins out and makes your sebum purer and more able to healthily condition your hair.
2. It improves your posture.
Regular stretching and loosening of muscles gives you more vitality and range of motion in your body, but it can also improve your posture. You'll stand straighter, which, oddly enough, directly affects your hair. When your posture is correct, it improves blood flow from the heart to the scalp. Increased blood flow ensures that your hair cells receive the nutrients and oxygen they need to be able to thrive.
3. It relieves tension.
Blood flow from the heart to the scalp can be affected by a lot of things, and tight muscles is certainly one of them. If your neck or back muscles are tense, it can make it much more difficult for the blood to get where it needs to be, resulting in malnourished and poorly oxygenated hair cells. Yoga, especially inverted poses like backbends, can be excellent at relieving upper body tension and improving that blood flow.
4. It lowers stress.
Stress can have a huge impact on how our body works. One of the biggest causes of unexpected hair loss is stress. If you want to keep your hair from thinning during big projects or dramatic life changes, stay active. Physical activity releases chemicals to help relieve stress. Managing stress through an active lifestyle will keep it from having a negative impact on your hair.
5. It regulates hormones.
In so many instances, the various aspects of fitness and well-being work together and help each other out. For example, exercise can help balance out hormones, especially sex hormones such as testosterone or the human growth hormone (HGH). Hormonal problems, in turn, are linked to issues such as poor skin and poor hair growth. Take care of one, you take care of the other. This is especially true in males, where regular exercise has been shown to improve testosterone levels by 25 percent and nearly quadruple HGH levels. Well-balanced hormones can prevent thinning or unhealthy hair growth, and exercise is one of the best way to balance out those hormones.
These are just a few of the ways that regular exercise will affect your hair growth. In general, exercise and a healthy diet will impact your body in ways you don't even know about. The healthier you are overall, the healthier your hair will be, and the happier you'll be with it. Head to the gym today and start revitalizing your hair!
