Yoga To Help Your Skin Stay Younger: Say “No” To Wrinkles With These Exercises
A lesser known beauty and skincare benefit of Yoga is that it causes vasodilation (enlargement of the blood vessels), which leads to increased blood flow to the skin, providing it with more oxygen and nutrients, lending itself to a cutaneous flushing or glow.
Health and fitness experts point out that Yoga asanas or exercises help achieve glowing skin, fight wrinkles and ageing, tone the jawline, and more.
Getting in more oxygen through controlled breathing also helps the body to release harmful toxins and keep the skin healthy and glowing while a healthy gut is essential for healthy skin. Toxins that are not cleared from the body often get deposited in adipose fat tissue and in the skin, which can lead to acne, discoloration and accelerated aging but certain gentle Yoga asanas can assist in digestion and toxin removal by increasing circulation and energy to the stomach, small intestine, large intestine and liver.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Basavaraj Gollar, Yoga expert at SARVA, shared, “Yoga helps in detoxification of the entire body by removing toxins that are secreted throughout the day. It helps better digestion and nutrient assimilation along with hormonal balance. It also helps undo the effects of stress through meditation. This results in improved metabolism which in turn results in better skin. These things keep the skin younger and wrinkle free.”
Asserting that Yoga helps your skin stay younger by improving health from within, Pradeep Sattwamaya, Global Head of Yoga at Shvasa, revealed, “Regular practice of yoga can help slow down aging, wear and tear. Practicing Yoga asanas that involve twists, bends and inversions improve blood circulation throughout the body thereby invigorating the skin. When you do Yoga asanas, the resultant sweating releases toxins thereby cleansing the skin.”
He suggested, “Traditional Surya Namaskar, Ashtanga Surya Namaskar A and B are particularly beneficial. The regular stretching of muscles keeps the skin healthy and prevents dullness. Inversions such as shoulder stand and headstand reverse the force of gravity on the skin thus keeping it tight and preventing it from sagging. Breath-work (pranayama) and Yoga asanas together improve metabolism which has a positive effect on overall health. Last but not the least, you should also consume a healthy diet as per yogic practices.”