The main reason why runners look older is from running in the sun without UV protection. This can lead to wrinkles, thickened skin, sagging skin, sunspots, pre-cancerous spots, and skin cancer.
Many runners spend long hours outdoors without proper sun protection, so the wrinkles are a result of sun exposure. Runners are also often people who have lost a lot of weight, so the wrinkles are from the skin that was previously filled with fat.
The reason, according to the believers, is that all the bouncing and impact from running causes the skin on your face, and more specifically, your cheeks, to sag. Some people also point to low body fat, or too much sun exposure, both of which are more realistic culprits than the bouncing theory.
Running and exercise itself won't age your skin. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, it can actually help to exercise most days of the week. “Findings from a few studies suggest that moderate exercise can improve circulation and boost the immune system.
When exercising, an athlete burns off fat beneath the layers of his/her skin. The marked loss of fatty tissue results in a loss of volume which leads to a prominent appearance of the bones, accelerated development of skin laxity and deepening of wrinkles.
Extreme workouts can result in fat loss throughout the body as well as the face. This subsequent decrease in facial fat and volume is one of the main reasons why exercise makes you look older, especially for anyone over the age of 35.
What is runner's face? If you haven't heard the term, you've likely seen it. It is the face of a lifelong runner with leathery, saggy skin and a gaunt appearance. It is the result of lots of sun exposure and little body fat.
A distance runner's body is typically lean and thin, with toned lower legs and a slim upper body. It is built for endurance and is hallmarked by a low body mass and low body fat percentage.
That's a finding from a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, which concluded that people who run on a regular basis—consistently, but slowly—have a longer lifespan than those who are out pushing it to the line every time.
Aerobic exercise is also is a great way to increase circulation and blood flow throughout your body, including to your skin, which translates to a more glow-y, radiant complexion.
But another reported downside to running is called “runner's face”. Runner's face is a condition that causes sagging of facial skin, deepening of wrinkles, and hollow cheeks. The prominent appearance of the bones in the face makes a runner look gaunt and can present advanced signs of aging well before their time.
What is runner's stomach? Runner's stomach refers to the gastrointestinal (GI) distress that occurs during a run or bouts of exercise—resulting in cramping, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and pain. Runner's trots and runner's belly are other common names for these symptoms.
"Aerobic exercise such as running, swimming or rowing raises metabolism during and after the activity, making it less likely that calories will be stored around the abdominal area, or anywhere else, as fat," Sutton says.
Wearing sunglasses while running to avoid squinting/frowning. Always wearing sunscreen—even when running outside in the winter—to reduce sun damage. Moisturizing after runs using an anti-aging or lifting/plumping day cream to rehydrate skin (even if you feel like you're super sweaty).
In mate selection generally, it is generally incumbent on men to be attractive to women. Having said that, around 50 percent of men think that women who run have better health and are likely to bear healthy offspring. Furthermore, 35 percent of men judge women who run to be attractive.
The data show older runners only decline gradually after age 40, before finally slowing down more dramatically in their late 70s. The study models also predict that people slow down at about the same rate — about 1 percent added to their times each year — whether or not they're elite runners.
O'Keefe says there is no definite age cutoff at which running is no longer good for you, but curbing it with age may be a good idea. “Many people find that their joints feel better if they do brisk walking rather than running after age 45 or 50,” he says.
Running about 15 to 20 miles a week provides optimal health benefits, O'Keefe said. Or walking can provide benefits, from 2 miles a day to as much as 40 miles a week.
A new study reports you're either born fast or you're not. Many people who ran track in high school remember the kid who showed up at practice one day and was immediately the best sprinter on the team. A new analysis of world-class sprinters supports the belief that you're either born fast or you're not.
But there's good news, middle-of-the-pack runners, because we may have the last laugh: New research shows that while elite runners peak at age 35, the rest of us may not peak until we're 50. These are the results of a new study that examined 16 years of data from the Chicago, New York and Boston marathons.
How do we say this nicely? In your 30s, things start to get … harder. First of all, you stop adding mass. Second, your metabolism will also begin to slow.
Running marathons could age men by a decade, research has suggested. A study of those aged 40 and over who had taken part in at least 10 endurance events found that their major arteries were far stiffer than would be expected for their age group.
It's a well-known fact that exercise helps improve your blood circulation, and running is no exception. When you run, your blood pumps faster, which means your face gets a supply of fresh blood often. This helps heal damaged skin, giving it a glow from within.
“Increasing your circulation with cardio delivers a greater amount of oxygen and nutrients to your skin, which helps repair it and increase collagen production,” says Kanchanapoomi Levin. Plus, enhanced blood flow helps skin cells regenerate, she adds—meaning cycling could actually be anti-aging.
Running increases the lean muscle up to a certain point. Increased running will not increase your lean muscle beyond this point. Therefore running should be combined with weight training to achieve the desirable level of muscle/ fat ratio and gain the shapely toned body you always dreamed of.