True beauty is clearly a combination of many factors ranging from the use of topical cosmetics and hair care products to the foods we eat and the exercises we do.  While many of us do not think about exercise for true beauty, exercise is a critical part to being the most beautiful we can be.

Getting adequate amounts of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity can help us obtain true beauty in a number of ways.  Exercise can strengthen our core (abdominal and back) muscles, which can improve our overall posture and balance.  This helps us to stand straighter and move more gracefully.  Exercise also enhances blood flow to our skin, which is important for delivering antioxidants and other nutrients that are essential for good skin health.  Furthermore, exercise tones and firms our muscles, which in turn provides better underlying support for our skin.  This can make our skin appear smoother and more supple.

Unfortunately, recent news from the scientific community shows that many of us still don’t exercise enough to maximize our true beauty or even exercise at all.

In one study, researchers examined changes in walking and cycling in the U.S. from the year 2001 to the year 2009.  Walking is one of the best and easiest forms of exercise we can do; however, according to these researchers, the average American made 17 more walking trips in 2009 than in 2001 for an increase of 9 miles per year.  That amounts to less than one-half of one tenth of a mile more per day.  That’s not much exercise for true beauty!  Similarly, the average American completed only 2 more bike trips per year in 2009 than in 2001 for an additional 5 more miles of cycling per year.  At the population level, only 18% of Americans did ‘any walking’ in 2009 and percent of Americans who walked for at least 30 minutes any day increased from 7.2% to only 8.0%.

Part of the reason that we are not getting enough exercise might be the way the exercise message is being conveyed.  A group of researchers from Australia recruited volunteers for an exercise study and asked half of them to walk for 30 minutes per day and asked the other half to walk 10,000 steps per day.  While both groups increased their walking from the start of the study, those asked to walk 10,000 steps per day increased their number of steps by over 4,600 steps per day compared to an increase of less than 2,800 steps more per day in the groups asked to walk for 30 minutes per day.  Apparently, a more specific message or goal provided greater benefits towards increasing the level of exercise.

There are a lot of reasons that most of do not exercise enough, but it remains vital to get enough exercise for true beauty.  Are you getting enough exercise to maximize your true beauty?

Remember that our true beauty starts inside!

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Healthy Regards,

Aaron Tabor, MD
Diet, Anti-Aging, and Nutritional Cosmetic Expert

Author of Dr. Tabor’s Diet and FIGHT NOW: Eat & Live Proactively Against Breast Cancer.
Learn more about Dr. Tabor’s diet and anti-aging research at www.DrTabor.com.