Is running making us look old? I know it keeps us young on the inside but it’s the outside that everyone sees and let’s face it, none of us want to look old. 

I recently wrote a post about protecting yourself from the sun and then I come across runner’s face. A friend recently mentioned this in an IG post so I looked it up, and there’s an actual definition for it. But do we need to worry about it? You decide.

Runner’s face occurs when your cheeks sag or appear skeletal as a result of the intense movement, fat-burning and regular exposure to the sun experienced by runners. Women and men who run marathons often suffer from runner’s face in their late thirties. ~taken from Google search

Articles that I have read from various sources, (how legit, I’m not sure) tend to have contradicting information. Most say “Runner’s face” is a saggy, tired appearing face resulting from the up and down motion of the skin while running. Other contributing factors is fat loss in the cheeks from burning too many calories. I’m going to stop right here and say that I agree that there are some runners/athletes that tend to over train and look like they could eat a cheeseburger, but for the average runner (me) we’re not burning more calories than we’re consuming.

Then I read another article stating 15 minutes into exercise blood is diverted away from the face which deprives the fat in your cheeks of oxygen so then the fat cells die off. Well if that is truly the case then how to I deprive belly fat cells of oxygen? And why is my face so red? In the same article the writer says that regular exercise is essential for keeping the skin healthy and youthful. I agree.  Exercise improves circulation and collagen production. I think what they were trying to say is that too much vigorous exercise is bad while moderate exercise is good. Makes sense, all things in moderation. 

Let’s not forget the grimaces we make while going up a tough hill and squinting in the sun, wind or rain. Years of this takes a toll on your face. “Medical research has found that sun damage is responsible for up to 80 percent of the signs of aging — including lines, wrinkles and sag,” Dr. Joshua Zuckerman, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City.

But what are we going to do, live our lives on the couch? 

No, because on the flip side, not exercising is even worse. Not only will we look old but then we are at risk for all the other health problems that come with a sedentary lifestyle…hypertension, cardiac disease, diabetes, back and joint problems, etc..

In 2010, researchers at the University of St Andrews released images of three people showing what they would look like in 20 years’ time if they did no exercise — inactive people were more at risk of sagging, loose skin on the neck and fattening in the forehead and eye area. Exercise keeps blood circulating to the skin, maintaining collagen production. ~By Chloe Lambert for the Daily Mail
Published: 17:02 EDT, 13 May 2013

Bottom line:

This is my take-away. Runner’s face is real but not solely from the act of running but rather a combination of things, with the biggest contributing factor…the sun.

We are all going to age (better than the alternative) and with that comes wrinkles and sagging skin, and now we have aesthetic treatments to help slow the process if we so choose. 🙂  So you need to ask yourself…Do I want to continue running and risk runner’s face or do I want to be a couch potato?

I choose running with some prevention on the side.

• Protect yourself from the sun!
• Eat healthy and drink plenty of water.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Relax your face and smile while running. (Tricks your brain into thinking what you’re doing is easy.)
• Don’t over do it! 
• Find a good Aesthetic Injector. 😉

Have you heard of runner’s face? If so, do you worry about it? Would you consider injectables (Botox, Juvaderm) or do you prefer to let nature take its course? Is that too personal?

                                                             I’m linking with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.

Thanks for reading. Share your thoughts with me.

Denise