Strength training is usually associated with stronger muscles, better balance and improved metabolism—but could your workouts also benefit your skin?
According to high-performance health coach Dan Go, resistance training may play an overlooked role in how skin ages. In a recent video, Go pointed to research involving middle-aged women that found improvements in skin elasticity and dermal thickness after a period of resistance training.
While strength training isn’t a replacement for sunscreen, a balanced diet or a dermatologist-approved skincare routine, the potential connection between muscle health and skin health offers another reason to keep lifting as you get older.
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Strength Training May Improve Skin Elasticity
Go referenced a 16-week study of middle-aged women, explaining that resistance training was associated with improvements in skin elasticity and increased dermal thickness.
Skin elasticity refers to the skin's ability to stretch and return to its original shape. As we age, collagen and other structural components naturally decline, which can contribute to looser skin and the appearance of fine lines.
The research Go referenced suggests that regular resistance exercise may influence some of these age-related changes.
Your Muscles Can Help With Blood Sugar Control
Go also connected strength training with metabolism and blood sugar regulation. “Your skin is a reflection of your metabolism,” he said in the video.
According to Go, frequent blood sugar spikes can contribute to the aging process, while muscles act as a kind of storage site for glucose.
When you exercise, your muscles use glucose for energy, helping remove some sugar from the bloodstream.
Building and maintaining muscle can therefore support better glucose control, particularly when strength training is combined with regular physical activity and a balanced diet.
Strength Training May Support Collagen Production
Another potential benefit involves growth hormone. Go explained that strength training can increase growth hormone levels after exercise and connected the hormone with collagen production.
“This supports collagen production,” he said.
Collagen is an important structural protein that helps give skin its strength, firmness and elasticity. However, collagen production naturally declines with age, which is one reason skin can become thinner and less resilient over time.
It's important to note that the relationship between exercise, growth hormone and skin aging is more complicated than simply saying that lifting weights will increase collagen and reverse wrinkles. Exercise affects numerous metabolic and hormonal pathways, and individual results can vary.
Why Muscle Health Matters As You Age
The possible skin benefits are just one piece of the larger picture. Resistance training is already widely valued for maintaining muscle mass, strength and physical function as people age.
Go believes those benefits may extend to skin health, too.
“So if you want better skin and you want to look as young as possible, as long as possible, strength training is a necessity,” he said.
For anyone new to resistance training, the goal doesn't have to be lifting extremely heavy weights.
A routine can include bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, machines or free weights, depending on fitness level and experience. And while strength training may support healthier-looking skin from the inside out, it works best as part of a broader approach that includes sun protection, adequate nutrition, sleep and a consistent skincare routine.
The potential skin benefits of resistance training are promising, but the study’s findings and limitations determine how confidently they can be applied to everyday anti-aging claims.
