Resistance Training & Skin Health

How Collagen Helps Reduce Wrinkles and Repair Skin

Why Exercise Matters for Your Skin

When people think about exercise, they often think about muscles and strength. But resistance training has another role that can also help your skin stay healthy. One reason

is because resistance training helps your body make collagen, which supports smooth and firm skin.

What Is Collagen & Why Is It Important?

Collagen is the main protein in your skin. It helps keep your skin firm, smooth, and strong (Shoulders, M. D., & Raines, R. T. (2009). When your body has enough collagen, your skin can repair itself better and may show fewer wrinkles. As people get older, collagen production slows down (Dalle, S., & Pouletaut, P. (2020)), which can lead to wrinkles and weaker skin.

How Your Body Makes Collagen

Your body makes collagen using special systems called mTOR pathways (Bodine, S. C., et al. (2001). These pathways help your body build and repair tissues. They turn on when your body is healing, growing, or responding to exercise. When the mTOR system is active, your body is in repair mode. 

How Resistance Training Supports Collagen

Resistance training, such as lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises, activates the same mTOR pathways used to repair muscles. After exercise, your muscles need to heal from natural tiny tears that come with physical activity (Phillips, S. M., & Winett, R. A. (2010). While your body is fixing muscle, it is also supporting collagen production, which can help improve skin strength and repair.

3 Steps that Support Collagen Production 

You can help your body make more collagen by exercising two to four times per week, specifically doing resistance training. To do this, engage in exercises using resistance bands or weights, not cardio. The more resistance training you do, the more the mTOR pathway is activated. Eating enough protein, such as lean meats, eggs, and dairy products, gives your body what it needs to build collagen (Tipton, K. D., & Wolfe, R. R. (2001). Small things that make a big difference, like getting enough sleep, water, and rest, are also important parts of the recovery process where your body repairs skin and muscle.

The Big Takeaway

Resistance training does more than make you stronger. It helps turn on the body’s natural repair systems that support collagen production. Over time, this can help improve skin firmness, support skin healing, and reduce signs of aging. Healthy skin and strong muscles often develop together when the body is well cared for. If you would like more information or help about skin health, we can talk. Schedule a free consultation on our home page by selecting “talk to an expert.”