Yes. The evidence for exercise as a skin-aging intervention has strengthened substantially in the last decade, with recent randomized trials showing measurable skin benefits from consistent training.
The 2023 breakthrough. Nishikori and colleagues at Ritsumeikan University published a randomized controlled trial in Scientific Reports that measured skin outcomes from 16 weeks of exercise in middle-aged women. Both aerobic training and resistance training improved skin elasticity and dermal thickness — but resistance training uniquely improved collagen and elastin content in the dermis at the tissue level (Nishikori, 2023). This is the strongest randomized evidence to date that exercise has direct dermal effects, not just indirect ones.
The mechanisms are multiple:
- Lower systemic inflammation — regular exercise drops hs-CRP.
- Better glucose regulation — reduces HbA1c and glycation load.
- Improved insulin sensitivity — reduces the IGF-1-driven sebum and acne pattern.
- Enhanced circulation — improved nutrient delivery to dermal fibroblasts.
- Cortisol regulation — reduces chronic stress-driven collagen breakdown.
- Direct fibroblast signaling — the Nishikori pathway.
What to do: A combination of aerobic (150+ min/week moderate intensity) and resistance training (2-3 sessions/week) is what the current evidence supports. Resistance training appears more important for skin structural benefits specifically.
Blood markers that reflect exercise's effect on skin: hs-CRP, HbA1c, fasting insulin, omega-3 index.