When you hear the word exercise, do you start to shudder at the mere thought of working up a sweat?

There are plenty of reasons why you should incorporate an exercise routine into your life, some of the benefits may surprise you.

Most people think about starting an exercise program after the New Year to shed a few pounds, or during the season of spring because swimsuit season is around the corner. Did you ever think of beginning an exercise routine for better skin?

Exercise, can have tremendous effects on improving your skins appearance and making you look younger.

By exercise I mean working up a sweat-sounds ghastly I know.

The reason exercise is great for your skin is that it improves your circulation, causing your blood to rise to the skins surface providing those cells with nutrients and much needed oxygen. If you read my article, The Science of Skin you’ll know that oxygen is important because the food and oxygen that your dermis layer receives determines how healthy your new skin cells are.

Another great reason to exercise, it promotes sweating or as we women like to call it, it promotes a glow. Sweating helps to open up our pores and eliminate built up toxins in our skin. So, if you suffer from acne or blackheads, this form of elimination could possibly help reduce your breakouts. However it is important that you do wipe the sweat away otherwise you are just going to reabsorb it and negate the positive effects.

Now I’m not saying start working out as if you’re training for a marathon, but do start to incorporate it into your life. The key here is to be doing some form of activity for 30 minutes. This could be something as simple as taking a brisk walk, chasing your significant other around the house or something as fun as dancing. For more information on getting started check out Monica Neave's article on Cardio Basics and what to do if you hate cardio.

One thing that can never be said enough is to make sure if you are embarking on an exercise program, to check with your doctor.

Also STAY HYDRATED! I tend to drink water before, during and after my workout. The benfits of staying hydrated can be found in Top 10 Exercise Tips.