Exercise rejuvenates middle-aged skin

What's the news: Exercise, particularly resistance exercise, makes skin younger.

Why should we believe it: This news is based on a new study, published just last week, by scientists from Japan. The scientists looked at 61 healthy women, age 41-59. They had the subjects perform either resistance exercise (machines) or aerobic exercise (stationary). The results:

1. Both resistance and aerobic exercise significantly improved skin elasticity and "upper dermal structure"

2. In addition, resistance exercise also increased skin thickness, which is something that normally drops with age

Why is this a big deal: A recent Wall Street Journal article made the claim that exercise is really the best longevity intervention available today. The present study is another data point that supports that idea. In other words, not only will exercise help you stay healthy longer — but beautiful as well.

So what specifically can you do now: Get exercising, or keep exercising. Any kind of exercise will be beneficial. But if you want the greatest youthspan impact, you will want to include some kind of resistance training into your routine.