The Stranger in the Mirror: Exercise and the Aging Face

Age touches every part of the body, but nowhere are the changes on more open display than the face. Here's what you can do — and how exercise helps.

By Cord Prettyman, MPT

I see him every morning around 5 am. The alarm goes off, my feet hit the floor, I turn on the bathroom light and there he is in the mirror – that stranger staring back at me. His skin is not quite as taut as mine, his nose droops a bit, and there are wrinkles on his forehead and at the corners of his eyes. I'm not sure who this guy is but, for certain, it's not me. Then reality sets in. My wife enters the bathroom, looks at the guy in the mirror, and talks to him just like he was me.

Age affects every nook and cranny of the body but nowhere are the deleterious consequences on such open display as on our faces. Foreheads expand, hairlines retreat, tips of noses droop because connective tissue weakens, and vintage ears get a bit longer because cartilage grows. The fat – which used to be evenly distributed keeping skin tight – succumbs to gravity, moving down to yield a baggy chin and jowly neck.

And, of course, there are the wrinkles. Deep ones in the forehead are called animation lines – the result of facial muscles constantly pulling on and creasing the skin. Finer wrinkles come from sun damage, smoking, and natural age-related degeneration.

One solution is a facelift, averaging $6,652. But if having your face cut on makes you queasy, here are some things you can do instead: Sleep on your back to avoid pulling on delicate facial skin – or use a silk pillowcase. Cleanse your face nightly. Be gentle with the skin around your eyes. Don't smoke – it generates free radicals that speed aging. Be vigilant about sun exposure and wear sunblock daily.

And, finally, be sure to exercise regularly. Exercise increases blood circulation and metabolism, which will keep your face looking young and healthy.

Gotta go. There's a stranger I need to chase out of my bathroom.

Cord Prettyman is an American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer with 32 years of experience. He can be reached through the Montana Athletic Club at 406-837-2582.