Could quitting cardio help your acne?
How quitting cardio lowered my cortisol and shifted my view of my body in my journey of recovering from acne
When my functional dermatologist told me to quit running, my first thought was, Girl, are you serious?
I didn’t know what else I was going to do with my life. At this point, I was running every day. Running was an anchor, a challenge, an identity. As long as I ran, I was going to be OK.
How was I going to quit?
My practitioner had explained that my body was extremely depleted — my blood and urine test results showed that I was anemic, constantly stressed, and running on extremely elevated cortisol — and that this perfect storm was contributing to my acne.
She explained that given the state of my body, I was pushing too hard. That when I was running, my body “couldn’t differentiate between running for exercise and running from an actual threat.” She suggested that I should quit running during my acne recovery period to give my body the break it needed.
“Sure,” I agreed hesitantly, racking my mind for what else to do to fill this sudden void that was left in my life.
Needless to say, I was skeptical.
Why was I running so much in the first place? I had never touched a weight before in my entire life, and exclusively used the treadmill in the gym.
I liked the way running felt. The rush of the first couple steps, the feeling of exhausted pride afterwards. Getting stronger, being able to run longer distances.
The second factor: having spent my adolescence consuming a media diet of at least 28% Tumblr thinspo, I wanted to be skinny. I wanted to be frail, I wanted to be dainty, and running was insurance that a bulky fate would never befall me.
So when my practitioner suggested that I ditch my cardio for strength training, I was catapulted into a whole new world.
I remember my first time in barre — a pilates-adjacent exercise consisting of strength training, pulsing, tucking, and “isometric holds,” which is just a fancy way of saying holding in place. I had chosen this place because it was the close to my apartment.
As my peppy instructor Carmen chirped out cues and doled out positive reinforcement, I remember feeling invigorated by the music and surprised at how challenging it was.
The next time I came, the Carmen remembered my name.
For an hour, I’d lift, lunge, pulse, tuck, crunch. It was the only time during the week that someone would tell me, “good job.”
I was hooked.
I started going regularly — weekly, twice a week.
I was developing more muscle mass, and I could feel my body composition changing. I went from around 110 lbs to the 115-120 range. I got compliments from my family that I looked more 结实 - solid, strong, robust (and weirdly, I didn't take it as an insult).
A couple months in, I saw myself in the mirror and noticed that my thigh jutted out a bit more than usual.
For the first time in my life, I didn’t think that I was fat.
Or rather, I did think I was fat. But that was quickly replaced by another thought —that I was strong.
These were thighs that could do squats, holds, lunges…what I was seeing was muscle, and for once, I was proud, not ashamed, of my body.
In conclusion: should you quit running? And will it help your acne?
Studies have shown that running elevates cortisol (the stress hormone), and that elevation can extend past the running period and become chronic/ambient. And of course, cortisol/stress contribute to acne.
But does that mean you shouldn’t do cardio at all? I mean, cardio is good, right?
Rachael Hartley Nutrition puts it the best:
For running to be healthy, your body needs to be properly fueled and rested.
For many acne sufferers (and definitely past me), the above is not true. At the time, I was chronically stressed, not eating enough, anemic, and sleep deprived. Minimizing cardio and focusing on strength training and gentle movement was the right move — removing the additional stress helped me weather out the “perfect storm” of other things going on in my body.
You could also continue running, but change your attitude towards it — for example, my friend Gwin (if you’re reading this, hi!) continues to run, but doesn’t push herself past her limits as intensely as before.
Ultimately, rather than it being about running vs not running, it’s about recognizing where your boundaries are.
I haven’t run in a while, but who knows — maybe one day, I’ll pick it back up again.
Appendix/More tidbits
Strength training boosts creatinine levels and can have a positive impact on managing anemia, which is why it was recommended to me over cardio.
In addition to barre, I also do yoga, pilates, and long walks :)