The New Years Gym Resolution: Five Inclusive Health Tips to Take to the Gym With You

With the New Year comes everybody's favorite New Year's resolution – more trips to the gym (or, if you're like many people, a first trip to the gym). Physical exercise is one of the most important and healthiest changes that you can make in your life, but adding a gym routine to your daily or weekly schedule is more than just showing up and getting on the treadmill for thirty minutes. Here are five Inclusive Health® tips from Murad to make sure that a trip to the gym ends with a healthy body, a healthy mind and healthy skin.

You've certainly heard by now that to be healthy and safe (and to get in your best workout possible) at the gym, you need to stay hydrated. What you may not have heard is that having a bottle of water by your side isn't the best way to stay hydrated. For optimal hydration, take a small baggie of fresh fruit with you and eat your water. The molecular structure of water in fruit (or vegetables) will stay with you longer and keep you hydrated and nourished during your workout.

Even if your skin isn't acne-prone, the build-up of dirt and oil between your clothing and your skin as you sweat while you workout can cause body and back acne breakouts. A simple solution is to pack a quick, spray back acne treatment in your gym bag. Even if you're not taking the time to shower after your workout, a quick spray can result in eliminating or preventing any body acne breakouts caused by workout sweat.

Recommended Product: Murad Clarifying Body Spray
This easy spray-on back and body acne treatment delivers powerful blemish-fighting Salicylic Acid to prevent new blemishes while treating any existing ones.

Customer Review
"I love that this product performs as described. It helps to soothe and clear existing breakouts and prevent new breakouts. Being able to spray upside down is a definite plus. I am purchasing my second bottle today." Christi24, Boston

Cultural Stress™ and over-exhaustion are two of the most under-discussed national health epidemics in this day and age. Decisions that you make about when and how you workout can make you more or less healthy when it comes to Cultural Stress and over-exhaustion. A regular workout routine can actually improve your sleeping habits and help you get to a full night's sleep. (However, working out when you're already exhausted could just lead to more exhaustion.) Even more importantly, working out reduces stress. You can combat Cultural Stress and its impact on your skin and health by incorporating daily or weekly workouts.

It's obviously natural (and healthy) to want to wash your face after a workout. But for most skin types washing your face more than twice per day and can lead to dry skin that looks older than it is. What should you do then, since you obviously don't want to allow the sweat and dirt of your workout to stay on your face? One option is to use a gentle facial cleansing wipe or simply opt for a gentle facial wash without harsh ingredients and then follow-up with an oil-free facial moisturizer.

Recommended Product: Murad Soothing Gel Cleanser
This gentle cleanser not only removes surface dirt and impurities post-workout, it also soothes any facial redness, flushing or irritation from your workout.

Customer Review
"I have used everything from Clinique, to MAC, to Shiseido, to Laura Mercier, and this soothing cleanser works the best. My skin never feels tight after I use it and it always calms it down after a long day of harsh makeup and stress. Would recommend it to anyone with red/super fair skin." iheartMurad, California

Most importantly, though, don't add to your Cultural Stress by putting undo pressure on yourself to meet an unreasonable workout goal. It's important to set goals for yourself and work towards them, but make them goals that are driven by you instead of by societal pressures. You're working out to make yourself healthier and happier. Don't interfere with that by turning workout time into a high-pressure time.

The New Year is here! Embrace your resolutions, including more activity and more gym time. Just remember that everything you do in your life should ultimately be contributing to your overall health and joy.

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