It's a good question and one that has been the subject of much debate - can you exercise your way to perfect, clear skin?

The answer is of course yes...

Poor circulation and being over weight definitely affects your skin health. It makes you much more susceptible to skin issues such as acne plus makes the issues more difficult to get rid of. So if you can improve your circulation and your weight by exercise, yes, your skin will also improve.

So why does poor circulation have an adverse affect on your skin?

Circulation is the flow of your blood around your body. Blood circulates around your body carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells and removing waste products. Without blood flow, your cells die.

If you are not exercising it is likely your circulation is not at its optimum levels. Poor circulation restricts the blood and oxygen flow and thus reduces the nutrients your skin is getting and increases the risk of breakouts.

And what about your weight?

When it comes to fat levels and healthy skin, being underweight is just as bad as being overweight.

If you are overweight, your hypodermis will be thicker than normal and the sheer quantity of fat that the blood vessels need to travel through means the blood flow to your dermis will be restricted.

As you know, lack of blood flow means an inadequate level of nutrients and oxygen, which means your skin health will be low and will be prone to breakouts.

If you are underweight or malnourished, your skin will also not be getting the nutrients it requires as your body simply does not have sufficient quantities to run its vital functions, let alone your skin. In addition your hypodermis will be thin and unable to provide good physical support to your dermis and epidermis.

What should you do?

First things first, if you think you might have a medical, circulation or weight problem, please see your doctor. They will be able to put together an appropriate plan of action to help you tackle these issues safely.

If you are generally healthy, all you need to do to achieve this is make sure you are exercising for at least 20 minutes three times a week.

Any type of cardiovascular exercise that makes you sweat is going to improve your circulation and thus your skin's blood flow.

Make your exercise fun. Pick something you enjoy. If you have bad joints, pick a low impact sport like swimming. If you hate running, go for a bike ride. Walk to work; take the stairs not the escalator. Make exercise a part of your everyday life.

The key to this is to make sure you are doing something you enjoy. If you don't enjoy your exercise you are unlikely to continue it on a long-term basis.

Do you really have to do exercise to get good skin?

If this is the first time you have heard of the connection between skin health and circulation, you may not realise how important it is.

If you don't have good circulation your skin will be starving and suffocating from the inside. No matter what good work you do with your diet your skin will not get the food you are feeding it. No matter what good work you do with your skincare, the cycle will continue as your skin cries out for help.

To improve your skin on a long-term basis, you need to be a healthy weight, have good circulation and be exercising regularly.

However, if you continue to eat poor nutritional value foods and use inadequate skincare products, you will continue to suffer from pimples and general poor skin health.

So what is the answer?

Simple. Lead a healthy life, eat well, exercise regularly and follow a specific skincare programme for your skin issue!