Why does my face turn red after a workout? More often than not, a red face from exercise is not something to worry about. It’s just the body’s way of dealing with the extra heat created by exercise.
When you exercise, many changes occur in your body:
- You breathe faster to maximize oxygen levels in your blood.
- A higher heart rate increases blood flow to your muscles.
- Your small blood vessels will dilate to deliver more oxygen to your muscles and carry away waste products that build up.
This dilation causes redness of your skin during exercise.
Your body temperature rises when exercising, and the blood rushes to the skin’s surface, causing you to sweat and cool down, leading to a red face, especially noticeable in fair-skinned people.
Most redness of the face during exercise can be considered normal; However, if you exercise in extreme heat, a red face can be an early sign of heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. Other symptoms of heat exhaustion may include excessive sweating, nausea, and lightheadedness. Heatstroke happens when the body can no longer compensate for the excess heat. Heatstroke can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention, as it causes the body’s temperature to rise above 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the redness you experience during exercise can not be cured or fixed, you can take steps to try to reduce the redness. Try to train in a cool environment and wear light and loose-fitting clothes. Staying hydrated with plenty of water is the key to preventing heatstroke. If you exercise outdoors, exercising early or late in the afternoon can reduce your heat exposure.
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