Jakarta, ThedailyID — Have you ever noticed your face turning bright red after running, doing yoga or working out at the gym?
For some people, the redness appears after only a few minutes of exercise. In most cases, however, it is a normal response as the body tries to cool itself.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, exercise makes the muscles produce more heat. As body temperature rises, blood vessels near the skin expand.
This process sends more blood toward the skin’s surface. The body can then release heat into the surrounding environment.
Sweating also helps with cooling. Together, increased skin blood flow and sweating form part of the body’s natural temperature regulation system.
A review published in Physiological Reviews found that skin blood vessels can respond differently during different stages of exercise.
At the beginning of physical activity, the body may temporarily narrow blood vessels in the skin. This helps maintain blood flow to working muscles.
As core temperature rises, blood flow to the skin increases. The body then uses the skin to release more heat.
However, the response can vary from person to person. Some people develop mild redness, while others may have a much redder face during the same workout.
Fitness level, hydration, age and the body’s ability to adapt to heat can all affect skin blood flow during exercise.
The surrounding environment also matters. Exercising in a hot or humid room makes it harder for the body to release heat.
As a result, the body may increase blood flow to the skin. This can make facial redness more noticeable in a stuffy gym than in a cooler room.
Therefore, facial redness alone does not indicate how hard someone has exercised. In most cases, it simply shows that the body is responding to increased heat.
However, other symptoms deserve attention. Stop exercising if redness comes with dizziness, severe weakness, confusion, nausea or vomiting.
Severe headaches, shortness of breath, chest pain or feeling faint also require caution. These symptoms may indicate that the body is struggling to cope with heat or another condition that needs medical attention.
