Morning exercise has many benefits, but for people with eczema, hitting the gym and then heading to work can present a complex set of challenges. Heat and sweating may trigger attacks. Eating breakfast to refuel after a workout may do more harm than good. Deadline pressure and other workplace stressors may also be triggers after a strenuous exercise session that is taxing on the body.
Bottom line: If you want to start your day at the gym, you need a smart strategy to prevent eczema.
Enter Matt Knight, one of London’s most popular fitness experts. Inspired by a book by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Knight began taking bodybuilding seriously as a teenager (his training partners nicknamed him “Diesel”) and by the age of 20 I started out as a personal trainer at a gym and found immediate success. But then the gym closed. On top of that, his shoulder injury kept him from working out. His stress levels skyrocketed, and Knight soon developed severe eczema all over his body, including inflammation of his feet that made walking difficult.
“I used to scratch at night,” he recalled. “The bottom of my foot is really sick, it’s cracked, it’s bleeding and I’m on antibiotics.”
Knight went from doctor to doctor without much relief—until he figured out for himself which foods were triggering his condition. When he changed his diet, the attacks subsided. Meanwhile, Knight found ways to exercise without triggering his eczema, which allowed him to revive his career and significantly reduce his stress levels.
Now that he’s in excellent physical shape, he’s eager to help others who want to exercise, go to work, and avoid skin problems. Here, he offers three keys to managing eczema in the gym, then start a productive and itch-free workday.
1. Stay cool and clean
When Knight realized that constant patch testing wasn’t solving the problem, he took a closer look at his condition, noting what might be causing it to flare up and trying to eliminate personal triggers. Getting hot and sweaty is a big thing for him, but when you work out like Knight does, it’s inevitable in order to get results. So he came up with a post-workout solution: “What I do is try to stay as cool and clean as possible after working out. I think if you have heat-aggravated eczema, a quick shower with cold water would be great. The key is , don’t let it last too long.
The National Eczema Association recommends the “soak and seal” method:
- Shower for 5 to 10 minutes using a mild soap-free cleanser.
- Gently pat skin dry so it is slightly moist.
- Use any topical skin medications you are prescribed.
- Within 3 minutes of showering, apply moisturizer all over your body.
- Wait a few minutes before getting dressed to give your skin time to absorb the moisturizer.
“You don’t want to wash off all the skin’s oils and dry out your skin,” says Knight.
2. Restart your breakfast
By analyzing his diet, Knight realized that certain foods made his condition worse. “Make sure you keep your intake of inflammatory foods to a minimum,” he says. Although there is no clear link between eczema and food allergies, avoiding foods that trigger allergic reactions may reduce eczema flare-ups, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Common allergies include peanuts, gluten and alcohol. Knight recommends limiting red meat, dairy, whole grains, flour and sugar in your diet and eating more fish and vegetables. “Also, be aware of certain so-called health foods,” he adds. “Whey protein shakes and all those eggs are doing more harm than good.”
3. enhance your attitude
After you leave the gym, practice the power of positive thinking. On the way to work, instead of worrying about potential emergencies, remind yourself that you did your best to prevent them. Take a deep breath and tell yourself that no matter what happens during the day, you can handle it. Find ways to reduce stress at work. For example, if you are a manager, you might learn about delegation.
And never admit defeat. “Whether it’s stress, environment or food related, keep looking for answers and don’t ignore any possibility,” Knight added. “There are always An answer. Don’t stop looking for it.
