Should You Tan Or Workout First?

Many people stated that they often tan before the workout, while others said it is ideal for tanning after the workout. So which one is right? 

Working out and tanning are a terrific combo since they maintain your body sleek and toned while also giving the skin a sultry sun-kissed shine. A tan may make the muscles appear more shaped and give you the appearance of slenderness.

When you exercise and utilize a sunbed, you may wonder whether you should do one before another.

Should You Tan Or Workout First?

We highly recommend that you tan after your workout. Because tanning after exercising can help rejuvenate the body and lessen mood changes. Also, if you have spent hours working out and then going tanning, you can spend this time relaxing, relieving yourself from discomfort, etc.

However, you could do either. Because both come with pros and cons, which we will go over in greater detail later.

Also, which one you should do first will be determined by your tanning process. Tanning either before or after your workout depends on how you wish to obtain your tan.

The optimum time to tan in a day is between 7 a.m and 9 a.m or from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., which will protect you from the sun’s damaging UV rays. It also offers an effective relief and cooling of your body temperature.

Tanning Before The Workout

Advantages

Several people like to tan in the sun or on a tanning bed before working out, which is good because it can assist them in heating their muscles so they can get prepared for their exercise and perform better.

Moreover, sun tanning is a workout in and of itself. Many people do not simply lie outside. Instead, they enjoy participating in surfing, swimming, etc.

In this situation, you will kill two birds with one stone by tanning your skin and doing exercises at the same time.

Disadvantages

On the other hand, tanning before going to the gym comes with several drawbacks.

First, it makes you weary and causes you to lose your workout mood. As you lie on a sunbed, the muscles will relax, and the body will sweat, causing you to get considerably dehydrated. That is why after tanning, many gym-goers choose to exercise less.

Second, since tanning leaves you hungry, after tanning, you will need an additional meal before a workout.

Also, if you apply tanning oils, you should probably take a bath to get rid of the oil. Unless you rinse the oil after your exercise, you may end up with a scent and tacky sweat.

When touching gym equipment, the oils can make you feel uneasy because it makes the devices slippery. So, it is challenging for you to control them.

In all, tanning before going to the gym is common among tanning beginners with little or no expertise. Professional bodybuilders always avoid this circumstance as feasible by not exercising right after tanning. Rather, they often wait at least 8 to 12 hours after a tanning session before working out.

Tanning After The Workout

Advantages

Gym-goers prefer tanning after an exercise because it allows them to ease their muscles and allow them to heal. The sensation of lying on a warm sunbed may be pleasant and comforting.

You may feel hungry and exhausted after going to the gym, and it is the most fantastic time to get a tan while drinking protein shakes as well as your dietary supplements. Besides, the muscles will be able to use the nutrition and develop bigger if tanning after working out.

In addition, once you exercise, your body’s blood circulation improves, which also helps to open up the pores on the skin. When you tan after an exercise, your pores will be able to absorb the sun’s rays more quickly, leading to a darker tan.

Also, melanocytes shall be forced to create more melanin to aid in defending your body because of your body’s natural sensitivity to UV radiation. Melanin, a pigment found in skin cells giving you a tanned appearance, will be dispersed more effectively on skin cells as circulation improves.

Disadvantages

Your body will feel warmer if you use tanning beds. When you add in the effect of the workouts you have done, it may be too much for many, making them feel uncomfortable.

Intensive activity can exhaust your body, but the sun’s warmth relaxes the muscles. Because of all the sweat, the combination of the two can exhaust you. So, you can avoid dehydration by drinking the right amount of water.

In addition, if you tan after going to the gym, you may likely want to take a shower after that to remove all of the sweat and tanning lotions.

To conclude, tanning after a workout is great because it will help you get an excellent tan and feel more relaxed. However, to get the best results, make sure you are well hydrated and have had enough time to cool down before tanning.

Can Workout Make You Tan More?

The answer is no. Workout does not get you, tanner, on its own. It can just alter your skin’s appearance slightly, which happens in the vascular system and muscles. Also, what occurs in your skin is not the pigmentation or color of your skin.

Numerous factors influence your appearance change, including skin pigmentation, how much and how often you exercise, vascularity, and body fat.

When it comes to skin pigmentation, an individual with a light skin tone is more prone to seem sunburned rather than tanned after intense activity.

After an exercise, an individual with a pre-existing light tan or a medium skin pigmentation may seem to get a darker tan. The increase in blood flow caused by exercise is what triggers this.

When a person goes to the gym frequently, his blood flow and vascularity rise. Once the vascular system grows more vigorous and healthy, anyone who exercises regularly will see a more consistent change in skin color.

On the other hand, an individual who just works out several times per month would generally only notice a transitory difference that lasts just several hours.

Furthermore, the fat tissue in between your skin and muscle works as a shade and also is light, so the effect is minimized. Color changes in the face, hands, neck, feet, some less fatty parts are common in overweight people.

Although skin vascularity varies, it can contribute to the darkening appearance. The increase in blood flow to the muscle beneath the epidermis is the primary cause of the alteration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to tan and work out on the same day?

It can be safe to tan and work out on the same day as long as you take precautions like staying hydrated and wearing sunscreen.

Is it true that sweating makes you tan quicker?

No, these two have nothing to do with each other.

Sweating is known as evaporative cooling, while tanning is a kind of reaction to UV radiation damage. Even though the skin is wet from sweat, the quantity of UV radiation reflected by your skin surface remains constant. As a result, it makes no difference.

On the other hand, sweat helps clean the face and gives you an immediate glow.

It is easy to see when you workout and sweat over the face, and it becomes radiant and glossy. It occurs because the blood circulation improves once you exercise, which boosts your facial radiance.

Is it true that tanning can dehydrate you?

The answer is yes. It can cause dehydration, and you are likely to experience thirst, dryness, and lightheadedness as a result of the sun’s heat.

It is also the reason why when tanning outside or using a UV tanning bed, one piece of the advised advice is to keep a bottle of pure water near you and consume it whenever you begin to feel dry or thirsty.

And it does not matter if you want to use a tanning bed, sun tanning, or spray tanning; the decrease in skin dehydration and body fluid is an unavoidable aspect of the tanning session, and water will help replenish the missing body fluids, improve blood circulation, and flush out your body toxins.

Can sweating prevent you from getting a tanned look?

The answer is no. 

Indeed, it is beneficial when you tan in the sun since tanning is a healthy and natural mechanism for your body to calm down once it is overheated. As a result, sweating will not prevent you from acquiring a tan from the sun or a tanning bed.

Despite that, excessive perspiration might result in a smudgy tan and block the tanning session of a newly developed tan since the flowing sweat may create an even bronzer streak.

Can I work out after getting a spray tan?

It’s best to avoid working out for at least 24 hours after getting a spray tan to prevent streaking or uneven color.

Final Thoughts

From our personal experience, tanning after going to the gym provides you with more benefits than tanning before the workout.

We hope you can gain more knowledge about the tanning session and workouts to get a perfect tanned appearance with the given information.