- Weight loss and intense gym sessions can cause temporary dullness known as gym face
- Rising cortisol from heavy exercise reduces blood flow, causing a pale, puffy appearance
- Cortisol spikes during high-intensity training or heavy weightlifting without recovery
While weight loss helps many people achieve their dreambody, it can sometimes lead to a loss of facial radiance. Dull skin is a common issue among gym-goers and individuals who have lost a significant amount of weight within a short period. Fortunately, this effect is temporary. Although exercise typically provides a post-workout glow due to increased blood flow, certain gym habits and physiological changes can cause the face to appear dull, tired, or grey. This temporary dullness, dehydration, or haggard appearance is often referred to as gym face. It can result from rapid weight loss, intense muscle tension, or dehydration caused by sweating. In August 2025, Yamini Jain, a mom influencer, shared her weight loss journey on Instagram. She revealed that she lost 20 kgs in just 8 months through home workouts, consistency, and dedication. After reaching her goal weight in 14 months, she began going to the gym specifically for body toning. However, she soon noticed that her face looked dull after regularly attending the gym.
"During my 14-month weight loss journey, I noticed dullness on my face for the first time. Over these months, I lost around 27 kg and worked out exclusively at home. Last month, I joined a gym because I wanted to focus more on body toning rather than just weight loss. However, after starting at the gym, I noticed dullness on my face, along with poor sleep quality," she said in an Instagram video.
"I want to clarify that the gym isn't to blame, and I would never discourage anyone from joining. This happened because I suddenly jumped from homework to heavy, intense gym sessions. This spiked my cortisol levels, the stress hormone, due to the increased physical stress," she added.
How does heavy exercise trigger cortisol release?
Cortisol's primary job during a workout is to ensure you have enough fuel to keep moving by stimulating the liver to produce more glucose, breaking down muscle tissue into amino acids to be used for energy if glucose runs low and encouraging the release of fatty acids for fuel.
When you lift heavy weights or do high-intensity interval training (HIIT), your body doesn't distinguish between a gym workout and a physical threat. To handle this stress, the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis activates and tells the adrenal glands to release cortisol into your bloodstream.
The amount of cortisol released depends on how hard and how long you train. Research shows that cortisol levels rise significantly when you push past about 60% of your VO2 max or do high-volume resistance training with short rest periods.
Why does this cause dullness?
If cortisol stays elevated due to frequent, intense sessions without recovery, it leads to reduced blood flow, leading to a pale or grey facial look. Additionally, it triggers water retention, which causes the body to hold onto sodium and water, making your face and midsection look puffy.
"In our late 20s and 30s, it's crucial to avoid pushing ourselves beyond our limits, as staying stress-free is important for maintaining a healthy body," the social media influencer added.
How to prevent this
Exercising regularly is of utmost importance, as are rest days. Cortisol levels only reset during deep sleep. If you skip sleep after a heavy gym day, your cortisol stays elevated, and your face will look flat the next morning.
"Currently, I go to the gym four days a week, and on the other days, I focus on walking. I have also made improving my sleep a priority, and as a result, I am starting to enjoy my gym sessions more," she concluded in the video.
Previously, Ms Jain shared her complete home workout schedule. "In addition to my diet, I've been incorporating weight training and cardio into my routine. I do home workouts, which help me stay consistent. Each week, I perform weight training four times, cardio twice, and I take one day off from exercising," she mentioned.
Remember, a rest day isn't about being lazy. Rest days allow muscles, joints and brains to recover. Additionally, rest days help prevent muscle fatigue, reduce injury risk, improve performance and promote better sleep.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
