Benefits of Sweating

Your brain is in charge of maintaining your body temperature. Your system functions best at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. But heavy physical activity, fever and menopause can raise your body temperature. Hot and humid weather and fearful or embarrassing situations also can raise body temperature. Your brain then signals the hypothalamus, to produce sweat. The tiny sweat glands on your skin then start working and release clear salty liquid. Sweating cools down your body temperature and safeguards you from heart attacks and strokes. A large portion of sweat is water. It is mixed with ammonia, urea, salt and sugar. Sweat on its own is odorless, but when it gets mixed with the bacteria on your skin, it turns smelly. But you do not have to worry about it, regular bathing with soap or using deodorants or antiperspirants can help. If you sweat too much it might indicate low blood sugar and thyroid disorder. Too little sweat or anhidrosis can also be dangerous. It is usually because of dehydration, skin disorders or burns. There are numerous benefits of sweating which are as follows

Natural Cleanser of Bacteria

Sweating is a natural cleanser of bacteria as it contains proteins and antibodies that can kill a wide range of bacteria. Common microbes like E. coli and yeast are found even in the bodies of healthiest of people. They can turn against you when they get help from other unwanted bacteria externally. But sweat can combat these bacteria and keep them under control. It then avoids everything from minor infections to deadly diseases like pneumonia, meningitis, bone infections and heart problems. This simply means your sweat actually starts battling the bacteria way before you grab a bacterial ointment or an antibiotic pill.

Can Help you Lose Weight

First and foremost, sweating just helps you to get rid of excess water weight. Sweating does not always mean you are losing fat. The calories your sweat glands spend in producing sweat are minimal. While going in for a sauna your body will just get rid of excess water. But on the other hand, if you sweat after a cardio workout then it will mean your body is losing fat as well.

Sweat can Excrete Heavy Metals

One of the important benefits of sweating is that it remove toxins circulating in your blood. Pollutants and synthetic chemicals can sneak into your system in the most discreet ways. They can enter through the air you breath, the food you eat or even through drinking water. Heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury are majorly released from cigarettes, industrial emissions and some fish. They negatively affect your brain health, kidneys and heart. Most heavy metals have cancer causing potential. A few of them might already be circulating in your body. Sweating seems to be a simple solution to optimize your health and eliminate stored chemicals in your body.

Beneficial to your skin

Sweat can give you a stunning glow and make you confident in the long run. Sweating was also ancient secret for glowing skin. The Roman baths, Aboriginal sweat lodges, Scandinavian saunas and Turkish baths were some therapeutic ways of sweating. Nowadays infrared saunas are trending on social media. They penetrate deeper layers of the skin and promote sweating. When the dead cells, pollutants and clogged makeup is flushed out from your skin by sweat, it will automatically improve your skin complexion and texture. Sweating also boosts skin circulation giving you a natural blush.

Natural Mood Lifter

Your body produces endorphins which are also known as happy hormones after a good workout and instantly puts you in a great mood. Prolonged physical activity, lifting weights and yoga are other group activities that can light up your day. Indulging in these activities/workouts can help you break a sweat. Studies show working out can actually increase the level of sweat and indirectly improve self-esteem and a sense of well being.

Helps in Muscle Recovery

One of the benefits of sweating is it helps in muscle recovery and thereby aiding muscle growth. It has the power to heal the body without having to depend on magic potions or energy drinks. No matter how strong and efficient you are at lifting weights, recovery of your muscle is a key process to staying fit. Your muscles naturally build a lot of lactic acid when they are put to work. Sweating helps to improve lymphatic circulation and throws out the lactic acid from your muscles. With less lactic acid circulating in your system, your muscle soreness will reduce and speed up your recovery.

Good for Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death all over the world. According to a recent study, men who indulged in any type of regular physical activity or/and used saunas to sweat were less likely to develop high blood pressure. This is because physical activity/workout increases the temperature of your body and promotes more blood flow and fluid movement. Therefore one of benefits of sweating is that it is good for overall heart health.

Get Rid of Acne

Let us understand how exactly pimples get formed. Your skin is porous in nature. This arrangement helps your skin to breathe. It excretes bacteria and dirt. But when the pores get clogged up with oil and dead cells, products gets collected inside the pores causing pimples. An intense workout can make you sweat profusely, eliminate all the bacteria and give you a beautiful blemish free face. It is important to practice good hygiene after a workout as sweating can make your skin go the opposite direction too. Wearing sweat-soaked clothes for a long time or avoiding a quick wash allows more bacterial debris to lodge on your skin.

Prevents Kidney Stones

A kidney stone is a hard accumulation of chemicals, minerals and acids found in urine. About half a million people get hospitalized due to kidney stones every year. It can cause severe lower back pain, nausea, vomit, blood streaked and smelly urine. Sweating puts your body in a state of dehydration, which in turn will tell your brain to drink water. Do not ignore it and rehydrate yourself. It can make you visit the bathroom more frequently but eventually, it will flush out oxalates, uric acid and cystines that form kidney stones.