Top 4 Underappreciated Health Benefits of Sweating

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 hope the second month of New Year resolution is in full swing and in sweat? Two thumbs up if you are saying yes! The summer months are nearing and it’s the time of the year when we are going to sweat, I think I should correct my statement here and say sweat more. Right guys?

Sweating is often an underappreciated process, most of us think sweating is absurd and freaking. Today, I am here with a post that reveals the little known health benefits of sweating.

Sweating is an amazing built-in system which our body uses to regulate the temperature itself through the process of sweat evaporation.

What Did You Here Just Now? Temperature Regulation?

Yes. Temperature regulation means preserving a stable internal temperature in order to survive. Here, I’ll make you acquainted with 2 terms, ectotherms and endotherms.

Ectotherms are species like reptiles that rely on the external environment to regulate the temperature of their body.

Endotherms are species that can regulate a consistent body temperature even when the external environment changes through thermoregulation mechanism.

We, humans, belong to the group of endotherms. Humans beings have a normal core temperature of around 37 degrees celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit). This is the optimal temperature at which the human body’s system functions. Thermoregulation is crucial to human life; without which the body would cease to function.

Why am I saying all this to you is because our body does this thermoregulation through sweating.

What is Sweat?

Sweat is basically the production of fluids secreted by sweat glands located in the body. Sweat is mostly water with dissolved trace amounts of minerals like lactic acid, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Sweat Is The Body’s Natural Air Conditioner

Imagine, how it would be to carry an air conditioner everywhere you go? Thank god, the human body is equipped with its own cooling system. Our skin is covered with approximately 2 to 4 million sweat glands.

A person’s degree of sweat mainly depends on physiological characteristics, including age, gender, room temperature, the level of exertion during exercise, how anxious a person feels and whether the person is overweight.

The millions of sweat glands in the body fall into 2 main types, eccrine glands and apocrine glands.

Eccrine glands are the sweat glands that are found nearly all over the body, where they connect to the outer layer of the your skin via ducts. Our nervous system stimulate these sweat glands to produce sweat. Apocrine glands are the sweat glands mostly found in areas with lots of hair follicles, like armpits.

While eccrine glands account for about 3 quarters of your body’s sweat glands, apocrine glands account for the remaining quarter.

Here we got sufficient pre-information before heading to the benefits of sweating…

SWEATING REGULATES BODY TEMPERATURE

Sweating is the way our body regulates its temperature. When you sweat, and it evaporates, sweat carries with it latent heat from the body and lowers core temperature. Our brain, more specifically the hypothalamus senses the internal temperature growing too hot or cold, and will send signals to the sweat glands. For example, if the body is generating heat during intense exercise or if the external temperature is elevated which causes a rise in the core temperature, the hypothalamus sends signals to sweat glands which results in skin to produce sweat. When you sweat during your workout, it means you’re able to regulate your temperature before it gets too high.

Sweat improves tolerance of body to exercise in the heat.

SWEATING BOOSTS MOOD & HELPS RELIEVE BODY PAIN

Have you ever noticed the similarity among kids and sports people, they always appear happy, energized and spirited. Yeah, the connection is they are physically active and sweat more. Does sweating make one happy? Not exactly, the act of sweating alone doesn’t ward off bad moods, but a good sweat in the gym or outdoors increases endorphin levels (the feel good hormones). Endorphins promote positive mood and an enhanced sense of overall well-being. Sweating releases endorphins that stimulate feelings of pleasure, well-being, and pain relief, making them an essential component of happy life.

Endorphins that your body secretes owing to your perspiration and stress not only act as mood enhancers, but also work as painkillers.

SWEATING HELPS PROMOTE CLEAR SKIN

When you sweat, your skin pores open up to release the excess buildup of toxins. Research has proven that sweat glands help our skin filter the toxins that clog skin pores and cause breakouts. I know most of you think, sweating is infectious to your skin, definitely yes excessive sweating can increase instances of skin infections like warts and acne.

Healthy sweating helps release unhealthy bacteria from deep skin pores that cause pimples and lead to clearer skin.

When working out it’s ideal to exercise wearing no make-up to keep the skin pores open so that toxins and harmful bacteria are released through pores.

Sweating can improve the overall clarity of your skin and lead to a natural healthy glow.

SWEATING CONTRIBUTES TO DETOX

As toxins accumulate in your body, there is a need to expel them, and sweat acts as a medium for the toxins to be flushed out of your system. If you have noticed, people who sweat more drink a lot of water. Apart from promoting great detox for your body, sweat prevents dehydration, promotes thirst which may lead to greater water consumption. Sweat glands similar to that of the renal system are perceived to play an important excretory function, responsible for clearing excess micronutrients.

Sweating excretes toxins stored in the fat and enhances their elimination.

SWEATING IS GOOD

From a physiological point of view, sweating is absolutely beneficial and healthy. As explained to you earlier, it is body’s natural mode of thermoregulation. Our body would tend to overheat if we did not sweat. You must also know that certain types of sweating like sweating excessively in the hot sun will lead to excessive dehydration, palpitation and giddiness and hence termed unhealthy. Sweating while being nervous or sick is associated with health issues like heat exhaustion, anxiety and cognitive decline.

TIPS TO COUNTERACT FLUID LOSS WHEN SWEATING?

1. Drink sufficient water throughout the day. You must drink 4-5 litres of water daily. Don’t wait for you to feel thirsty, drink water throughout the day.
2. Caffeinated and alcoholic beverages can amplify dehydration. Hence avoid them.
3. Choose water over energy drinks and carbonated beverages. 

The next time you buy an anti-perspirant, do think again, sweating is cool…

Working up a sweat and sipping plenty of water is what you need to follow…

 Also read: Benefits of pushups

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