OK, I know that sweating is generally viewed as, well, gross. But it turns out, sweating is actually really good for you and it benefits your body in a big way.
Sweating is a way for our body to naturally release any toxins, pollutants, and chemicals that are inside of us. Toxins, pollutants, and chemicals can be inhaled from the air we breathe or ingested through the food and drinks we consume, and they can seep through our pores into our system. When we sweat it’s somewhat like a built-in cleansing system meant to protect us. It is one of the most efficient of many ways to detoxify and cleanse your body.
But there’s more to sweating than just the detoxifying benefits. There is a whole mess of reasons we should sweat regularly and embrace it as our very own medicine from within. Here are 7 great reasons to get sweaty.
1. Regulates Body Temperature
This may be one of the better-known benefits of sweating. When our internal temperatures begin to rise, our body slowly begins to regulate its temperature by sweating. When we are stressed, anxious, nervous, exercising, or in some sort of danger, our body heat rises. This is why a lot of people tend to sweat when they’re nervous: the body is trying to cool itself down.
2. Skin Cleanser & Clarifier
A majority of people is under the impression that sweat is one of the leading causes of acne. On the contrary, when we sweat, our pores open up and any grease, dirt, or buildup is released and cleaned away through the sweat. Without sweating, the grit and grime are left behind, causing the buildup of bacteria, which causes zits and unwanted acne. Our sweat alone isn’t enough to keep us totally clean, though; it is important to wash the sweat off of our body to avoid a reverse effect. Wash your face with warm water and then finish it off with a splash of cold water. The cold water will close your pores, helping keep dirt out.
3. Kidney Stone Prevention
The buildup of calcium and salts in our kidneys is what causes kidney stones. Sweating allows the body to remove any excess salts from the body while making use of the calcium provided by the salts. If the salts can be removed through sweating and the calcium is absorbed and used, then that means there is less work for the kidneys, as well as less of a chance of any buildup forming. Basically, what salt is not removed through our sweat must pass through the kidneys, being removed through our urine. The sooner it’s released, the better.
4. Antibiotic Properties
Yes, you read that correctly. Our sweat glands, which secrete the sweat, contain their very own antimicrobial peptide that protects our skin from infection. When we get scratched or cut, our sweat glands automatically release antibiotics to the affected area.
5. Healing
Not only do our sweat glands clean and protect our wounds and skin but they also have the ability to actually heal them as well. Sweating helps our body heal mentally, physically, and sometimes emotionally.
6. Feel-Good Effect
You may have heard that exercising is good for you in many ways. Exercising triggers the release of endorphins that are associated with the pleasure sensors in our brain. It isn’t just the exercise alone that triggers the release; sweating also plays a role in this feel-good effect. When you exercise, your body heats up and when the sweat is released so are the endorphins.
7. Pain Reliever
The same endorphins that produce the feel-good hormones are the same ones responsible for the all-natural pain relief that comes with them. This release that causes you to feel good can also make you feel better.
4 Ways To Get Your Sweat On
- Saunas
- Steam Treatments: Partial or Full Body
- Steam Baths
- Exercising
Don’t be afraid to sweat! It’s normal, it’s healthy, and there are all sorts of benefits that come with it too. Remember the sweat alone can’t do the whole job – it’s important that we wash the toxin-filled sweat off of our body in order for it to stay healthy and clean. Our sweat and our sweat glands make their very own medicine that is built-in for health and healing. Isn’t that amazing?
