How Much Sweating Is Healthy For You?

Sweating is very cleansing for your body. Various cultures throughout time have embraced this fact as demonstrated by the prevalent uses of sweat lodges, bath houses and steam rooms in numerous traditions. When you sweat, your body undergoes a series of processes that allow for the release of toxins and an increase in metabolism.

What Is Sweat?

Sweat is made up mostly of water but also contains minerals, urea, lactic acid, ammonia and sugar. Sweating is your bodies way of regulating its temperature. When you run long distances or exercise in hot weather, for example, your muscles exert themselves and your body overheats. Sweating is your body’s way of bringing your temperature back to normal.

The Benefits of Sweating

When you sweat, you breathe faster, your heart works more, your circulation improves and your metabolism accelerates, all in an effort to resume your normal body temperature. Because your circulation is increased during sweating, many of the toxins and impurities are able to exit your body by way of your open skin pores. This is a good reason to exercise to the point of sweating or to sit in a steam room regularly.
Your skin also benefits from sweating. Your skin pores open and any dirt or impurities on the surface layers of the skin have a chance to exit. Sweating regularly, if followed by proper cleansing, will help you to achieve softer and smoother skin.
It is believed that the immune system also benefits from sweating. When your body heats up, your body generates more white blood cells. This strengthens your immune system.

Sweating for Weight Loss

Sweating has been discussed heavily as a tool for weight loss. The weight that you lose through sweating is water weight. This weight is quickly replaced when you replenish your fluids. However, activities that lead to sweating often burn up calories. Sitting in a sauna uses up energy as your body tries to restore your normal temperature. If you are sweating because you have been exercising, you have been burning calories.
So, sweating is a good goal to incorporate as part of a weight loss program because it means that your body is eliminating toxins and burning up calories. Just be sure to make sweating a part of a larger program of balanced nutrition and exercise for a maximum effect.

Sweating for Stress Relief

Sweating can also be very relaxing for both your body and your mind. When you sweat, your body’s muscles are warmed up by humidity and heat. This helps to release the stress and fatigue brought on by muscle tension.
Sweating is healthy and cleansing. It helps your body get rid of toxins. It cleanses your skin. Sweating gets your circulation going and increases cardiovascular activity. It increases your metabolism, leading to calorie burning. It boosts your immune system. Sweating is also an effective stress reliever. To enjoy the health benefits of sweating, include activities in your daily life such as regular exercise, working in the garden on a warm day or sitting regularly in steam rooms and saunas.

Cools Body Heat
Sweating helps your cool off body heat. It is the body's natural mechanism to let out steam and keep the internal temperature comfortable. Sweating in the peak of summers is thus healthy and even necessary.

Cleans Skin Pores
Sweating removes the toxins from your skin pores. In this process the pores open up and you are less prone to acne and other skin problems.

Helps Lose Weight
You might have heard very often that if you want to lose weight, then sweat it out. When you sweat due to exercises, you are actually burning calories and improving your rate of metabolism.

What Does Excessive Sweating Indicate?
While sweating is healthy, sweating too much is a sign of health problems. Here are some of the health conditions that can cause excessive sweating.

Heart Attack
When you are about to have a heart attack, you sweat profusely. This is accompanied by muscular pain and nausea.

Thyroid
Too much sweating can also be caused by thyroid gland malfunction. You usually have sweaty palms if you have high thyroid.

Menopause
Sweating and hot flashes are a common symptoms of menopause and hormonal disorders.

Leukaemia Or AIDS
If you break into cold sweats at night then it can be due to two deadly disease; blood cancer or AIDS.

How To Know Your Sweating Is Excessive?
The amount of sweat your body generates depends on several special conditions. For example, some people naturally sweat more than others, Meanwhile, people who do hard physical exercise or labour are prone to sweating. However, excessive sweating is a situation in which you sweat more than it is required for your body's normal functioning.
This can be determined by a test case. If you sweat when you are not feeling hot or sitting quietly in your living room or sleeping, then your sweating is not normal. Your body should sweat only when you feel hot, anxious or do some physical activity. Any sweating that occurs without these three conditions is excessive.