Is Sweating Good for You? 

Sweating, also known as perspiration is a healthy part of life. This is a normal function of the body which results in the release of liquid from the sweat pores that helps keep the body cool. The manner in which a person sweats or perspires cannot be controlled, as this process is controlled under the autonomic nervous system. Almost all people perspire when they feel hot, when exercising and when feeling certain emotions, such as anxiety, fear and excitement. The amount you sweat depends on the number of sweat glands you have. Women have more sweat glands than men, although men have sweat glands that are more active.

Is Sweating Good for you?

While sweating is definitely an uncomfortable feeling, it has many benefits. If you are wondering as to what such benefits are, here are some good that can come out of sweating.

  1. Keep Normal Temperature - Sweating is the body's way of helping regulate body temperature. With sweating, the body reduces its body temperature as the perspiration acts as a cooling agent on the skin. 
  2. Remove Toxins -Many toxins and impurities in the body are also excreted via sweat. It is believed that sweating can also prevent the development of an illness, such as a cold.
  3. Lose Weight - One of the best methods of losing weight is through exercise. When you exercise the sweat that comes out of your pores include water-soluble fat. Therefore, sweat away your pounds by engaging in some rigorous exercises.
  4. Clean Skin - Sweating also ensures cleaner skin as it opens the skin pores. Dirt and other substances on the surface layers exit via sweat. This cleanses the skin leaving you with smoother and softer skin. Heavy sweating, through exercise, can also delay the signs of aging.
  5. Lower Stress - Endorphins are hormones produced as a response to various stimuli, such as stress, fear or pain. The release of endorphins occurs when you sweat during exercise. This helps you complete your workout, as well as, make you feel happier. Feeling happier can reduce stress levels. Stress can be lowered by using a sauna and steam room which will help you sweat away your stress levels.
  6. Improve Health - Sweat causes the removal of harmful toxins and diseases out of the body. Sweat removes metal from the body faster than the kidneys. Sweat can also eliminate cholesterol, salt and alcohol from the body. Cardiovascular health also improves due to sweat as the heart has to work harder to improve circulation when the body heats up and starts sweating.

How Much Does a Man Sweat?

The amount a person sweats depends and varies from person to person and the actions that cause sweating. For example, people living in warmer climates may be more susceptive to sweating than people living in cooler climates. Also, a construction worker may sweat more than an office employee. Individually too, people differ in their level of sweating. Some people have a higher level of exertion than others and will sweat less during exercise.

What Is Excessive Sweating?

There are times when you may sweat more than necessary. For example, if a person who is sitting calmly watching television sweats while doing so, he may be having a condition known as hyperhidrosis. This is a condition which causes excessive sweating. This occurs when the body's cooling mechanism goes haywire and produces more sweat than necessary. It is not easy identifying the symptoms of excessive sweating. However, abnormal sweating sometimes occurs, for women, when they are close to menopause. Abnormal sweating can also occur due to various medications and a condition known as Frey's syndrome.  Excessive sweating can be identified if sweating from only one area of the body and if you sweat during winter.

To sum up, is sweating good for you? A certain amount of sweat is good for the body. Therefore, engage in activities that will make your body sweat, so that benefits can be derived. However, excessive sweating is not. Therefore, if you detect any indication of abnormal, excessive sweating, you should seek medical advice.

References
  1. Doheny, K. (n.d.). How Much Sweating Is Too Much?.In Skin Problems & Treatments Health Center.Retrieved February 28, 2013, from http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/features/how-much-sweating-is-too-much?print=true.
  2. Sweating.(n.d.).Sweating. In Medicine Plus. Retrieved February 28, 2013, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003218.htm.
  3. Walk with Wallgreens. (October 4, 2012). 5 Benefits of Sweating.In http://walk.walgreens.com.Retrieved February 28, 2013, from http://walk.walgreens.com/blog/post/5-benefits-of-sweating.
  4. The Benefits of Sweating. (February 21, 2010). The Benefits of Sweating.In http://www.3fatchicks.com.Retrieved February 28, 2013, from http://www.3fatchicks.com/the-benefits-of-sweating/.