the secret about sweat

There’s actually really no secret about sweat... but there is a lot of misinformation. One example of this is the idea that sweat can carry away the previous nights’ sins and help the body rid itself of impurities. People go to hot yoga because they swear they can feel their body detoxifying when it's actually the water they are chugging afterwards that is helping to flush out the liver. I've actually gotten scolded by a rider in one of my classes for having the fans on too high because he wasn't sweating enough and therefor was losing the benefit of the workout.

In reality, sweat is mostly water. What sweat CAN do is cool the body as it evaporates. And whether someone sweats more or less then their neighbor in the kickboxing class is not an indicator of fitness. Some people just run hot or cold, yet clients worry when they start sweating that it means they are out of shape. Nope, it just means the body is recognizing that it's time to turn on its internal cooling switch, and the sooner you start sweating, the better your body is at recognizing that it is about to be put to work.

Even though sweat provides the very crucial benefit of maintaining a safe core body temperature, it can be uncomfortable. The more skin that is exposed, the faster the sweat can evaporate, but most people don't start a workout routine ready to take it all off for a run or workout. Jake wants to lose 15 more pounds before he runs without a shirt on. Julie won't wear a tank top until she feels better about how her arms look. Joe looks like he is sweating to death in his old cotton t-shirts from college.

Here are a few tips that might help make your workout, and sweating, in general, a little less bothersome. Heck, you may even come to look forward to it! As a trainer I don't just assign the exercises, but I try to help my clients feel really good about every aspect of working out, even the less appealing ones. By clearing these mental and physical hurdles, we allow ourselves to push out distractions and really focus on the work that needs to be done.

1. Make the investment in fabrics that wick! Most athletic fabrics are synthetic, so they will not absorb water. This is also important for cold weather, as you don't want your sweat to get trapped against your skin and cause your body temperature to drop. In warm weather, wicking fabrics help move moisture so that your body recognizes that its cooling response is working. If you prefer the feel of more natural material, look for items with mohair or merino wool that will have the same drying and cooling properties.
2. Dress for yourself, not others. I know too many people who sweat and suffer in full-length tights year-round because they're afraid to show any leg above the knee. Obviously, I want my clients to do what will make them feel most confident (and not violate any gym dress codes!), but overheating during a workout makes it harder to work safely or effectively.
3. When your cooling system can work well, you can work harder. Ever notice how on a humid summer day everything feels harder, but on a breezy dry day you feel like you can go a lot farther with less effort? The sweat evaporating signals to your body's control panel that the sweat is doing what it's supposed to do, which allows you to safely exert more. Your digestive tract works better, and your body can more readily accept and absorb fluids and nutrients, like water or electrolytes, which in turn will also help you work harder.
4. Simple tweaks to your routine will make all systems more efficient. Adding short bursts of intense exercise throughout your routine will boost your metabolism, improve your conditioning during the workout, and eventually help you see shorter recovery times. This will allow your body to then put out more effort in a shorter period of time, maximizing the work you do and helping you overcome that plateau where weight loss has stalled.

Here in the south, we tend to succumb to a reverse hibernation, hiding out when the heat is on. But it could be heating up as soon as a month from now, so it's time to start planning how you're going to maintain your fitness routine in a safe and comfortable way!