First off Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates! Its not a huge holiday for my family since we’re not very religious, but still a nice time of year! And for one thing, it signals that Spring is in full swing! Woo!
So as the title suggests Saturday’s (and sometimes Sunday’s!) have become my SWEAT days as of late! And by that I mean my hot yoga days!
Okay, I know what you’re thinking, “on a day all about treats and eats, you’re gonna talk to us about sweat, Kaila? GROSS!” Yeah well, its really beneficial and healthy for the body, once you get past the less than appealing parts of it! Trust me, you’ll come out of this post loving sweat as much as I do!
*at least I hope
*
With all the hot yoga I’ve been doing lately, I find myself craving a good sweat. Releasing all that liquid at once feels so detoxifying to me and really makes me feel amazingly rejuvenated for days after. I decided it was time to do a little research on if sweating really does benefit the body in anyway other than its awesome mental effects.
We all know sweats main job is to cool down our bodies when they begin to overheat…but in reality it does SO much more!
Here’s what I found:
-Sweating helps remove toxins and disease out of the body.
The kidneys can take up to 24 hours to remove harmful toxins like lead and mercury out of the body, while sweating removes these metals much faster. Sweating can also rid the body of harmful substances like alcohol, cholesterol and salt. 30% percent of the body’s wasted is eliminated through sweat!
-Sweating provides awesome benefits for the skin!
Sweat contains small amounts of antibiotics that can combat some of the bacteria that are found naturally on the skin. Sweating can also unclog pores which will help improve the skin‘s tone, clarity and texture. Profuse sweating can also slow the signs of early aging and help reduce the effects of skin damage.
(I have definitely seen improvements in the clearness and softness of my skin since practicing hot yoga more regularly!)
-Increasing your body heat by exercise or saunas does has a positive effect on mood and stress levels.
Endorphins and other chemicals are released during exercise that naturally improve mood and lower stress levels. Also, heating the muscles through various methods can relax them which also aides in lowering stress levels.
(I don’t know if it’s the yoga or the heat or the intense sweating or the combination of the three, but I am DEFINITELY more calm and clear headed lately!)
-Sweating gets your circulation going and increases cardiovascular activity.
It increases your metabolism, leading to calorie burning.
-Sweating can even boost your immune system!
When your body heats up, your body generates more white blood cells. This strengthens your immune system. Many viruses and bacteria can’t live in temperatures above 98.6, so in many cases, sweating literally burns away illness.
Sources-
http://www.3fatchicks.com/the-benefits-of-sweating/
Pretty cool right?!
Of course, with all this sweat you have to make sure you are rehydrating yourself properly…preferably with fluids and foods that contain electrolytes (because those also come out when you sweat a ton!).
So next time you’re in the gym or sweating it out in a yoga class, don’t be self conscious about your sweat marks! Think of them as an indicator of all the good you are doing for your body!
So here’s to some healthy sweat!
Tell me:
What’s your favorite way to work up a sweat?
Nothing does it for me like a hot yoga class!
Do you feel any positive effects from your daily sweat sessions?
Most definitely!! Especially the things I mentioned above!
Favorite way to rehydrate?
COCONUT WATER! Gotta love those natural electrolytes!
Hope everyone’s holiday/weekend was great!
Kaila
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