Why sweating is important
Sweating often gets a bad rap, but this natural process shouldn’t be seen as embarrassing or dirty. Sweating is an important function that keeps our bodies healthy in a number of ways:
Regulating temperature
Sweating is your body’s way of cooling down when it gets too hot. That’s why you sweat when you exercise, or when the weather is very warm. As your body temperature rises, the nervous system stimulates your eccrine glands; these release sweat comprised mostly of water and sodium, which helps to cool you down.
The amount that a person sweats is indicated by a number of factors: two of these are fitness level and weight. Somebody who is very fit will sweat more readily than a less fit person, because their body has become more effective at cooling itself. This rapid cooling allows them to exercise for longer. Conversely, somebody who weighs more is also likely to sweat more, because their body is using more energy to function and requires more cooling down than somebody of a healthier weight.
Detoxing
Our daily lives expose us to a lot of toxins, chemicals and heavy metals, both in the food that we eat and the air that we breathe. One of the key ways that our body releases these toxins is through our sweat. If our bodies aren’t able to reduce the amount of toxins they contain we can begin to suffer from toxic overload, which can result in health problems like fatigue, acne, muscle pain and more.
Sweating also helps to clear your lymphatic system, which is important for maintaining your immune system. Too many toxins in the lymph nodes can lead them to become infected, which can compromise your immune system and leave your susceptible to poor health.
Cleaning pores
As well as detoxing the body from the inside, sweating can help clean your body outside too. Regardless of the amount of cleaning, cleansing or toning that you do, it isn’t possible to wash away every bit of dirt and grime in your pores. Sweating is the best kind of deep cleanse you can get, opening the pores and cleaning away the grime to help your skin become clean and clear.
Fighting bacteria and viruses
Research has shown that sweat is a natural antimicrobial, fighting germs so that they can’t enter your body. The Dermcidin found in your sweat works to reduce the amount of bacteria on your skin, helping to lower the risk of infection. Sweat also helps fight off viruses and bacteria already inside your body by killing those that can’t survive above 37oC.
So how can you maximise all of these great benefits? Pretty much any form of intense exercise will cause you to sweat, especially if doing so in warm weather. Saunas will also increase your core body temperature, heating you from the inside out and resulting in a deeper, more cleansing sweat. You should also avoid using antiperspirants which stop your body from releasing sweat.
Unlike antiperspirants, Trust anti-odorant lets your body sweat while combating the unpleasant smell associated with body odour. It also only needs to be applied once every 3 to 6 days, leaving you to get on with your life without worrying about odour.
