Sweat it out!

Thanks to technology- our lives just got easier, air conditioners at home, in the car, at the gym. No more worries about patchy underarms and being unhygienic. Anti perspirants, deodorants has helped us say good bye to sweat and body odour.

You probably do everything you can to stop your body from sweating but very few of us know that it is one of the best things our body can do. We have sweat glands for a reason. It is therapeutic.

Sweating surely has a bad reputation. But it is actually your body’s way of releasing toxins. It helps your skin, the largest organ to stay active. It has also been discussed heavily as a tool for weight loss; activities that lead to sweating often burn up calories and stay fit.

1) Sweating for maintaining body temperature: Sweat is made up mostly of water but also contains minerals, urea, lactic acid, ammonia and sugar. When you run long distances or exercise in hot weather, your muscles exert themselves and your body overheats and burn calories to keep your energy levels high. At the same time, your body starts to release sweat through your skin to help keep it from getting too hot. If you do not sweat enough, you can also suffer from heat stroke or heat exhaustion. It is your body’s way of bringing your temperature back to normal.

2) Sweating for fever: Getting a fever is no fun. So when you get a fever, the first thing you do is run to the medicine cabinet to reduce it. How ever, a fever is actually your body’s way of fighting off sickness by trying to help you sweat it out.

 

3) Sweating for relaxation: 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.

Fast paced life is taking a toll on our fitness. Sky scrapers are masticating on our gardens and playgrounds, gym being the only option to de-stress, thanks to lack of time; we munch on vada pavs and fast foods, yoga; ayurveda; homeopathic being replaced by allopathic, ancient healing techniques are  losing its grip.  It is not a struggle with life; it’s a struggle with death. Young people dying of blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks; losing their life even before it starts.

At such times sweating comes to your rescue! It does not only get your circulation going and increases cardiovascular activity but also your metabolism. It boosts your immune system. It is also an effective stress reliever.

Various cultures throughout time have also embraced this idea of cleansing your body by the prevalent uses of sweat lodges, bath houses and steam rooms in numerous traditions.

Hence say goodbye to those anti- perspirants, air-conditioners and hello to brisk walking, taking the stairs and every chance that you get to- SWEAT!

Krttika Shah

Change drives me, very vivacious, beaming and can speak for hours. I believe in lucid writing and simple thinking; high living.

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