The benefits of a good sweat

The benefits of a good sweat

"My mind's on fire / my soul's on fire / feeling hot, hot, hot ..."

Summertime has arrived, and if your forehead is dripping just reading those Arrow lyrics, don't worry: scientists agree that sweating is very healthy for you.

Sweating helps you breathe faster, helps your heart work more, helps your circulation improve and helps your metabolism accelerate.

Any weight lost by sweating is replaced when you replenish fluids, but the activities that lead to sweating often burn up calories. It's safe to assume if you've been sweating due to exercise, you have been burning calories - in fact, additional calories are burned to keep your body temperature safe.

Sweating is also your body's means of cleansing itself of harmful toxins. Sweating is essential in the process of removing toxins from the kidneys, liver and cardiovascular system, and those toxins are removed more quickly from your body when you sweat.

So don't be ashamed to sweat during your next workout - just remember the deodorant!

- Chris Strub