Sweatin'

What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘sweat.’ Does it dredge up nasty visuals of hairy locker room guys? Maybe the visual you got was someone in a t-shirt with those telltale signs of pit sweat. Whatever leapt to the forefront of your mind, I’m sure it applies.

Did you know that the average person has around three million sweat glands that release fluids to keep the body cool? When we sweat, it is because we have become active, it is hot, or because we are stressed or anxious.

I recall thinking to myself years ago that I thought it was strange that I really never sweated. Is ‘sweated’ even a word? Either way, I didn’t. I was an avid baseball player, I jogged for about a month one time and even joined a gym where my reward after a terrific (but hated) workout was something greasy from a fast food place on the way home. Defeating the purpose? Ohhh that and far beyond.

Years later, when I started really paying attention to my health, I wondered why I didn’t sweat. The realization came to me one day when I was sitting in an infrared sauna.

Someone had suggested that I spend some time every day in one to help detox my system during a crucial time in my wellness. I have to admit it was a great experience that did wonders for me. Not only did I love the relaxation time, but it really improved my health…..but I remember not sweating and wondering why.

Hubby and I sat in the sauna that first day and it took him about 35 minutes to start sweating noticeably. That first day, I was in the sauna over an hour – I definitely felt it was hot in there, but I didn’t sweat.

The second day, I started to get clammy skin roughly half an hour into the experience. Were my pores so clogged with garbage that I physically couldn’t sweat? I had no clue, but that seemed logical to me at the time. Was my lymphatic system suffering and sluggish? Again – I didn’t know.

Several visits in, I was sweating my face off – and that’s exactly what it felt like. I initially felt miserable, an indication that my body was purging something. I could have revolted against all of this, but it had been my choice to go through it. Instead, I embraced it all. I thought of the positives to what I was doing.
I highly recommend the infrared saunas! There is a definite wellness element to them compared to standard saunas – feel free to Google the difference between the two.

Saunas are always a great way to relax, but I never had a clue that they could help me detox and get my health back on track.

Do you have a sauna? Tell me about it in the comments section.