Let's Sweat

From Swedish saunas or hot springs in Iceland, to Native American sweat lodges. Sweating has been part of our culture for thousands of years and even the snow monkeys of Japan love nothing better than a hot spring to steam in. We look at why sweating is beneficial and modern day options to get sweaty!

Patricia Clarke Dip. Nat. Nut.and
Angela MacRitchie Dip. Nat. Nut.

Sweat disposes the body of toxins that can clog the pores and cause pimples and blemishes. There are also studies showing that sweat protects the skin from bacteria like E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus by secreting an antibiotic Dermcidin. So sweating is natural plus it is beneficial to the whole of the skin.

When the toxin load is too large for the kidneys and the liver and is not able to leave the body, this is stored as fat and the body rids itself through sweating. So making sure you sweat this Equitox will help with losing fat as well as detoxifying the body.

Another reason to sweat is to clear toxic metals. There is a systematic review in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health that shows an array of toxins are excreted in sweat such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, flame retardant chemicals and BPA. Another reason to get sweating

Here are a few benefits of sweating:

• It controls a proper temperature and stops us from over heating
• It cleans the pores which will help eliminate blackheads and acne.
• It expels toxins, which will support proper immune function and prevent diseases related to toxic overload.
• It improves blood circulation.
• It helps relieve stress and promote relaxation
• It kills viruses and bacteria that cannot survive above 98.6 Fahrenheit.

Angela and Patricia have looked at various ways we can sweat so if one way is not for you, there should be a way below that grabs your attention.

Let’s sweat with exercise

This is the most obvious way for us to sweat. Get the heart rate going in the gym, taking a run or a brisk walk, swim in a pool or a loch. Get your heart rate going so you can sweat.  

Let’s sweat with dance

Dancing is exercise but perhaps a different way to sweat. Dance classes have become more popular in recent years, such as salsa, jive, bar ballet, line dancing, ballroom dancing, zumba, tap dancing, modern jazz or wheelchair dancing. There is definitely something that will suit everyone.

Let’s sweat with sauna or steam rooms

Sauna’s or sweat lodges have been around for centuries in different cultures and one of the best ways to sweat. The difference between a sauna and a steam room is that the sauna uses dry heat whereas the steam rooms generate moist heat. 

There is much anecdotal research about their benefits but scientific research is low. However there is a lot of research on the benefits of heat. These include:

• Increased Endurance – The heat increases blood flow to the heart reducing cardiovascular strain and lowers the heart rate. It enhances endurance in trained and untrained athletes.
• Natural Growth hormone Production – Various combinations of sauna with cooling periods have shown amazing results in the growth hormone and they persists for a couple of hours after the sauna.
• Faster Recovery – Blood flow is increased to the muscles keeping them filled with glucose, fatty acids and oxygen while removing lactic acid, therefore assisting recovery.
• Increased insulin sensitivity – A study with diabetic mice using heat treatment for 30 minutes 3 times a week, resulted in a decreased insulin levels and significant reduction in blood glucose levels.
• Reduces risk of death from heart problems – This may be due to sauna placing the same stress on the heart and body as exercise.

A few traditional types of sauna include: Roman baths, Turkish baths, Scandanavian saunas and Aboriginal sweat lodges.

Even though sauna is considered safe, even for pregnant women, you should check with your doctor or medical professional first. 

Let’s sweat with far-infrared sauna

Far-infrared saunas are also called near-infrared or infrared sauna. This uses heat and light to help relax and detoxify the body. They omit infrared light waves that create heat in the body, causing you to sweat and release stored “toxins.”

They are different from regular saunas in that their light directly penetrates the skin but does not warm the air around you. Your body temperature goes up quickly but has no effect on the surrounding environment; therefore you can use them in your own home. It is good for people who cannot tolerate high temperatures.

The benefits of the far-infrared sauna include:

• Anti-aging effects
• Increased detoxification
• Pain reduction
• Joint and muscle support
• Cardiovascular healing

It’s believed to have parasympathetic healing which means the body can handle stress better. It sounds incredible and perhaps we will be hearing more about this type of remedy.

Let's sweat with hot yoga

It is a precise sequence of 26 exercises with 2 breathing exercises that are performed in 90 minutes in a 100 degree plus room. It allows the body to stretch, detoxify, relive stress, tone and heal pain from arthritis, joint aches or knee injuries.

Whatever you are doing during your Equitox, Angela and Patricia urge you to increase your heart rate and sweat as this will aid the detoxification process immensely. But the most important point of all is to enjoy it while you are clammy ;-)

Angela MacRitchie and Patricia Clark