When you’re working out, if you’re sweating, you feel like you’ve done a lot, right?
We know it’s the same way for us — sweating just makes us feel like we’ve accomplished more. But is that actually the case?
Nope. Not really.
A lot of factors come into play with regard to how much I sweat. Temperature is a big factor. I can sit outside in the sun all day and sweat profusely, but it doesn’t mean that I’m burning calories. It just means that I’m hot. On the flip side, I’ve run in 20-degree weather in January in Boston, burned a ton of calories, and barely perspired—but it doesn’t mean I didn’t work hard.
Our individual makeup also affects how much we perspire. I know a lot of people who don’t sweat very much while working out. My old roommate, for instance, would be cool as a cucumber after an hour-long aerobics class. I, however, would be drenched from head to toe. I used to be embarrassed by how much I sweat, but now I view my perspiration as a badge of honor and wear it proudly. To me, it says, “Look how hard I worked.” But, of course, I can get a great workout from an activity where I barely work up a sweat. Plus, less sweaty workouts like yoga provide different types of benefits: stretching, balance, and mental relaxation.
We know people who just refuse to sweat no matter how hard they work, and we’ve always wondered why that is. But there is definitely something psychological going on with how we feel better if we’ve worked up a sweat.
Pit stains for the win! LOLz!
But not required!
[Image via AP Images.]
