What's the significance of breaking a sweat?

Question

In a couple of different contexts lately, I have heard advice about exercising that said it's important to break a sweat a few times a week. Surely it's not sweating itself that's important, but breaking a sweat means that some other beneficial process is happening in the body. What is this process?

In other words, what is breaking a sweat a sign of?

Let me phrase the question another way: apparently the people who say you should break a sweat are using breaking a sweat as an indicator of a beneficial thing that's happening in your body. So what is that thing?

In other words, I'm not asking how sweating happens. I'm asking what else is happening when you are sweating.

Answer 1

breaking a sweat= evidence that you are in fact exerting yourself because when you exert yourself the body generates more heat per se. this would have two-fold benefit the other being that perspiration is a method in which your body excretes waste or toxin from your system (along with all of the other excretions of course).

Answer 2

Sweat is how your body cools off. Moisture is pushed out of the pores onto the surface of your skin and you're cooled by the evaporation of the sweat. The moisture being taken from your body is what's important--when you sweat, it also means you have enough moisture in your body, namely, water. Sweating can also release other things from your body, I'm not sure what exactly, but it might be mild toxins.
Sweating is also a sign of your body reaching a point of fatigue. Which can be a sign of a good, healthy workout.

Answer 3

Sweating is your bodies way of regulating it's temperature. You are losing water and electrolytes in exchange for not passing out due to a heat stroke.

When you stop sweating (because you ran out of water) and are still working out (or in the heat) you will notice your are dizzy and nauseated. Your heart rate is up. You might want to throw up.
If you don't stop, drink some water, and get an IV stuck in you soon, you will get heat stroke or worse.

This is why it is important to drink lots of water and eat correctly before a long workout, so your body can regulate the temperature.

When you burn a calorie your muscles turns that chemical energy into heat. If you are "burning" calories in a short amount of time, your temperature will increase faster than your body can regulate it by sweating.

So sweating is ok, just don't work out just to achieve sweating though, because that shouldn't be your goal.

Answer 4

Sweat is the body's way of maintaining homeostasis. It's so the body won't overheat. They have botox and all that stuff now for your sweat glands, which is really bad, because then it prevents your body from cooling down. That's no good.

Answer 5

Hi drshorty! Interestingly, many exercisers, especially beginners, push themselves too hard when working out. This can lead them to fatigue, pain, and the abandonment of their exercise program. When you stay in your targeted heart rate range, you burn calories most efficiently and tend to finish a workout refreshed, not exhausted. Sweat or lack of it should not be the measuring stick for a good workout. Thus breaking a sweat isn't as important as working out in your target heart rate zone. If you're interested in a FREE calculation of your Heart Rate, please go to our site at http://www.A2ZFit.com/ftnscalc.htm and click on the Heart Rate Calculator. Also, we offer heart rate monitors on our site at http://www.A2ZFit.com/hrtrtmon.htm and will be adding new "belt-less" heart rate monitors in the next few months. We hope the above info helps. If you have any other questions, please let us know!

Answer 6

This is the same technique I have taught over 138,000 men and women in 157 countries to successfully treat their excessive sweating condition over the past 7 years!

Remember: Watch the whole video, as the ending will pleasantly surprise you�

Answer 7

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