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Does Sweating Help You Lose Weight? It is a misconception that sweating burns extra calories, if that were the case sitting without a fan or A/C during summertime would be your go-to for burning calories. Sweating is the body’s natural way to cool down and regulate temperature, your sweat is also known as perspiration and is made of water with some salt and other substances. So in that sense sweating out enough liquid may help you temporarily lose water weight.
So what exactly makes us lose weight if it’s not sweating? Burning calories is directly dependent on the intensity and time you put in physical activity and not the is independent of how much you sweat.
What is sweat why does it happen?
Sweat is your body’s natural way of regulating temperature. When you get hot or your body overheats, your sweat glands release a mixture of water, salt, and other essential elements such as Potassium, Magnesium, and calcium with electrolytes such as sodium and chloride that evaporate from your skin, cooling you down and help to maintain a balanced body temperature. While in stress or while doing rigorous exercises such as HIIT or high-intensity training workouts, we sweat because our internal organs’ temperature heart rate, and blood pressure increase during an intense workout.
Sweating also removes impurities from our body such as metabolic waste and toxicants. Additionally, while we sweat a lot we lose a bit of water weight temporarily because after we hydrate we regain that lost weight.
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Does sweating burn calories?
No, sweating does not burn calories. We also burn calories while doing activities where we don’t sweat much such as swimming, lifting light weights, yoga, or exercising in cold weather. Sweat indicates the intensity of your workout, not the amount of calories you have burnt.
Fat loss occurs when the body uses stored fat for energy, which is only achieved through a calorie deficit diet. According to WHO adults can aim to work out over 300 minutes of moderate exercise, or more than 150 minutes of intense exercise each week.
Why do people sweat at different rates?
The rate of sweating in different people depends on several factors such as genetics, environment, age, fitness level, and weight. During vigorous exercise, your weight and fitness level depend on the amount you sweat. If you weigh more, your body has to work harder to cool down, leading to more sweat. On the other hand, if you’re in better shape, you may sweat faster because your body becomes more efficient at regulating temperature.
Another key factor that determines why some people sweat more and others less, is the number of sweat glands present in a person. People can have between two to four million sweat glands, and those assigned male at birth often have more active sweat glands. Additionally, conditions like hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), anhidrosis (lack of sweating), and hypohidrosis (inadequate sweating) can affect sweat production.
Risk Factors
While sweating is good for cooling down, detoxification, and healthier skin, there are also several risk factors with losing too much body fluids such as:
- Dehydration which can lead to dry mouth, dark urine, dizziness, or reduced sweating.
- Severe dehydration is dangerous and requires medical attention, with symptoms including confusion, fainting, a weak or rapid pulse, and lack of urination.
- Excessive sweating, known as hyperhidrosis, can also interfere with daily life. If you sweat excessively or experience sudden night sweats, it’s important to see a doctor.
- Issues with sweat glands, such as anhidrosis (lack of sweating), hyperhidrosis (too much sweating), hypohidrosis (inadequate sweating), or miliaria (blocked sweat ducts causing skin irritation), can also create problems.
- To stay safe, ensure you’re drinking enough water—especially in hot weather or during exercise—to prevent dehydration.
How to burn calories?
To burn calories you need to burn off more calories than you take in. To safely burn calories, it is recommended to perform different types of physical activities, with aerobic exercises burning the most. The more intense the activity is the more calories you burn and lose weight. To lose 1 pound you need to burn 3,500 calories which seems impossible but is achievable by doing certain physical activities such as:
- Yoga or swimming
- Games such as volleyball, football, and badminton.
- Take the stairs when you can
- Walk to your workplace (if possible) or take the stairs
- Strength training
- Adopt healthy eating habits, portioning meals, and calculating calorie intake is what most people consider along with working out to burn calories.
Key Takeaways
Sweating and the amount of calories burned are inversely proportional to each other, meaning sweating does not burn any amount of calories. Sweating is the body’s natural way to cool down and regulate temperature while burning calories is directly dependent on the intensity of the physical activity you perform. Weight loss occurs through a calorie deficit, where the body uses stored fat for energy. The rate of sweating varies from person to person based on factors like genetics, fitness level, weight, and the number of sweat glands. So to maintain a healthier weight it is recommended to perform aerobic exercises such as yoga, swimming, and strength training along with a healthier diet.
