Hey guys, I’ll be writing a new line of blog posts called: “Misconceptions in Exercise & Nutrition”.
They will be shorter in nature and are aimed at debunking the misconceptions about fitness and nutrition that are widespread in the media and society.
The first one in this series is the common belief that you have to sweat a lot to get a superior workout.
Now if you are sweating during a workout, it may well be a sign that you are exercising intensively, which is great. But sweating a lot is NOT the end goal of a workout. Sweating can happen when you’re in a sauna, standing outside during a humid day, or even when you’re in a state of anxiety, but none of these situations can be considered a good workout!
In fact, the amount that you sweat can be influenced by a whole range of factors, including gender, genetics, environmental conditions, age or your fitness level.
The amount you sweat is not just influenced by how intensively your are exercising, or even how hot it is. In fact, the amount that you sweat can be influenced by a whole range of factors, including gender, genetics, environmental conditions, age or your fitness level. [1]
Equally, in certain conditions it is possible to work out intensively without sweating a lot.
Let me give you an example:
If you were to do two different workouts: a) waving your hand in a temperature controlled room at 38 degrees celsius with a humidity factor of 85%; or b) my ACT class in the middle of winter with no heating – I guarantee you will be much sweatier doing workout a) than workout b), but workout b) will be a much more effective workout (and much more difficult!).
So until next time, keep training and sweating, but don’t worry about how much you are sweating!