Good things come to those who SWEAT

Call it whatever you want - glistening, glowing… There’s no more stigma about being the sweatiest one in your barre class and we couldn’t be happier. Gone are the days of being totally embarrassed by your drenched gym shirt just 15 minutes into your workout and beauty bloggers are constantly chasing that dewy look. The benefits of sweating are immeasurable and every day scientists seem to be uncovering more reasons why we should be proud to break a sweat.

Sweat literally contains antibiotics.

Okay, we all know the gym might not be the cleanest of public places, but the good news is that sweat contains something called dermcidin. This natural antibiotic peptide is at the front lines of your immune system, fighting bacteria within the first few hours after contact. Scientists tested dermcidin against several common species of bacterium, including E. Coli and Staph aureus (the latter of which is notorious for being particularly resistant to traditional antibiotics), and it killed them all. While it can’t hurt to wipe down the machines at the gym with those antibacterial wipes, rest easy knowing your eccrine glands have your back.

It can help clear out toxic materials from your body.

There might not be a more polarizing word in the health community than “toxins,” an umbrella term that people have used to define anything in the body that could be considered potentially problematic. “Toxic materials,” on the other hand, are very real and definable and include things like heavy metals and BPAs. According to research, sweating is a particularly efficient way of excreting some of these materials.

It’s amazing for your skin and hair.

Sweat can help you look better than ever thanks to something called sebum, an oily substance produced by the sebaceous glands that’s made to help keep the skin and hair moisturized. This, combined with the fact that sweat lifts out the other grit and grime that’s settled into your pores, will having you glowing long after your workout is over. With that said, don’t let that natural dew sit on your skin for too long. After exercising, wash your face so all those impurities that you just got rid of don’t settle back into your pores. Plus, let’s face it, showering post workout is probably appreciated by those around you.

Sweating will help you shed those last few stubborn pounds FAST.

We’ve all been there - you have a big event coming up, but you feel a bit bloated and don’t feel quite so comfortable in the perfect outfit you bought last month. If you’re on a time crunch, breaking a sweat will help you shed some water weight at lightning speed. Yes, this is a temporary solution, but a great way to feel great and boost your confidence so you’re ready to take on whatever comes your way.

Sweating is integral to living.

Probably the single most important benefit of sweating, it keeps your body running as efficiently as possible. That’s right! All those dainty people you know who think it’s “gross” couldn’t be more mistaken. Human beings need to sweat in order to live. While you might not notice it most of the time, when you start to get warm you can thank your sweat glands for preventing some awful things like heat stroke. When we work out, our body temperatures rise as the heart starts pumping more blood to deliver oxygen to different parts of the body. Your body’s reaction to this is to produce sweat and, as the droplets evaporate they take the heat with them, lowering your temperature back down to the ideal 98.6°F.