Working up a Sweat!

"Give me the power to create a fever, and I shall cure any disease” ~ Hippocrates (The Father of medicine) Why do we sweat?  Sweat is our body’s way of cooling ourselves down.  When we perspire we not only keep our body from overheating but we expel toxins, metals and even disease from our system.  Hippocrates made the statement above as he discovered  that by raising the body temperature above 98.6 degrees allows the body to fight off germs, on top of ridding itself of toxins and irritants.  The majority of bacteria and virus’ we as humans come in contact with cannot survive in our body above the temperature of 98.6.  The sauna and the hot bath were historically used for healing, childbirth and for curing diseases.  

Here in the tropics, we live in a natural sauna.  Sweating daily, although it can be annoying or uncomfortable at times is a fact of life, and has many benefits.  One of the cons of course is that there is more laundry at the end of the day as we sweat through our closet of clothing.  By sweating we also allow our bodies to acclimatize.  If you can avoid turning on the air-conditioning every time you feel a glow coming over you, will not only help you adjust to the heat, but it will also help your electricity bill.

Check out the list of benefits to working up a sweat:

·         Improved circulation

·         Improves skin health (keeps the wrinkles away or at bay)

·         Eases joint pain and stiffness

·         Reduces Cellulite

·         Eliminates impurities like heavy metals in our body (mercury, lead, copper)

·         Burns calories and controls weight (I like the saying “let the fat drip off of you”)

·         Reduces stress and fatigue

·         Promotes a healthy immune system

·         Strengthens the cardiovascular system

I do however want to remind everyone that the more we sweat the more we need to rehydrate ourselves.  I am referring to rehydrating with water, and maybe a splash of Gatorade.  Working out in the garden all day and then sitting down and drinking a few beers without any water, won’t quite cut it.  We are supposed to be drinking a minimum of 1 litre of H20 a day.  With the increase in exercise and the increase in perspiration this should easily be increased to 2-3 litres per day.  Always carry a bottle of water, get out and get working up sweat and I am telling you, your body will love you for it!!

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Karyn Saunders is a young expat who has been living in the Playa Community for close to 3 years.  Her passion for Panama and for her community has been seen through her articles that bring insight and discussion, and often offer useful information on living in the tropics.  Karyn is a Virtual Recruiter, Article Writer and has come to specialize in Social Media Marketing. Her passion however is Personal and Professional Life Coaching and Motivational speaking.