Fitness Column - Get sweaty

I sweat a lot as it is, but with this blistering heat outside - it’s been like a sauna in the spin room and I come out dripping! My spin instructor tells me sweat is good for you, is this true?

The Colonel says: Mike, good on you for getting on the spin bike! Spinning is an excellent calorie-burner!

We hear all the time that sweating is good for you when it comes to exercise: something we don’t really want to hear as it’s pretty gross really!

On the whole, your spinning instructor is totally right, working up a sweat is good for you - especially when it’s due to intense exercise! First off - why do we sweat?

Well, it’s vital for your body to sweat: it prevents your body from overheating. When you work out, your muscle contractions generate heat, and therefore sweat is produced to cool you down.

Is it good for you? Yes. Many experts believe sweating can flush the body of toxins like alcohol, cholesterol and salt.

You might have heard it’s good for your skin, that’s also true. Sweating opens your pores and releases grit and grime that’s built up inside them, it blasts the zits!

Sweating actually eases any aches and pains you have too.

Sweating stimulates neurochemical pathways in the brain, releasing endorphins (natural pain killers).

So more sweaty workouts could actually save you a few pennies spent on trips to the physio for massages!

Ultimately, although you may agree at the time whilst you’re in the middle of a gruesome boiling hot spinning class, sweating is great for your health. Work up that sweat!