Is Sweating A Sign Of A Good Workout?

How do you judge when you’ve done a good workout? For some people, it’s when your face is red and your back is drenched in sweat. No matter how fit you get, you’re still wondering - why do I sweat so much when I workout? For others, no matter how hard they train, they’re lucky to see one bead of sweat. Sweat or no sweat - do either of them say anything about your workout or fitness level? It’s a good question! Keep reading to find out!

Why do we sweat? 

You probably already know that sweat is released when your body is trying to cool itself down. When you’re working out, your muscles and core temperature rise. Your body responds by controlling your internal temperature, so your brain signals for your thermoregulatory response to start. That’s when you begin to perspire. This is called thermal sweating — yes, there are different types of sweating (we all know what it’s like to get nervous sweats!). 

How much you sweat can be determined by different things; genes, gender, age, metabolic rate, the temperature around you and what you’re wearing. To make sure your workout clothes are drawing sweat away from your body, wash them regularly.

Does sweating mean you’ve done a good workout?

Firstly, any workout you do is good! Don’t forget that. Due to differences in things like genetics, climates and training styles, sweating isn’t the best measure of how good your workout is or how fit you are.

For example, walking outside on a hot day may cause you to sweat more than if you did a resistance session in an air-conditioned gym while the way you sweat in a tropical city will probably be very different to how much you sweat on a cold winter’s day too.

Likewise, doing a Pilates session, which is all about strengthening your core muscles, may not have you sweating as much as you do during a HIIT workout.

Everyone is different too — some people naturally get sweatier than others. That means sweat might not be a reliable indicator of how hard you’ve worked. 

Whether you’re sweating or not, you should always aim to stay hydrated! Make sure you drink water before and after a workout as well as during the day, even if you’re not sweating a lot. Your body also loses a lot of water through breathing, and we tend to breathe heavier during exercise.

What are some other signs of a good workout?

Sweat aside, there are plenty of other ways to tell if you’ve had a good workout. 

Other signs are:

• You simply feel good! The endorphin rush can improve how you feel, and if you’re feeling worse post-workout, it might be a good idea to consider trying a different training style until you find something you enjoy.
• Your heart rate has increased.
• You’re out of breath during your workout — if you can hold a conversation, you might not be challenging yourself enough.
• Your muscles feel fatigued — the last few reps of a resistance workout should be extra tough!

Focus on how you feel!

You might sweat during all of your workouts, only in some or barely at all. When there are so many different factors at play, how much you sweat doesn’t necessarily say anything about how hard you are working. 

A consistent routine and a workout plan that grows with you will ensure you are on your way to becoming fitter, stronger and healthier. 

Whether you sweat a lot or a little, don’t let that stop you from working towards your fitness goals!