4 benefits of sweating that will make you feel less grossed out

If there's one thing that we do daily in Singapore, it's sweat. Our high humidity levels and tropical weather means that you'll sweat while walking outdoors, sweat while eating lunch at the hawker centre, and even sweat while just standing there waiting for the bus.

But as uncomfortable as sweating can be, it's an essential way for your body to regulate its temperature and prevent overheating.

Embrace those beads of perspiration and find some comfort in knowing that sweat is actually good for you.

Gets rid of toxins

While your liver and kidneys are the star players when it comes to detoxing, research increasingly shows that sweating also helps. (There's a reason why so many spas and gyms have steam rooms or saunas for you to sweat it out!)

A small study published in the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology found that various toxic elements are excreted from your body through sweat, while another published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health shows that your body can also rid lead, mercury and arsenic compounds through the skin at the same rate they're removed through urinary excretion.

Helps you trim kilos

While sweating is definitely not a prescription for weight loss, it's undeniable that you do lose water weight through perspiration.

Oftentimes, the activities that get you hot and sweaty are already good calorie burners anyway. Think running, HIIT workouts, climbing the stairs, a romp in the sack…

Keeps you healthy

Fight off germs and bugs with a good dose of vitamin C and some sweat. Yup, those drops of perspiration are actually home to a naturally-occurring antibiotic agent called dermcidin.

These are secreted by sweat glands and help to effectively combat pathogens like tuberculosis bugs and staphylococcus bacteria, finds research from the University of Edinburgh.

Gives you healthier skin

Sweat is probably the last thing you'd associate with healthy skin, but it does have some benefits for your complexion. When you sweat, your pores open up to allow surface dirt and impurities to 'wash' off.

The problem with sweat is not sweat itself, but letting the gunk sit on your skin for too long afterwards. Keep pimples and acne at bay by wiping away excess perspiration, and definitely hit the shower as soon as you can post-workout.

This article was first published in Shape.