Working up a good sweat: Hot yoga, saunas, hot tubs and more | Lifestyles

Ever felt the sweat dripping off of you during a workout? How about feeling uncomfortably sweaty on a hot summer's day?

Remember your palms perspiring right before your first date or job interview? And what about that spicy Thai food you ate a few nights ago? Didn't you sweat just a wee bit?

Sweat happens. While most of us are secretly mortified at the thought of appearing hot and sweaty in front of our peers, experts say that the clear, salty liquid excreted by our skin is actually good for us. After all, it's the body's way of getting rid of excess body heat, which is produced by metabolism or working muscles.

"Our bodies have a natural system in place to prevent overheating - sweat!" says Dr. Mark Westphal, a dermatologist in Carbondale. "The primary function of sweat is to cool off. Sweat is mostly our body's way of regulating temperature."

A natural lubricant that prevents dry skin, the amount of sweat produced depends upon the number of sweat glands we have, our emotional state of mind and physical activity. According to proponents of sweat, the very act of sweating unclogs our pores, enhances skin tone, and stimulates the immune system. In cold weather, a warm glowing feeling often remains for hours following a sweat bath. In hot weather, the body feels cooler afterwards.

Followers of alternative medicine believe that sweat flushes toxic metals such as copper, lead, zinc, and mercury from our bodies. However, most mainstream medical professionals balk at the idea of "detoxification," calling it a misnomer of sorts, because they have seen little to no evidence to show removing buildup of toxins and chemicals is possible or important. Nevertheless they do admit that sweating is usually good for you, provided that you stay hydrated.

"There are a lot of people out there that think sweat takes toxins out of the body," Westphal says. "It may be possible, but not quite proven. People who exercise or those that use saunas and hot tubs need to make sure they drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. A sports drink could be a good choice for natural, balanced physiology."

Read on to find a sampling of sweaty activities that are gaining in popularity with each passing day.

Sliding into pose with hot yoga

Lisa Dover turns the temperature up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit and starts her yoga class.

The sweat slowly drips off of everybody in the room. Dover is a Level 2 certified Hot Yoga Instructor and teaches a hot yoga and hot Vinyasa yoga class at In Sync Mind Body Therapy Center in Carbondale.

Practiced in a heated room, hot yoga stretches and strengthens various areas of the body through a sequence of yoga postures. Certain yoga advocates claim the practice brings vital balance and restores all systems - physical, mental, spiritual - to optimal health.

A licensed and nationally certified massage therapist, Dover started practicing yoga to de-stress from her physically demanding job as a masseuse. It brought her so much relief and added energy that she soon went on to get trained and certified in the Barkan Method of Hot Yoga.

Dover says the yoga room in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where she did her training was heated to as much as 100-105 degrees Fahrenheit. "Here in Southern Illinois, we have good humidity. So I keep the room at 89-90," she says. "The heat enables a deeper release of the muscles and helps muscles to soften and become more pliable."

Students of all body sizes and abilities, ranging in age from 30 to 50, attend Dover's classes. They practice 60 minutes of standing postures along with breath control, followed by 30 minutes of floor exercises, all the while sweating buckets due to the high temperature.

First timers notice the heat right away. The pace is faster than traditional yoga and the heart rate goes up soon enough. "It takes a while for them to acclimate to the heat and then become mindful of their body and focus their mind," Dover says. "If the heat is too much at any point I encourage them to get into child's pose and relax."

Advocates of hot yoga claim the practice can help detoxify the body, help you sleep better and increase your self confidence - because you feel better. Yet others warn of the inherent dangers of exercising in a too-hot environment.

"Growing up I was always the sweaty person, embarrassed by my perspiration," Dover says. "It took me a while to make peace with it and realize its okay to sweat! Hot yoga is the equalizer. Everyone in the room is sweating just like you."

Dover offers Hot Yoga and Hot Vinyasa classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, between 5:30-7pm. Call 618-457-7732 for more information.

In praise of hot tubs

"No one talks about how much you perspire in a hot tub," exclaims Mary Carvell, co-owner of Pool Co. in Carbondale. "Over time, it's almost as if you replace some of the water with your sweat!"

Having experienced the pleasure of owning a hot tub, Carvell takes pride in selling the two leading hot tub brands in the industry at her retail store.

One of her customers is 47-year-old Steve Burroughs, a bank executive from Murphysboro, who has owned a hot tub since 1988. Recessed in the deck outside his bedroom, his six-person hot tub is octagon-shaped and comes with back stations and lots of jets.

"The primary benefit is the hot water therapy it provides," he says. "It boosts your immune system, takes care of sore joints and stiff muscles and is a good stress buster. I use it once a day for 15-20 minutes."

In addition to the customer who wants to pamper himself or herself, hot tubs also attract people with medical conditions such as diabetes, fibromyalgia, foot pain, and back and neck pain. The reason is simple: The feeling of weightlessness when being submerged in water accompanied by the massage-like effects of the water kneading the body provides a relaxing, soothing environment that tends to loosen up tense muscles and get rid of anxiety and stress.

Scientific publications suggest that immersion and/or exercise in water may benefit cardiac, circulatory, respiratory, and other systems in the human body as well as help with stress reduction. The higher water temperature found in therapy pools and hot tubs decrease blood sugar levels and open up circulation; helping to increase flexibility and reduce inflammation of sore muscles.

The jets and massage component built into hot tubs is often an added bonus. A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, placed eight people with Type 2 Diabetes in a hot tub for 30 minutes a day for three consecutive weeks. Patients reported a 13 percent reduction in blood sugar levels, improved sleep and an increase in their overall sense of well being.

The Arthritis Foundation found that many arthritis sufferers benefited from 10-15 minutes in a hot tub in the mornings, when joint stiffness is at its worst. The foundation recommends hot tub use to people with arthritis and state its benefits include: muscle relaxation, decreased pain and stiffness, a better nights sleep, and greater ease at performing everyday activities.

For those who suffer from insomnia: A study in the Journal Sleep concludes that "Soaking in a hot tub prior to bedtime will not only help someone fall to sleep but it will also provide a deeper more relaxing sleep than usual. Soaking in a hot tub for 15 minutes will lower the patient's blood pressure, instead of raising it."

A study in the British Journal of Rheumatology provides further evidence that hot tub therapy has short and long term benefits for people with lower back pain.

However hot tub usage does have its fair share of risks, including drowning, dermatitis, and hot tub lung and is not recommended for pregnant women, young children, or those with respiratory problems, cardiopulmonary problems or high blood pressure (hypertension).

Costing $3,000 and up, the sky is really the limit with how fancy a hot tub can be. And surprisingly enough, Carvell says, "The market in Southern Illinois is pretty darn good!"

"Our hot tub buyers include lawyers, doctors, small business people, professionals and baby boomers who are intelligent enough to see the benefits it offers," Carvell says. "Typically our customers spend between $6000 and $8000 for a high quality, energy efficient hot tub they can use every day."

An up and coming appliance, a hot tub is desired by most people. Carvell hopes it will be viewed as an essential item in the future, just like a refrigerator or microwave. "It's a healthy way to spend time with your loved ones and a great way to just relax and de-stress," she says.

Under a steam shower

Steam showers are growing in popularity these days and essentially act as a normal shower, in addition to producing steam using a humidifying steam generator.

Experts say the high moisture content can help with respiratory and sinus problems such as asthma, sinusitis, bronchitis and allergies, in addition to soothing tired muscles and serving as an invigorating, relaxing experience.

"Steam showers are a growing segment in the bath industry," says Jason Brimm, kitchen designer at Home Depot in Marion, "However we don't sell a whole lot of them in this region, because they tend to be on the expensive side.

Home Depot carries Kohler and American Standard brands of steam showers, which are available for purchase in separate units: steam unit, shower enclosure and door.

Sweating in the sauna

Ever wondered why people in the steamy tropics would want to induce a sweat? Saunas are just as popular there as they are here. Experts say the answer lies in much the same reason people drink hot tea in the tropics: sweating cools you down.

For thousands of years, cultures across the world have believed in the beneficial powers of sweat. From the sophisticated bath/sauna systems of the Romans to the unfussy yet effective sweat lodges of the Indians, to the all pervasive popularity of saunas in Finland; saunas have existed in various forms over the years.

As part of her six step detoxification program, Dr. Angela Baxter a Marion-based chiropractor recommends the infrared sauna in conjunction with other treatments to help patients with a variety of health problems.

She advocates a variety of detoxification techniques in order to get rid of the buildup of chemicals, pesticides, pollution, artificial additives, cigarette smoke and all the other toxins and contaminants that make their way into our systems. According to Baxter, using the infrared sauna in combination with multidisciplinary treatment may reduce chronic pain more effectively than multidisciplinary treatment alone.

Whereas a conventional sauna heats the skin superficially by using steam which heats the air to 180-225 F and thereby the user; manufacturers of infrared saunas claim their product works better by directly heating the user, with a heat penetration of one to 1.5 inches below the skin, which causes the body to sweat at a temperature of 110-220 F.

"The infrared sauna uses thermal energy to penetrate deeper into the layers of the tissues causing blood vessels and capillaries to dilate, promoting better blood circulation," Baxter says.

While the amount of sweat from a conventional and infrared sauna are comparable, sauna users report that the lower temperatures in an infrared sauna allows them to stay inside longer, resulting in longer sauna sessions and therefore more overall sweating. As the blood vessels dilate with the deep heat of the infrared sauna, the increased blood circulation allows more oxygen to get to oxygen-depleted muscles; bringing relief to people with a variety of conditions such as arthritis, rheumatism and muscle spasms.

"The heat produced helps to rid the body of toxins and metabolic wastes through sweating," Baxter says. "I recommend a series of 45 minute sessions in conjunction with the detoxifying footbath to my patients."

Note: Hot tubs, saunas, steam showers and hot yoga are not recommended for everyone and come with their own set of health risks. Before breaking a sweat make sure you consult with your primary care physician first, if you are pregnant, have a disease, ailment, medical condition or recent joint injury.

See a doctor if…

Sweat is a natural bodily function that occurs in reaction to hot air temperature, nerve stimulation and/or exercise. Sometimes, however, things go a little awry in the body's sweat mechanism, resulting in either excessive perspiration (hyperhidrosis) or little or no perspiration (anhidrosis).

According to the Mayo Clinic, you should see your doctor if you suddenly begin to sweat more than usual or experience night sweats for no apparent reason. A cold sweat is usually your body's response to a serious illness, anxiety or severe pain. Seek immediate medical attention for a cold sweat, especially if you have symptoms of lightheadedness or chest and stomach pains.

When sweating is unhealthy

"Excessive sweating is not necessarily a good thing," warns Carbondale dermatologist, Mark Westphal. "It is not healthy or desirable, because it will dehydrate you."

Prolonged sweating from heat or exercise can cause loss of body salts, called electrolytes. Electrolytes are minerals, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride, in body fluids.

Westphal notes that if you only drink water, you further deplete the sodium and potassium. He recommends a sports drink like Gatorade that will rehydrate you, as well as replenish the lost electrolytes, sugars, and other nutrients.

Since dehydration leads to heat illnesses, if you know you are going to sweat, drink early and often to avoid sickness. Experts say the body normally needs two to three quarts of water per day, but this can increase to five to six quarts while hiking or working in the heat.