In praise of Sweat!

[OakLeaf]

Okay, I just read yet another post in which someone used derogatory language about her own perspiration. And yet - we have another thread going on about people who can't tolerate heat - besides which sweat is a great detoxifier.

SO, here's the deal. Your best description of your own sweat in language that makes it actually sound fun and/or healthy! Lyrical or humorous...

"After a hard workout, I like to jump in the pool for a few minutes to dry off."

[Possegal]

A friend of mine always says this - and it applies to me too.

"I sweat when I swim".

My family are a sweaty people, but that's OK, doesn't bother me much, I just have a decently high water bill. :)

one of my nieces, when learning to talk, called it persirate. so that's what we say in my family, we persirate. :)

[Smilie]

I 'perspire' so much, that even my eyeballs sweat. Love the old saying women don't sweat, they glow. Riiiighhhttt. If that is the case, then my glow can be seen from outerspace. :D

[tulip]

I seem to be one of the few people who actually like summer and the heat. Nothing better than a good, hard, sweaty workout. I wonder if people have just gotten accustomed to 24/7 air conditioning. Used to be we had one a/c in on room in the house, and that only went on for special occasions. My apartment has windows that don't open, but my new house will have breezes flowing through the screen windows.

[Susan126]

Riding is a sweaty job but someone has to do it!

ME!!!!! :D

[ny biker]

I love it when you've been riding a while on a hot day and then you stop, and the sweat just pours off you. I always imagine lots of tiny pumps, like the old-fashioned kind people had in their yards before there was indoor plumbing, pumping out all that sweat.

I'm always amused when I read catalogs with descriptions of cycling jerseys that are treated to keep them from smelling bad. Yeah I stink, so what? I just rode my bike for 5 hours and it's freakin' 90 degrees with high humidity. If you don't like it, stand downwind until I have a chance to clean up and change my clothes.

[Flur]

I like sweat. I've read quite a few times that the ability to break a healthy sweat rather quickly is a sign of being in shape. The body is conditioned and practiced in cooling itself. It's people who don't sweat that need to worry - their bodies aren't proficient in cooling themselves and releasing toxins. If I stopped getting sweaty I'd be seeing my doctor pronto!

[Tuckervill]

I did some gardening yesterday with my sunglasses on. Bending over, pulling weeds, never coming up for air for half-hour at a time. When I finally did stand up, my sunglasses lenses were caked with salty sweat. I sweat around my eyes like crazy! I used to sweat on my upper lip, first, but now it's my eyes.

My dad calls us sweathogs because we both sweat quickly and profusely. I don't think we stink too bad, tho!

The wife of the owner of my gym came in one day to work out, and said, "Come on, let's get our sweat on!" :)

Karen

[redrhodie]

In the reflection of one bead of sweat is endless possibility.

[Natural Beauty]

my husband used to tell me i wasn't getting a good enough workout in if i wasn't dripping. HA. like i need more encouragement to get my sweat on. ~just bust a move~

[martinkap]

Sweat does not smell bad... it even contains feromones (something working as aphrodisiac to a right person). What smells bad are the bacterias growing in the old unwashed sweat.

I ride to work everyday, finishing up with a big hill (big for a fixed gear 48/16 ratio) and I come to work literally dripping sweat around me. People ask me what do I do since we don't have access to showers. I just smile at them and with sweat running down my face, I answer:

My sweat smells like roses!

The secret is to shower in the morning, apply deodorant (stick) under arms and the bacterias will have no time to grow till the evening. No one has complained about me being smelly :)... yet :)

But honestly, sweat is my personally satisfaction, it is a raised middle finger to my laziness!

[mimitabby]

Until i started cycling, I almost never sweat! becoming sweaty for me was a really bad thing.. Imagine how out of shape I was that I could live like that (not sweat!)

It took me quite a while to discover that you won't die just because you sweat all over! and as i built up my strength I discovered that after you get all wet, it's OKAY! just keep going. and I can. I just don't like it in my eyes.

Embrace your sweatiness. and no, I agree, it doesn't smell bad.

[cyclinnewbie]

I don't know if I'm perimenopausal or what, but I now sweat at the drop of a hat. I've always sweated during a workout (which is kind of a reward...lets you know you've DONE something), but now I sweat at work, while sleeping, etc. And not just little sweat; I"m talking rivulets of perspiration trickling down my face and neck, my scrub top soaked down my back. I have to wear a sports bra to work to help keep me dry. I can't even imagine what menopause will be like....I will look like a wet sponge all the time!

[NJBikeGal]

My riding buddies can attest to this...

I sweat so much that those riding behind me often think it's raining!

Again - it's in my genes. One of my favorite photos of my sister is from her volleyball days. The team wore green cotton T-shirts in one of their tournaments. After they had won, they took a team photo. In the photo, it looks like my sister is wearing a totally different color shirt than everyone else. Nope...same shirt, just SOAKED through with sweat!

[han-grrl]

Sweat is good...sweat is great...

i love it when i sweat, it lets me know i'm working hard for what i am doing...along with my breath...for me sweating and breathing heavy go together...and i KNOW there are some good nudge nudge wink winkies in there! hahaha

[RolliePollie]

Usually, I hate sweating. But on the bike, it's all good.

My new sunglasses route all the sweat from my forehead directly down my nose. So I end up with sweat dripping from the tip of my nose right onto my top tube.

My cats like to lick my arms when I get home from a ride because of all the salt.

My face feels like it has sand on it after a ride because of all the dried sweat.

If I'm riding up a super hard hill, I break out in a sweat all over my body...then when I get to the top and head downhill, it's like natural air conditioning.

My Smartwool socks (love those things!) keep my feet cool and quite dry even though I know there's a lot of sweat going on down there too.

I would never wear anything other than black shorts as I fear "sweat stains"...I saw someone in light blue shorts once and it looked really scary with all those wet sweaty patches.

[Crankin]

I don't mind sweating while I am riding or doing any other form of exercise. I don't like it when I sweat wearing "regular" clothes.
I rarely stink when sweating, but it really bothers me when I do. I think it's something in your genetic makeup because my husband hardly sweats and barely feels the need to drink or eat on the bike. I sweat a lot and drink/eat a lot on the bike. One of my kids also hardly shows a drop of sweat and the other one (the one who raced) sweats a ton.

[Jolt]

I don't remember where this quote came from, but it seems to fit the topic: "Both tears and sweat are salty and wet, but they render different results. Tears will get you sympathy, but sweat will get you progress".

[Jolt]

Sweat does not smell bad... it even contains feromones (something working as aphrodisiac to a right person). What smells bad are the bacterias growing in the old unwashed sweat.


That is true. That's why the "deodorant crystal" works so well despite not being an antiperspirant. You still sweat, but the mineral salts from the crystal keep the bacteria from growing and creating a stink-fest.

[amy]

As long as the sunscreen stays out of my eyes, I'm all for the sweat!!

[SadieKate]

Nothing better than hugging your gooey, salty hubby after a great ride!

My vote for the best so far ---


In the reflection of one bead of sweat is endless possibility.

[rij73]

Nothing better than hugging your gooey, salty hubby after a great ride!

Okay, I may have learned to not mind sweating... After years of inactivity and sweat-phobia, I can now recognize that it keeps me cool. I especially love a cooling, evaporative downhill after a long sweaty uphill.

However, I do NOT appreciate DH's sweat. When he comes home from a ride I barely want to look at him, much less touch him, until he takes a shower. Am I a bad wife? :p

[ny biker]

Okay apparently I am the only one who smells less than fresh after a long ride. :eek:

I swear, I really do bathe and wash my clothes regularly.

[Tuckervill]

No, I stink, too. I can't tolerate my husband when he's sweaty, either. Even when he's dry and unwashed. I don't bath (shower only) in hotel rooms or sit on the bedspreads. I wash my hands after I pet the dog, and before I touch a baby, and I don't touch anything in the public washroom if I can help it!

Karen

[malkin]

Inspired by han-grrl:

Sweat is good...sweat is great...
Sometimes it smells like
What you ate!

[OakLeaf]

Inspired by han-grrl:

Sweat is good...sweat is great...
Sometimes it smells like
What you ate!

LOL!

[Blueberry]

I have learned to like my own sweat - or at least appreciate it. It was working quite nicely with the breeze when I was picking blueberries today.

However, hugging a salty, sweaty DH who has just come back from a ride (we don't necessarily ride at the same time) - no can do. DH has noticed and now makes fun of me for it - i.e. walking towards me like he's going to hug me. If he would learn the virtue of washing his bike clothes after ever ride, I might be a little less averse. As it is, he's RANK!

[SadieKate]

However, I do NOT appreciate DH's sweat. When he comes home from a ride I barely want to look at him, much less touch him, until he takes a shower. Am I a bad wife? :pWell, it's not like we get into a big snuggle fest. And this is only when we're both a little gooey. :p

I guess when you've been mountainbiking and tent camping for several days with only access to baby wipes, you get a different perspective. :eek:

[jckid]

That is true. That's why the "deodorant crystal" works so well despite not being an antiperspirant. You still sweat, but the mineral salts from the crystal keep the bacteria from growing and creating a stink-fest.

I use Crystal, and it does work well. It's also one of the few deodorants I can use without getting a rash. I don't use the hard crystal one though. I like the liquid that rolls on better. I recommended it to my sister and was shocked when she replied that she doesn't wear deodorant, because she doesn't sweat! Now granted, she is not active like me, but I cannot imagine what I'd smell like if I didn't wear deodorant! I sweat some when I ride, but I absolutely sweat like a man when I run (actually when I finish running--the sweat just literally pours off of me). Luckily my husband doesn't think I'm gross.

[wackyjacky1]

Inspired by han-grrl:

Sweat is good...sweat is great...
Sometimes it smells like
What you ate!
LOL and yuck at the same time! :D

[latelatebloomer]

In spin class there are women who put on makeup, hairspray, and dangly earrings, and (I think) try NOT to sweat because the trainer's an attractive guy. I work VERY hard, pouring sweat and getting quite red-faced - and have been rewarded w/ road rides with him to help me gain bike skill. Sweat means I've given my all.

I sweat out stress, fear, and low self-esteem, and replace them with strength, health, and confidence.

I love sweat.

[wackyjacky1]

A Sweat Haiku

Necessary sweat
When I sweat a lot I make
My own table salt

:D

[amy]

A Sweat Haiku

Necessary sweat
When I sweat a lot I make
My own table salt

:D

LOL! Ok, I vote for this one!

[lph]

I've been trying but I really couldn't think of any witty things to say...
So in boring ol' prose:

Old sweat stinks. I commute by bike, don't have that many sets of bike clothes and don't run my washing machine until it's full, so I usually wear my bike gear several times before each washing. That's fine out on the open road especially when it's cold out, but I have found myself in a hot grocery store on Friday afternoon noticing an embarrassingly pungent smell rising from the jersey that I've sweated heavily into... ouch...5 times or so. :p

Fresh sweat is great. Being drenched in it is even better. I like the "yeah I've just worked my a§§ off and frankly I don't give a hoot if I look like a raving lunatic"-mindset it puts me into :D