Salt Water Heals - The Amazing Healing Properties of Sweat
“The cure for anything is salt water—sweat, tears, or the sea”-Isak Dinesen.
Salt water heals.
Our tears help us heal, even though we don’t like to cry.
We like the beach a lot better! Being in or around the ocean we feel relaxed, and the salt in the air and on our skin has many benefits.
And then there’s the old saying—Have you heard of “rubbing salt in the wound”? Salt was used to prevent bacteria, which then prevents infections, in an open wound.
For the rest of this blog, though, we will focus on our sweat. Most of us don’t know how our sweat helps us heal.
Sweating, especially through vigorous exercise or working out, has several health benefits. We sweat mostly water, but salt, along with other chemicals, that are released through our sweat.
Sweating has several health benefits for us physically and emotionally. Here are a few of the major benefits:
Benefit #1: Sweat regulates our temperature. The systems in our body are so beautifully designed! Sure, a lot of us don’t like to sweat, but our bodies are designed to sweat to help regulate our body temperature so we don’t overheat. Sweat helps our internal body temperature stay regulated by cooling our skin. When our body temperature is regulated, inside and out, we can function optimally.
Benefit #2: It’s cleansing. Sweat opens up the pores on our skin and gets rid of dirt, bacterial buildup, and other chemicals. Our skin has a healthier glow. Have you noticed how your skin feels after a good workout? Our skin feels refreshed and clean.
Benefit #3: It’s literally healing. Sweat unclogs our sweat glands. Believe it or not, this is directly connected to the healing of physical wounds. Our sweat glands don’t just help us sweat—they also provide cells to help heal wounds. How creative! When we sweat, we keep them unclogged and facilitate healing.
Benefit #4: It helps our kidneys. Getting enough fluids is important for effective sweating. As we hydrate and sweat, salt and other minerals are released through our skin instead of our urine. Thus, our chance for developing kidney stones is then decreased. Keep drinking water and keep yourself hydrated!
Benefit #5: Sweating can indicate health issues. Our sweat tells us something about us. If our sweat is too salty, we may have too much salt in our diet. Sweating too much may indicate thyroid issues or low blood sugar. Pay attention to changes in your sweat.
Benefit #6: It detoxes us. Sweating boosts our immunity and is a natural detox. Sweat not only has salt in it but also can carry some heavy metals, ammonia, and sugar. Sweat helps to cleanse our bodies, as well as our skin.
Benefit #7: Sweating reduces stress and improves mood. You may notice that you smile more after a good, sweaty workout. Sweating during physical exertion releases endorphins, our feel-good chemicals. It also helps reduce cortisol, the stress hormone. As a result, we feel better and more relaxed. This is crucial to our mental health, as well as our physical health
Sweating is healing. It heals us physically and emotionally. What activities do you enjoy? Hiking, walking, biking, the gym, gardening, yard work? Make it a part of your daily routine. Break a sweat as you are active and notice how you feel afterwards. You will feel better and be healthier.
I’m going to stop writing now and get outside for a good vigorous walk and break a sweat. Who is with me?
Written by Cindy Picht, LPC, CEO.
About Cindy:
Cindy is director and co-founder of Light the Way Counseling. She is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional. She combines her skills with compassion and encouragement to help people find hope and healing.