Tag Archives: sweat

Don’t Sweat It: Why Sweating a Lot at the Gym Really Doesn’t Matter

Posted on by

SWEAT. It’s one of those weird bodily functions that you don’t really think about a lot, and then all of a sudden, you’re sweating, and you’re like “Huh. That’s weird. There’s this wet sheen of wetness on my skin and I’m red and AHHH WHY AM I ALL WET AND SWEATY?” I imagine this discussion in your head is a lot less likely if you’re a dude, because, well, dudes are allowed to sweat and it’s manly and masculine and maybe even sexy. But if a woman sweats, WELL! Who does she think she is, defying traditional beauty conventions and letting fluids seep out of her epidermis after a grueling workout?

I’ve always been a heavy sweater. No, not the wool kind you get at Christmas and pretend to like; a person who sweats a lot. It’s not particularly a trait you boast about, like being able to tie a cherry stem with your tongue or never getting cavities. Being a sweater means that you awkwardly avoided certain materials in high school or that you wore a sweatshirt through gym class because god forbid somebody see you exercising and showing exertion. I battled a lot with sweat in my younger years, and now that I’m beginning to be intensely active about four to five times a week, the self-consciousness has reared its head again. However, I had a convenient doctor’s appointment last week, and I mentioned my concern with my sweating. “Well, what’s the problem with sweating?” the doctor asked. “I don’t know, it’s embarrassing,” I said. “Come back to me when you’re not sweating. THEN it’s a problem,” he said. He proceeded to explain in fancy medical terms how sweating is the body’s way of cooling down and how it helps you remember to rehydrate and balance electrolytes and all these other things, and basically told me to chill out.

So in my efforts to embrace the sweat, I’ve learned a few tricks to help me feel more comfortable with my slick self. Sure, sure, even if sweating isn’t gross, it FEELS gross, because suddenly you’re walking around in wet clothes. Here’s a few of my tried and trues to help me cope with my well-moisturized skin. (Some of these links are affiliate links, which means I could buy a yacht off the proceeds of your clicks or maybe pay off my student loans. Who am I kidding? I’ll never pay off my student loans. Dream big, folks.)

    1. A workout towel. I had been using a clean dish towel as a sweat rag at the gym, and let’s be honest, my snowman themed dish towel wasn’t able to mop up the Niagara falls of my workout quite like I’d hoped. I went to TJ Maxx (my go-to for most things in life except groceries), and found a “Yoga Towel” that has a dry-wik fabric, anti-stink properties, and comes in pretty neon colors. Here’s one similar to it on Amazon.

2. A headband. If you’re a forehead sweater, a headband will keep those salty skin tears out of your eyes, and better yet, manage your flyaways. Again, I found mine at TJ Maxx, but you can grab all kinds on Amazon like these (and in so many cute colors!).


 

3. Most importantly, rock a sense of humor. Get the shirt that says “I don’t sweat, I sparkle“. Laugh about your sweaty self and enjoy the fact that your hydration is so on point that its escaping out of your skin just so you can hydrate some more. Also, be courteous. Nobody wants to go touch a sweaty machine. Wipe that shiz down. You’re not in highschool anymore. (Unless you are, in which case, go on and keep being gross, because you have to embrace hygiene once you graduate.)

IMG_5656

Get cool with your sweaty self, because as the Fitness gods say…

So in other words: Don’t sweat it.

Picture Post!

Posted on by

If you follow me on instagram, you probably know that I’m a little bit obsessed with it – it’s like my favorite social media site, Twitter, combined with cool -looking photos. Here’s what I’ve been up to this week!

wallsit1

I saw this wall-sit challenge on instagram and was intrigued. I am beginning to master my most dreaded fitness move, the Plank, so I decided to throw another hard one into the mix. My husband is doing this with me and today, 30 seconds was just enough to make my sore legs burrrrrn.

wallsit

I’ve been really enjoying bootcamp! It’s hard to get out of bed at 6:45 in the morning, but in general, I’m feeling fitter, more sore and happier. The teacher really PUSHES me each time I’m there, and I end up coming home covered in sweat, beet-red, and tired – but feeling GOOD.

Screen shot 2013-04-03 at 9.30.41 PM

Our new kitten is a lot of fun, but at that wonderful biting phase where he’ll be nuzzling up against your leg and then suddenly goes CHOMP! This picture just about sums up daily life with our two funny little felines – one grumpy gray cat scowling as she tries to nap and one wild kitten laughing with evilness.

Screen shot 2013-04-03 at 9.31.25 PM

OK, that’s all for today – I know it was a quick one! We may miss a post on Friday as  this weekend I’ll be in San Francisco celebrating April’s 30th birthday! I’ll take lots of pictures and would love it if you write her a happy birthday comment here on the blog. Have a wonderful day!

 

Sweatin’ it, Simmons Style

Posted on by

When I found out that Richard Simmons teaches classes at his studio, Slimmons in Beverly Hills, that are open to the public for $12, I knew I had to go. Not only would it be a great blog post and an excellent workout, but it would fulfill a dream of my grandmother’s, as she always loved his buoyant personality, dolfin shorts and puffy fro of reddish-brown curls. I was lucky enough to be accompanied on this journey by my friends Merrie and Hilda, two lovely ladies whom I work with and work out with! In addition, some wonderful blogger ladies and gents like All The Weigh, The Curvy Nerd, Finishing the Hat and Keep It Up David were there, too! (They’re regulars!)

Me, Richard and Hilda. Yes, he's eating her hair!

As soon as Richard came in, that Southern sense of hospitality kicked in. He flitted around the room like a butterfly, greeting everybody with hugs and kisses. I was wearing pigtails and he walked right up to me, gave my pigtails a gentle yank, and embraced me in a big hug. It was surreal. (Hilda is blessed with a lovely svelte figure – Richard told her he’d eaten ribs bigger than her! LOL)

As the music kicked in, Richard screamed that it was Beatles night! His tank top bedazzled with colorful busts of Ringo and Paul should have clued me in, but I was psyched as techno versions of “Hello” blared through the speakers. The first few songs were SO FUN, as Richard bounced around the room shouting praise and encouragement as we marched and kicked and squatted. I had a big goofy smile on my face at the silliness of it all – me, in Los Angeles, a girl from the suburbs of Chicago, working out with a major fitness star, Richard Simmons! I also was mildly star-struck when I learned I was working out next to Ellen Degeneres’ Mom, another regular.

We proceeded to bounce and jump and jiggle through an hour of cardio. Near the end, Richard created a huge circle and started picking sets of two to go in the middle of the circle and do the moves with him. Merrie and I were “summoned by Simmons” and laughed as we did arm thrusts, knee kicks and other moves in front of 50 people, alongside Richard Simmons. (Rumor has it he posts videos online – as soon as I see it I’ll share!)

After cardio, we did thirty minutes of weights and then sit ups and push-ups. I was quite proud of how well I kept up through out the class. Other than the usual disorientation about following aerobic patterns, I used five pound weights for all the reps and didn’t need to take any breaks. I remember distinctly thinking, “Yes! Finally! All this exercise is catching up with me!” It as an awesome workout – I was drenched!

Check out his Beatles shirt!

The cool thing about Richard Simmons is that he’s not just a “personality”. You can tell in his classes that he’s the real deal, and he honest to God cares about what he’s doing and teaching. When I worked out alongside him in the circle, he looked me square in the eye as we trotted across the studio, and he had this passionate intensity coming directly from his pupils – the kind of self-confidence and drive that looks at you dead-center and says “This is all me, and it’s AWESOME.” He’s also freakin’ hilarious and had many dirty quips and jokes. I think what I really liked about his class was that it took the SERIOUSNESS out of exercise. Exercise is serious business, and I get it, just like being obese – but I’ve always been the type of person to try and find something to laugh about, to have fun with, which is where this blog’s name came from. It’s all about taking something difficult or hard and learning to find the light side, and Richard does that so well.

He graciously stuck around after class to take pictures, and when it was my turn to pose with him, he again yanked my pigtails and said “Well, aren’t you just the cutest thing?” I have to admit – that was cool to hear from a celebrity, albeit someone as effervescent and sparkly as Richard Simmons.

I can’t wait to go back, and Merrie and I are thinking we’ll try and make it a monthly goal to trek to Slimmons and sweat it out with Simmons. Now – Next time, who’s coming with me?

Weekly Weigh In #6

Posted on by

This Saturday morning started out like any other – I peeled myself out of bed at 9:00, threw on some exercise clothes, and groggily drove to the gym for my weigh in and 9:30 boxing class. I was eager about this weigh-in, because I knew it would be a loss. I had worked out HARD several times this week, eaten well, and drank tons of water. My jeans were loose. Somebody at work said I looked thinner. I bought new jeans in a smaller size. My tummy area looked flatter and less paunchy. Oh yes, I had DEFINITELY lost weight. Until… I got on the scale and saw the number had moved down a tiny .2 of a pound. My initial reaction was, “What the Fu*k?!” And then I was pissed, and the poor punching bag got pummeled even harder in my class, and my poor friend Merrie had to listen to me rant about why my body seems incapable of losing weight.

How could I work out for an hour and half with Richard and NOT lose weight?!

Never one to give up, I decided I was going to weigh myself again immediately after class – in exactly the same outfit, but now I was drenched with sweat and a little less aggro. Surprisingly, this time, the scale showed a loss of 1.2 pounds. I got on three times to confirm it wasn’t just wishful thinking. Now – Am I cheating because my first weigh in was only down .2? Is this weigh in still legit? For shits and giggles, I weighed myself sans clothes, and I had lost like 2.5 pounds. Believe me, I wanted to put down that number, but I have to stay consistent and weigh in in the same outfit every week. Can the body really swell and deflate that much within an hour? Did my boxing class sweat out a pound of salt and bloat that I’d been holding earlier? And no, cuz I know you’re wondering, I didn’t remove a rib or go #2 or anything like that, thank you very much.

I’ll be weighing in a day earlier this week, and I’m hoping I can finally hit my five pound mini goal. Even though I’m claiming a loss this week, I need to get more serious about tracking. The exercise is there, but my food habits are still at about 70% when they need to be at 90%. *sigh* If you took a long look at how hard you’re trying with a new goal, what would be your percentage of success?

Check back on Wednesday for my experience with Richard Simmons  – it was an awesome adventure!

Don’t Sweat It

Posted on by

I sweat. A lot. Like to the point of “Hey now, heard there’s a water shortage in Southern California. Want some sweat?” Let’s get right to the point. Here’s a picture of me last night after an hour of boxing. We did these awesome drills called “suicides” where you take turns with your sparring partner and beat the bag in minute-long sessions – first uppercuts, then jabs, then hooks. It was badass.

After 55 minutes of pure cardio - I sweat!

See that dark smudge on my shirt? That’s sweat. See how my hair looks brown? That’s sweat. See how my face is shiny and red and blotchy? That’s sweat. See that smile? That’s confidence. See this picture? That’s proof.

A friend of mine joined my gym and we took this kickboxing class together. Afterwards she expressed her surprise at my level of  sweat by saying “You’re like.. WET!” My response to her was “That’s why I’m here!” My sweatiness is something that trips me out sometimes, because as ladies, we’re expected to be dainty, feminine and polite, and if we sweat, it should be little glistening dew drops that glimmer like diamond shimmer powder on our foreheads. Not big, rolling rivers of salty sweat that drips into our eyes and puddles onto the floor. Or at least that’s what we’re supposed to think. I now know that for me, a good workout is measured in the level of “dew” on my body – is the small of my back damp? How about the back of my neck? Do my hands feel clammy, like a 14 year old boy’s at his first school dance? When I work out, it’s not pretty. I’m not there to walk a runway. I’m there to put the WORK in working out… and I’m pretty sure hard work doesn’t always look pretty, unless you’re Heidi Klum or Alexander Skarsgard.

I joined a women’s gym because there’s a comfort level I needed to have to start working out. I sweat like a beast, and when I’m doing squats, I didn’t want to worry about Joe the Plumber staring at my butt as it rippled in agony. I wanted to wake up on Saturday mornings, as I now do, and roll out of bed with wild, frizzy squirrel hair and smudged mascara and have a hell of a workout.  I wanted to wear a tank top and not worry about my chicken wings flapping in the powerful air conditioning, and most of all, I wanted to feel like NOBODY WAS WATCHING as I began the intimate process of getting my body into shape. Because it’s my business – not theirs. (heh, the irony is not lost on me that I end up blogging about it anyways)

I’m a hot, sweaty mess after my workout and I don’t care. Actually, I do care. If I’m not sweating, I didn’t make my body work hard enough. No guts, no glory. So a little bit of wetness, perspiration, moisture or dew? Bring it on. I’m waterproof, and washable. I’m not sweatin’ it.