Like most people, my days can have a sort of monotony to them that just never seems to waver. I wake up, eat breakfast, go to practice, and work…sometimes. And of course, throughout it all, I’m checking my phone and laptop for the latest social media happenings and blog updates. Lately, it seems that every time I happen to scroll through my Instagram during running practice, I’ll stumble onto a photo of someone who has also just finished their work out. The difference between us? She sweats just enough to make her skin glisten, while I usually look like I just took a dip in a pool.
My social media feeds are now filled with fitness bloggers and Instagrammers who not only manage to keep up with amazing routines, but also manage to look like they just stepped off the latest fashion runway while doing it. Even in my world of track and field, you’ll find tons of people who barely break a sweat while doing the most intense workouts. Unfortunately for me, I am definitely not one of those people.
For a long time, I found myself both equally amazed and jealous of those girls who could produce the perfect amount of sweat—just how did they keep their makeup from making them look like raccoons? Why does the slightest amount of physical activity make me immediately start dripping while others seem to power through dry and untouched?
Of course, there are “remedies” for sweating. Less caffeine would help, but I’m an avid tea drinker and I plan on keeping up with my caffeine addiction. Less alcohol also helps, but I rarely drink so stopping altogether wouldn’t make much of a difference.
Luckily, the idea of sweating is starting to gain some traction in the fitness world. Back in the day, it used to be a popular excuse not to exercise. Now, people are starting to embrace perspiration as a key to fitness and not just an inconvenient part of the process, as evidenced by clothing brands boasting phrases like “I sweat glitter” and “sweat life.” Countless fitness Instagrams are posting more “after” shots, showing all the hard work they put in at the gym, and personally, I’m loving it.
So who cares if I sweat more than “average?” It’s not like it affects who I am in any way. I’m still a semi-professional track and field runner for Ghana who enjoys writing, hanging out with friends, and Netflix during my down time.
The benefits of sweating more than outweigh the cons. It helps the body cool off and maintain a healthy temperature, opens the pores to help with acne, rids the body of toxins, and can even help lower the risk of kidney stones.
As I’m writing this, I’m sitting outside in Congo-Brazzaville after my pre-meet workout at the All-Africa Games, the blazing African sun above me, sweating bullets. I’m actually hoping to sweat more tomorrow, on the day of my competition. It’ll be a sign to myself of how much work I’m putting in to be at the top of my running game.
So when I get on the track for my 100m preliminaries. I’m not going to be worrying about the sweat dripping down my face or how it makes me look. I’ll be zoned in, putting my best out there to get to the next rounds, and hopefully, I’ll even get a medal. The sweat will just be a sign to me that I’m doing things right, I am dominating the game.
