Get hot and sweaty too quickly - mental block to overcome

I sweat like a *kitten* in church. Who cares. It just means you're burning calories and working towards your goal.

I'm totally Sweaty McSweaterson during any kind of workout, even fairly mild ones, even though I'm not terribly out of shape (any more). I'm actually grateful to be a sweating kind of person, because it suggests to me that I have a useful cooling system. I row regularly with a woman who doesn't sweat much at all (even at the same effort intensity), and I worry a little about her getting overheated when it's a hot day, honestly.

If you're doing video workouts, can you keep a towel nearby and swipe off the sweat now and then - would that help? Or even use a chilled cloth, one of those reusable soft gel-filled cold packs they sell for putting on sore joints, turn a fan on yourself so the sweat evaporates better/faster - would that help?

This may sound silly, but can you come up with some positive affirmations you can think to yourself when sweat happens, to remind you that you're working hard toward positive goals, and that the sweat is a good symbol of that? "Sweat is a sign of positive progress" kind of thing?

I admit, I like sweating when I'm earning it, so I don't really know how to reframe that. I do think it was more of a mixed reaction when I was first starting to work out, because it was easy to associate sweat with difficulty, or with acknowledging how out of shape I was then, or something like that . . . .

One big example why sweating really sucks: I was hiking last Saturday, hot and humid weather, some terrain. I was soaked. Oh well... then I sat down on the ground to have lunch. Well, that was the idea anyway. But my trousers got stuck on me and I heart and felt a tear form where I don't want a tear. Yeah. So I hiked another 10km with this, and once the tear got too big I wrapped a long-sleeve shirt I was wearing as sun protection around my hips.

Other than dropping the temp in your workout area, maybe moisture wicking apparel. Although generally the more you sweat, the more you burn.

Honestly, be glad you sweat easily, even if it’s gross. I don’t sweat easily, and by the time I start to sweat, I’m overheated to the point that I’m ill and on the verge of passing out. It puts me out of commission for at least 1/2 an hour, it’s terrible.

I just read this tid bit in a book where a therapist was helping a patient who sweated profusely and had all kinds of mental crap/anxiety associated with that. The therapist suggested to the man to announce to everyone that he sweats like crazy and it's incredible how much he sweats and then to say to himself "I'm going to show them how much I can sweat!" and then actually try to sweat more. Apparently doing this once cured him of his anxiety and he actually started sweating less too.

I get absolutely soaked in sweat. I’ve got long hair and it gets wet. I could wring out my clothes. Sweat drops off my face, drips off my fingertips when I’m on the treadmill… and it cools you off. That’s your body’s cooling system. I think you just have to embrace it. Turn a fan on you and get in the zone?

That’s what I do. I sweat. I pant. Get those endorphins going… it’s lovely. When I’m super sweaty I feel like my body is working well and I feel like my fitness is improving because my body is doing better at cooling off.

My dad used to have headbands that had actual sponges built in to keep sweat from running in his eyes. Maybe try something like that or something I have seen on tourists at Disney is these little fans they wear on their necks to blow on their face to help keep them cool since they are not used to the Florida heat.

I like the suggestion of water aerobics and would like to add swimming might be something you enjoy as well.

I also sweat a lot and I go an attractive shade of beetroot. I have rosacea so even after cooling down I stay bright red. Used to hate it, now just accept it. I use a towel to mop myself, wear waterproof mascara (as I train after work usually so don’t have to worry about removing work make-up before hitting the gym), am currently rocking a selection of dodgy headbands ala 1980s vibe, and - I pour cold water over my head. I figure I’m wet anyway, might as well be cooler and feel fresher 🤷‍♂️ Might be an age thing, I defo care less now than when I was younger and worried more about what people think.

Nerdy perspective here. You know how during the training montage in any action-y show or movie, the hero is completely drenched in sweat? I embrace the sweat and the "action hero training montage" mind set. Also positive affirmations like, "Sweat is weakness leaving the body," to twist a common Marine Corps phrase. They even make workout shirts that have hidden messages which don't show up until the shirt is wet.

It's not easy to change a mind set, especially your own, but embracing the sweat as your body taking care of itself (logos), channeling your inner action hero (pathos) or looking at those you admire who perspire (ethos) to know you're not the odd one out, are all good strategies to help work through the sweat.