I overheat at the gym and take ages to cool down... Help!

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Dijon360
Dijon360 Posts: 19
in Fitness and Exercise
So, I've begun running on the treadmill at lunchtimes. My work actually has a nice gym with shower facilities etc. The one thing I can't seem to sort out is how on earth to cool down and stop sweating afterwards! I literally perspire for a good half hour when back at my desk with the fan on full blast. After working out I have tried:

1) Cold shower until shivering. No good.
2) Hot shower. Nope...
3) Drinking lots of ice cold water after showering. Didn't really help...

The best I've found so far is a warm shower, ending with a cold shower, drying off underneath the AC outlet, gulping down a bottle of cold water, then running back to my desk and cranking up the fan before my shirt gets wet with sweat. I hate being one of those sweaty guys with wet patches on my shirt, but I have to lose this weight!!

Would love to get some tips from others on this!!

Replies

  • michedarnd
    michedarnd Posts: 207 Member
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    Alas, I have the same problem. I exercise at lunch and then DRIP for a half hour. Can you do your exercise at the end of the day, or is that impractical? If you are anything like me, you don't sweat much WHILE exercising, but sweat after you've launched your metabolism into hyperdrive for a while. Maybe just bringing a couple of extra undershirts will help? I have a lot of freedom with what I wear, so I tend to wear tops that aren't particularly absorbent. I have rivulets going down my back, but my COWORKERS aren't seeing giant wet spots. I keep wiping my face for a while. Since the problem is your metabolism, it's a problem that can't really be turned "off."
  • flimflamfloz
    flimflamfloz Posts: 1,980 Member
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    Yeah, I know what you mean...
    As you will lose more weight, this will happen slightly less (less fat to "keep you warm" basically).
    Also, I find that my body gets used to "sweating" after I have been running for 2-3 weeks and I sweat slightly less.

    Don't forget to put your head underwater (cold water), as a lot of heat comes from there too...

    And maybe consider wearing a t-shirt underneath your shirt for 10-20 minutes after your shower, at least you will know where the sweat is going... Then simply go back to the shower room and stick the t-shirt it in a plastic bag.
  • Cat52169
    Cat52169 Posts: 277 Member
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    Maybe if you drank plenty of cold water before and during your workout to keep your body team down?
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
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    I sweat for a good half hour after my run; to the point where I just lay down on the front porch and wait to stop sweating. (Why aren't I dating ALL the men?) If your having this problem at work might I suggest an extra shirt for when the sweating stops...then your shirt is dry again.
  • candicole007
    candicole007 Posts: 120 Member
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    My Gym's not at work, so I ride home with all the window's rolled all the way down, and by the time I get there 20 minutes later I'm usually mostly cooled off
  • Dijon360
    Dijon360 Posts: 19
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    Thanks all. I like the idea of undershirts. I hadn't thought of that. I'll try watering up with cold water before working out too. Mostly, I have been working out after work, but I find I have more energy at lunch time, and it frees up my evening for other stuff.

    Any other tips? :smile:
  • Quieran
    Quieran Posts: 1
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    Hey, first let me say congrats on the progress toward your goal.

    Your problem as you say is a very common one, but it is normal none the least and there is nothing wrong with you. It takes the normal person on average about 30-60min for their body temp to return back to normal & your heart rate back down to its resting rate. The good thing about it though is that this is a good problem because your body is still burning calories even after you workout. Thats mainly where the continuos body heat comes from. However, you can try doing a 5-10min cool down before you hit the showers, which will aid in a steady drop in your heart rate & cut down on some of the body heat before you hit the showers. Another thing that I started doing on the days I have to workout before I go into work I wear a heat compression shirt, you know the under armor shirts like athletes wear. Those not only keep you dry, but they also remove the sweat from your skin (allowing your pores to breathe & aid in keeping the body cool) and they will definitely keep the pits of your shirts dryer.lol

    I hope this helps you in anyway and keep up the good work!!!!!
    Q.B.
  • geraldm55
    geraldm55 Posts: 130
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    I'm no doctor but this is what I've found. stop drinking really cold water. when I do this I find that I sweat like a dog.
    I drink room temp water and it's easier for your body to absorb it and it balances you out.
  • mopovich
    mopovich Posts: 21 Member
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    Way to go!! I've heard of getting botox in your sweat glands!? No?! LOL

    You sound like my husband - he always says he has a "sweating disorder!"
  • Dijon360
    Dijon360 Posts: 19
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    Way to go!! I've heard of getting botox in your sweat glands!? No?! LOL

    You sound like my husband - he always says he has a "sweating disorder!"

    I would need it all over my body. It's not just the 'pits... What's weird is that I'm not one of those sweaty guys. However, intense cardio seems to cause me to overheat and it just won't dissipate!
  • Kbryant2
    Kbryant2 Posts: 3
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    Drink a lot of room temperature water before, during, and after your work out. When you drink cold water your body must heat it up to be able to process it, so you are going to sweat more. Make sure you are doing a 5-10 mins cool down as well. This helps drop your heart rate back to your normal level. I also found out that doing stretches for 5-10 mins after my cool down also helps cooling my body down.

    Keep up the good work!
  • Dijon360
    Dijon360 Posts: 19
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    All great advice folks! I tried room temp. water today and it made a big difference. It's counter-intuitive to drink warmer water to cool down, but it does help a lot.

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