Do you sweat a lot when you are dancing? Would you like to know how to stop sweating? Do you want to learn how to stop sweating too much in general? Boost your confidence by learning how to stop sweating.
I am going to share with you some ground information about what causes the body to sweat and whether or not there are any benefits of sweating too much in this article. Get a dry towel just in case you need it 😉
I have personally experienced this sweating thing a lot, like when I went to the gym to exercise, when I was going for a run, or just by doing one of my favorite hobbies, like dancing. To me, this is a normal part of doing any kind of exercise or physical activity.
I alway saw it as if I sweat a lot, it only meant I danced a lot or worked out a lot. Plain and simple.
But, then when I heard some of my dance friends saying things like “how to stop sweating excessively,” “how to stop feet from sweating,” or even “how to stop sweating armpits,” “how to stop sweating too much,” I was a little shocked!.
So, I began to read and better inform myself about the BIG complaint my dance friends have and experience every time they are out dancing. I was a part of it without even knowing it.
The topic I started with on this new journey was how to stop sweating. Can you stop sweating? Can you stop sweating too much? Is it even possible?
So, let’s begin…
Table of Contents
What causes the body to sweat?
This is what I believe: Sweating is normal and happens regularly during your daily activities, especially when you are dancing. There are other causes that can stimulate increased sweating like high temperature environments, emotions, stress, and spicy foods, just to mention a few.
The hard truth that you need to understand right away is that sweating is a bodily function that helps regulate your body temperature (a.k.a. perspiration).
Changes in your body temperature, the outside temperature, or your emotional state can cause sweating. The most common areas of sweating on the body are armpits (yup), face, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and I am pretty sure, other parts of the body, too.
Sweating is an essential bodily process. To stop sweating or stop sweating too much is kind of crazy to me. But if you have a different opinion I completely understand.
Are there any Health Benefits of Sweating?
I grew up with the mentality that sweating is normal and that it is good for the body, the same way I know that drinking water is good for you, too. But beyond my thinking, there are a number of health benefits of sweating.
Such as:
Sweating during exercise (such as dancing).
Makes sense to me because any physical endeavor often accompanies sweating. Don’t you think so? I notice after I dance for a while and am ready to rest at home, I unexpectedly get a sudden boost of energy and then a solid, good sleep.
I also see sweating as a way of maintaining healthy weight, because I am doing something good for my body, and by default I improve my mood in general.
Promote Healthier Skin.
Can you believe it? Like the gut, our skin has its own microbiome balance. Sweat may act as a prebiotic that contributes to healthy skin bacteria. Deep sweating can also improve skin cell turnover and remove pathogenic bacteria from the skin to help with acne.
Intense exercise gets the blood circulating throughout your body. This allows oxygen and nutrients to circulate and nourish skin cells. Chin chin!
Protect the Heart.
Let me say this again, sweating during exercise, or in the sauna, increases circulation and strengthens the cardiovascular system. In a study of regular sauna goers, researchers found that those who had the most weekly sauna sessions were the least likely to have a negative cardiovascular event.
Saunas are also known to promote relaxation and stress relief, which are also good for the heart. I have been doing this practice without even knowing the positive effects. I enjoy the sauna once a week, just so you know.
Do You Know Why Some People Sweat More Or Less Than Others?
After understanding that sweating is a free and easy way to boost health, we also need to understand that we don’t all sweat the same.
These are some of the reasons why the amount we sweat might vary:
Women vs. Men
A study of both male and female athletes found that men tend to sweat more than their female counterparts (I think we all knew that already!). The study found this to be true because men have significantly more muscle mass, so their bodies have to work harder to cool off.
Your Weight
Similarly, people who carry extra weight around sweat more.
Toxicity
People who have more of a toxic load tend to sweat more, since their bodies are working overtime to eliminate the toxins.
Tattoos
One side effect of getting inked is losing more sodium and electrolytes in tattoo covered areas. This probably won’t affect someone with a small tattoo or two, but studies suggest that ink over large areas of the body significantly impedes the health benefits of sweating.
Hyperhidrosis
Some people sweat four to five times the amount a normal person does. This condition is called hyperhidrosis and is thought to be primarily triggered by infection, medications, overactive nerves due to genetics, or hypothyroid.
How To Stop Excessive Sweating When You're Dancing
Having perfect hair, flawless makeup, a smooth tan, the best outfit, or fit and toned body is a good thing, but if you sweat excessively, it might become a bad thing. Go figure!
So, are you wondering how to stop sweating too much?
Sweating is the body’s way of regulating its temperature. When we’re hot, we sweat. That moisture then evaporates and cools us down. Sweating is a completely natural part of everyday life. It is impossible NOT to sweat, but there are a few things we could do to minimize it.
Under normal circumstances, these are the two major things to learn how to stop sweating too much.
Avoid certain foods and eat healthy.
I am going to start with two things most of us like very much; food and coffee. There are a few food choices you may want to consider if you’re out on a business lunch or planning to dance when you’d rather not sweat.
Definitely you need to avoid spicy food. Our bodies react to spicy food in the same way they do to any other heat; they try to cool things down, which leads to sweating. So, no more Thai or Mexican food. (Just kidding!)
When it comes to coffee, the caffeine acts as a stimulant to the adrenal glands and causes our palms, feet, and underarms to sweat. Another great way to help your metabolism run smoothly is to eat leafy greens, such as spinach and lettuce.
Can you believe that? I didn’t know.
These are great for reducing perspiration because they are high in magnesium. Also, by reducing the number of fatty acids your body creates, you reduce the amount of odor your perspiration produces. Eating healthy helps your body’s metabolism function smoothly.
By reducing the amount of unhealthy food you eat, your body begins to raise its metabolism rate.
This means you burn fuel more efficiently and allow the body to stop sweating too much. Bingo!
How To Stop Sweating Too Much In General
To me, this is a little know thing to do in general… Wear loose clothing and breathable fabrics. Another way to help you stop sweating too much with your clothing choices is to wear light, breathable fabrics with good ventilation when you are going dancing, if that is what you are planning to do.
The rule of thumb here is if you wear lighter colors will help to reflect the sun rather than absorb it, if you are enjoying the summer time, so wearing white can help keep you cool and reduce sweat.
The flip side, if this isn’t an option, is to choose dark colors or distracting patterns that hide the sweat. You can also layer your outfits so that the sweat isn’t visible on the outer layer… Ta da!!
Try to wear loose breathable clothing whenever the option is available. There are many companies that have developed new extra-breathable materials, designed to keep your body temperature normal. Shorts and sleeveless shirts can allow fresh air to contact more of your body.
This helps keep you cool and reduces the amount of stress hormones your body releases.
Linen and cotton are great breathable fabrics that provide you with a comfortable solution to your sweating problems. I love everything linen!
How To Stop Sweating On The Dance Floor
Having perfect hair, flawless makeup, a smooth tan, the best outfit, or fit and toned body is the right look to be proud of, but then you are praying it won’t be too hot so you don’t start sweating! That is NOT cool at all.
Do you worry that sweating way too much will destroy your look?
It is safe to assume you understand, in general, that perspiration is a good thing because it helps to cool down our bodies, right? And it is safe to assume again, that it is an individual trait that determines how much everyone sweats.
In fact, I am one who sweats a lot when dancing. Throughout my dancing, it has always been a thing that I’ve learned to accept but, most importantly, I personally discovered different ways to deal with it.
Here They Are..
1. Bring extra shirts.
Start bringing a spare shirt with you to social events, and even a small hand towel if you can. When you feel your shirt is getting too stuck to your body, go and change it. You will feel fresh again and ready to keep dancing. Don’t wear ten pounds of clothes. Wear thin linen clothing.
Black shirts are also good these days. I also sometimes bring a black bandana which easily fits into my back pocket and is generally invisible.
2. Keep your dancing coming.
If you are the kind of dancer that starts sweating straight after you start dancing, then maybe you and your body need more practice. This will make sure you get your stamina up by practicing as hard as you can. This way your body will get used to the hard work and by default, it will learn to control its temperature better and help you minimize the sweating part of it.
In other words, improve your endurance and muscle strength. This will make your body consume less energy per same movement.
3. Pick and choose
Another tip on how to stop excessive sweating is simply don’t dance every dance. I did this myself to learn how I could manage the sweating factor better. The funny thing about this is… it works! Dance to one or two songs and then take the next song as a break to cool off. This is not a cure, but it helps.
4. Scan the room.
What i mean by that is find where the cooling vents are located in the dance room, or where the fans are, and make that area your starting point or ending point. After dancing for a while, being near the cooler air helps keep you comfortable and ready for the next dance block with your favorite dance partner.
5. Improve your technique.
You might be wondering, “What does my dance technique have to do with how to stop sweating on the dance floor?’ Well, it does! Think about it.. if you are dancing all over the place, this means you are dancing with your whole body. But, if you apply a better technique to your dancing, your movements will be more efficient, which will translate to less energy needed to perform the same movements.
And lastly, here is an article about practice without a partner. When I started to implement this way back then, this improves a lot my sweating issue. I didn’t stop sweating too much but without a doubt help me with it. Try it and see what happens. Click here to read the article
How to Stop Your Armpits From Sweating So Much
When your body is fit and healthy, it runs at a much higher metabolism. This higher rate of nutrient absorption allows your body to run cleaner. The more fit you are the less body energy an activity will require. This is because of the how and why your body produces sweat.
Ok, having said that, let’s talk about how to stop sweating armpits. I was born in the tropics, where the summers are hot and long, and I will tell you, you don’t feel like going to bed at midnight in 91 degrees temperature without air conditioning to keep you sane. No joke!
• Showering and Dressing.
The first thing you learn right away is to wait between showering and dressing. Once you take a shower, wait a few minutes before you get dressed for the day. This is especially important if you live in a hot, humid, or dry climate, or even if you like taking hot showers.
This will allow your body to become cool and dry before you put on clothes. This could help prevent your underarms from sweating right after you take a shower.
• Shaving.
This brings me to the must do thing for a guy if you are comfortable enough and want to learn how to stop sweating armpits…shave your armpits. Shaving your underarms helps a lot to reduce excessive sweating. Hair holds moisture, and underarm hair is no exception. If you’re already experiencing heavy sweating under your arms, shaving is essential.
As a side note, if you’re constantly fighting body odor alongside the sweat, shaving will help you reduce or eliminate it. Who would think this is a good way to stop sweating too much, Go figure!
• Ditch You Deodorant.
This one is only at your personal discretion, but have you tried ditching your standard deodorant and switching to antiperspirant? Deodorant might kill the odor under your arms, but it’s not designed to stop sweating too much or completely.
A good antiperspirant both kills odor-causing bacteria and actively blocks your sweat glands from producing underarm sweat.
This approach has helped me minimize this big issue on “how to stop sweating too much” in general. It’s also important to make sure you’re applying your antiperspirant correctly so that it can do its job as intended. Only apply antiperspirant to dry, clean skin.
Another suggestion is to use your antiperspirant at night, after you bathe (preferably), when your body is coolest. Make it a habit to apply it before bed. This allows the active ingredient to take its full effect. When I started to do it, I noticed that it began to work for me after about four days to get the full effect.
Again, Who knew this little hack help me stop sweating too much, priceless!
• Eat Foods That Reduce Sweat And Stay Hydrated.
I kind of touched on this early on in the article but there are some foods that can actually reduce the amount of sweat your body produces and calm overactive sweat glands in the process. Here are some of the things I added to my daily food intake, and this food will help you minimize sweating armpits.
It is not an overnight thing, but it does work if you just do it for the long haul.
– water*
– foods with a high calcium content
(like dairy products and cheese)
– almonds
– bananas
– olive oil
– vegetables and fruits with high water content
(e.g., watermelon, grapes, cantaloupe, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, bell pepper, eggplant, red cabbage)
– oats
– green tea
– sweet potatoes
*Drinking plenty of water and eating foods with a high water content can keep your body cool and prevent excessive underarm sweating.
How to Stop Sweating Feet
Ok, for these ones we can just jump right on them because they are kind of simple to do.
• Wear the right socks. How to stop sweating feet? or How to stop sweating too much? Well, by using cotton socks is the best way to get this under control. Anybody should wear cotton socks during warmer months for proper ventilation and for exercise.
Avoid nylon at any cost as this synthetic fabric WILL trap moisture. Not cool! If you don’t believe me, why don’t you try it and then you’ll know what I mean.
• Use white foot powder. An antifungal foot powder and cotton socks are the best combination that will help to keep feet dry and odor-free. This is like chips and salsa, popcorn and movies, yin and yang.
• Buy the right shoes. Look for shoes made from a breathable fabric such as canvas or leather. Leather being the key word here. Avoid patent leather or plastic shoes as they do not allow a good airflow and may trap sweat inside the shoe. Another thing to do is to make sure the shoes are the correct size.
Shoes that are too tight will crowd the toes and contribute to sweaty feet. I did that and from my personal experience it was a bad idea. If you go with high heels, look for absorbent or deodorizing insoles to wick away moisture and prevent foot odors.
How to Stop Sweating Hands and Face
These are tough to prevent because, in all reality, what can you do to stop this from happening?
The only thing I have done to minimize sweating hands and face is plain and simple… dry your face and hands with a soft but absorbing small towel or bandana. If you forgot to bring one when you are dancing, then a dry paper towel will do just fine.
Doing surgery is not an option here; Botox injection is a no-no for me. You can solve this problem by drying your skin with a towel or just look for the air condition vent and start cooling off.
Remember, this might not help you with ” stop sweating too much” conversation but it will help you stay dry and cool.
In Conclusion
My holistic approach to the issue of sweating hands and feet are as follows: what you do and what you eat and drink. Lastly, how fit you are will determine how to stop excessive sweating. The only true way to help with the stop sweating too much issue here is to apply all of the above.
Try bathing frequently to reduce skin bacteria and moisture or apply antiperspirant before bed and in the morning. Keep a soft, absorbent towel or bandana in your bag, desk, or car to help dry excess sweat.
I love eating all kinds of food but avoiding spicy foods and caffeine, both of which can increase sweating, is good information to have handy.
Find an excuse to get a new outfit to wear breathable, moisture-wicking fabrics, like linen, and make sure to stay well-hydrated.
These are the things I added to my lifestyle and they have helped me a ton. My desire is that this article will give you some tips on what to do to help stop excessive sweating.
Happy Dancing!
YDS
PS. Here is the medical side of how to stop sweating too much. Here is the article.
