Getting a Real Sweat

As a kid, you sweat all the time. Running, biking, playing - whatever, you're just very active. And you sweat a lot. As you get older, you find reasons not to sweat and to not be as active as you once were. So, check yourself right now: how do you feel? I mean, really. How do you feel?

If you're like me, most of the time (when I'm not in a workout routine), I feel o.k., but rarely do I feel great. A few aches and pains every now and then, but overall, just o.k. The few times a year when I would sweat (for me, that was either once every six months when I decided to workout or maybe, on the dance floor), but I noticed that I always felt great afterwards. But as I continued to get older, the times when I'd get my heart pumping and sweat flowing were becoming fewer and fewer and the time between them was growing longer. Again, I felt o.k., but not really great.

I thought maybe it was just me - that somehow the sweat thing was coincidental, that maybe it was some other reason why I felt better after a good strength or cardio workout> But then, I had a conversation with a friend yesterday. He's also doing P90X and yesterday was his "rest" day and he did the StretchX DVD. It's relaxing and you stretch a lot, but there's no cardio and there's no sweat. He said he did the DVD, but his head felt like it was in a fog all day and he didn't have the same energy as he did on the other days. For me, it's exactly the same. Days when I get in a good workout - I have energy and feel great for the rest of the day. Days when I find an excuse not to workout, I have less energy and I'm not in as great a mood as I am on days when I push myself.

So, I challenge you to try it both ways and do a little self-observation. How do you feel on the days you workout vs. the days that you don't? Do you notice any difference and if so, what are the differences? For me, I need to get my heart rate up and let the sweat flow. If I do both of those things, I know I'll have a great day. I bet you will, too.