One of the major advantages of working from home for many of us is that we have more time to exercise. Our mornings can be spent doing anything from HIIT to taking the dog for an additional lap around the block without having to deal with any sneaky commutes. But before we sit down in front of our computers, there’s frequently a crucial stage we’ve already skipped.
We’re obviously talking about having a shower or, if we’re really stepping up the self-care, a bath.
Your body won’t forget about skipping the post-workout wash any time soon, even though your coworkers might not be able to tell. The fitness and lifestyle coaching app Freeletics uses artificial intelligence to help users achieve their fitness and lifestyle goals. GLAMOUR spoke with Dr. Emeka Okorocha, one of the app’s brand ambassadors, to learn the six primary effects skipping a post-workout wash has on your body.
Sweat glands can be found all over the body, and they create sweat when you’re hot or working out because it helps the skin’s evaporation process and cools the body down, according to Dr. Emeka.
Poor hygiene causes a significant buildup of dirt, sweat, bacteria, and dead skin cells on the epidermis. Therefore, it makes sense that issues could result from skipping showers after demanding, sweaty workouts.
The top six issues that Dr. Emeka found are listed below:
– Hyperpigmentation can also happen when you don’t wash off dead skin cells, which stick to your body and change your complexion. Although this condition can take weeks or even months to set in, it can also lead to a bad smell and is one of the early warning signs of more serious issues. Exacerbation of dermatological conditions like acne, eczema, or psoriasis, putting you at risk of dermatitis neglect and developing patches of plaque on the skin.
– The smell comes from when the sweat is combined with bacteria that naturally lives on the surface of the skin, and only then do you get that odor that people tend to call B.O. Body odor [can be] caused by sweat and bacteria when left too long without showering, despite the medical myth that states that sweat smells.
– If there is damage to any of the skin layers, this can cause frequent skin infections that eventually lead to cellulitis. Cellulitis can be prevented, but if it is one of the more severe cases, it must be treated with antibiotics. Skin infections are caused by the accumulation of bacteria on the skin that doesn’t get washed off during showering.
– The natural oils that our skin secretes mix with grime and pollutants to cause irritated, inflamed, and itchy skin, which is another cause of irritable skin.
– When we sweat, there is less UV protection, so during the summer months in particular, make sure that you are showering the sweat off your body or, at the very least, put on some extra sun cream. Increased sunburn exposure is another risk if you don’t shower after an exercise.
– Risk of yeast infections. If you spend the entire day in your sweaty exercise attire after a morning workout, it may put you at risk of developing a yeast infection. Therefore, taking a shower with water is essential if you want to avoid any discomfort down there!
If you don’t have the time or resources to take a shower right away after working out, Dr. Emeka advises wiping your body down with a wet cloth instead.
