Reasons You're Sweating for Hours After a Workout and How to Cool Off

Adding a sweaty exercise session to your day is a healthy move. But what happens when you find yourself sweating for ‌hours‌ after a workout?

Your body naturally sweats during exercise to control your body temperature. The work you're doing produces mechanical energy (muscle contractions) and heat. The way you release this heat is through sweat. Sweat lowers your body temperature as it evaporates from your skin, research shows.

We spoke to Dean Somerset, CSCS, an exercise physiologist and kinesiologist in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to understand why you might have prolonged perspiration after exercise and how to stop it.

6 Causes of Sweating After a Workout

1. Working Out at a High Intensity

Often, how quickly you stop sweating after a workout depends on how hard you pushed during the session. For example, a max-effort cardio session is a lot more sweat-inducing than casually lifting light weights, Somerset says.

2. Skipping the Cooldown

If you can't stop sweating after a workout, it could be a sign that you’re not giving your body enough time to gradually lower its temperature.

3. Jumping Straight Into the Shower

If you’re still sweating bullets after a workout, taking a shower will be more performative than beneficial, especially if the water is warm, Somerset says. That’s because being in a hot, humid environment will limit evaporation and prolong your body’s sweat response, he says.

4. Eating or Drinking Something Hot

If you gulp down a scalding hot coffee or nosh on spicy foods after your workout, you can bet on prolonged sweating, Somerset says.

5. Wearing the Wrong Workout Gear

If you choose clothes that don’t breathe or you pile on multiple layers, you’ll produce a plethora of perspiration, Somerset says. Wearing thick or non-breathable clothing traps heat and sweat, making it harder for your body to cool down because it blocks airflow and prevents sweat from evaporating, according to research.

6. Living Somewhere Humid

If you live in a tropical climate or if the summertime brings rain-forest levels of humidity, heat loss through evaporation (sweat) is a lot harder, Somerset says. According to research, sweat evaporates completely in dry air, but in humid air, it stays partly liquid.

“Canada in the winter? Easy to stop sweating after you’ve crushed your session. Florida in the summer? It’s going to be a lot harder to keep your shirt dry,” Somerset says.

6 Ways to Stop Sweating After a Workout

Here, Somerset shares simple strategies to scale back sweating after your workout.

1. Wear Cooler Clothes

Dress for success. Choose lightweight fabrics that advertise sweat-wicking properties. As a general rule, avoid 100-percent cotton in your workout clothes, because it can trap sweat and prevent quick evaporation, according to research.

2. Do a 5- to 10-Minute Post-Workout Cooldown

The goal is to lower your heart rate and slow your metabolic rate. Shoot for about a 50-percent reduction in heart rate (from your peak heart rate during activity) or continue your cooldown until your post-workout heart rate falls within 10 to 20 beats per minute of your resting heart rate, Somerset says. Some studies support the idea that a low-intensity, active cool-down helps cardiovascular recovery, including slowing the heart rate.

3. Wait Before Showering and Use Cooler Water

Before hitting the shower, wait until your breathing and heart rate are close to normal resting levels, Somerset says. Again, a 5- to 10-minute cooldown should do the trick. Then shower with the coldest water you can tolerate without turning blue for another 5 to 10 minutes, he says.

4. Hydrate With Cold Water

“Most people don't drink enough, so getting more cold water is universally a good idea,” Somerset says.

5. Stand in Front of a Fan or AC

“This can definitely help speed the evaporative effects of sweating and lead to reductions in how much heat you produce,” Somerset says. Let the airflow hit your skin directly for best results.

6. Use a Cold Compress

Place an ice pack on the back of your neck to slash your sweating. For maximum cooling, stand in front of a fan with an ice pack about a millimeter from your skin, Somerset says.

When to See a Doctor

If you’ve tried everything and still sweat profusely long after a workout, your excessive sweating could signal an underlying health issue.

The Takeaway

• Sweating during a workout is normal. But some people continue to sweat long after exercise.
• You may experience excessive post-workout sweating if you go too hard or don’t wear breathable workout clothing.
• Take a cool shower and increase the amount of time you give your body to cool down to help stop the sweating.
• If you still sweat too much after workouts and you’ve tried taking measures to control it, or if you’re sweating more than usual in your daily life, talk to your doctor about possible causes and solutions.