The morning after the night before will often begin with the famous “Never Again” speech. Feeling motivated to simply move from one room to another can seem like such a monumental accomplishment, let alone working out. But, it can be done! However, there are also some important things to check before making the call on whether to workout while hungover.
Things to consider
Dehydration – It goes without saying that alcohol is a diuretic, which means your body produces more urine, leading to dehydration and that awful heavy/dry feeling the following day. Without properly rectifying the after-effects of last night, exercising when you’re not topped up with your hydration levels will make you feel worse.
Also read: How Much Water Should You Really Be Drinking Each Day?
Focus – Feeling fuzzy the next day can impair your sharpness, so it’s important to make sure that you tackle something that you can complete properly, without complicated moves to avoid any risk of injury.
Lack of coordination – With the impaired judgment and foggy brain, this can affect our performance and technique when it comes to exercise, so now is not the time to be aiming for a new style of training or pushing for a personal best.
Top tips
- If you do decide to train, make sure to eat something light and nutrient-rich beforehand and stay well hydrated throughout the day.
- Be mindful that exercising will cause more sweating, so it’s important to drink plenty of water ahead of your workout and top up with regular intake afterwards to replenish stores following your session.
- If you simply can’t handle anything too strenuous, something gentle like a stretch sequence or yoga can be great. But let me tell you that getting the blood moving and heart rate up can be ace for blasting away the worst of the hangover blues!
Here’s our Hangover Workout
Warm up:
Leg swings forward – 30 seconds | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/235-leg-swings-forwards
Leg swings sideways – 30 seconds | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/236-leg-swings-sideways
Ladder runs – 1 minute | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/1177-Ladder%20Runs
Knee Hops – 2 minutes | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/1178-Knee%20Hops
Arm circles forwards – 30 seconds | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/257-arm-circles
Arm circles backwards – 30 seconds | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/482-arm-circle-backwards
Circuit:
Lunge Kick Left – 10 reps | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/1122-Lunge%20to%20Kick%20Left
Lunge Kick Right – 10 reps | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/1123-Lunge%20to%20Kick%20-%20Right
Push Ups – 10 reps | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/101-pushups-on-toes
Squats – 10 reps | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/328-squats-med-ball-hold-ball-close-to-chest
Air Punches – 30 seconds | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/1092-Air%20Punches
Low Steps Fast – 30 seconds | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/400-low-steps-fast
Tricep Push Up Knees – 10 reps | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/156-tricep-pushups-on-knees
Core Rotations – 10 reps each side | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/77-twisties
Bicep Curls – 10 reps | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/3-bicep-curls-with-dumbbells
Seated Dish Hold – 30 seconds | https://go.12wbt.com/exercises/1158-Seated%20Dish%20Hold%20with%20DB
Spend 5-10 minutes cooling down and perform a full body stretch to end your session!
