Exercising the Day After Drinking Alcohol

You must have wondered many times after a heavy night of drinking, should I go to gym tomorrow or should I just skip the workout? A hangover can make you physically and mentally incapable of exercising due to headache, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. You may push yourself to go to the gym and workout but is it the right thing to do? Is your body capable of performing light to moderate workout when you are hungover? Let’s understand in this blog if exercising after drinking alcohol is the right thing to do.

Effects of Alcohol on the body

When you consume alcohol, it sets up a series of physiological changes in the body. Alcohol travels from your stomach and gets absorbed in the small intestine. It then travels through the bloodstream affecting cognitive function, protein synthesis and hormonal balance.

Excessive alcohol can put strain on the cardiovascular system causing high blood pressure and heart failure.

If you are still hungover from drinking last night, then exercising in the morning could impact your coordination, balance, and judgement. Alcohol is also a diuretic which means it causes dehydration. Dehydration after alcohol consumption can make you lose balance while working out. All of these could result in an injury while working out (1).

But it does not mean that if you were drinking the previous night, you must skip the morning workout. You must recover properly before working out because working out in the morning after drinking can have some benefits as well.

Why Exercising the Morning After Drinking can be beneficial

• Helps to stick to routine

If you want to achieve your fitness goals, then consistency is the key. Don’t let a few glasses of beer or whisky break your schedule. Working out is a habit that needs to be developed over a long period of time (2).

Taking a one day break may not seem a big deal but it’s worth thinking about whether you’re the type of person who needs pretty rigid consistency to keep up with a routine. For many people taking a day off could set them back on their fitness journey. If you feel that you can’t perform your regular exercise, then opt for a light version of your regular workout. It can help you preserve your momentum.

• Helps to enhance the mood

Exercise is key for our mental health and emotional wellbeing. Alcohol may give you temporary joy and happiness, but it makes you feel down, groggy, and sluggish the next day. Exercise can give you much needed energy boost and mood enhancement.

Even a 15-20 min jog can enhance your mood, decrease your stress, and even improve your executive function.

• Helps you reset

Alcohol has powerful impacts on the metabolic system. Therefore, you can wake up the next day feeling anxious, regretful, or guilty even if you had a fantastic night out with friends, family, and responsible drinking. If you're not aware of these sneaky feelings, they can make you feel worse about yourself. However, exercise offers a solution (3).

Exercise helps you reset by uplifting your mood. It helps to boost your blood flow which carries oxygen and other nutrients across the body which helps you recover. Exercise can also help you boost your self-esteem and put the night of drinking behind you.

Tips to for Exercising the After Night of Drinking

• Don’t exercise if you are still hungover

Make sure you are recovered fully before stepping into the gym. If you are still feeling the symptoms of hangover like headache, nausea fatigue and vomiting it is better to rest a little longer before exercising. Sleep longer and let your body recover before exercising.

• Hydrate yourself

Alcohol can cause dehydration which can impact your exercise performance. Drink plenty of water or fluids before exercising. Hydration helps your body maintain balance and avoid any potential injury.

• Keep things light

Don’t get started lifting heavy dumbbells or start running a mile. You can choose to do the light version of your regular exercise. This helps you to get the benefits of exercise like sticking to your routines, boosting your mood, and reinforcing your self esteem.

Conclusion

If you drink responsibly alcohol can help you have a good time whether it’s a champagne toast at a wedding or a cold beer at a game. But heavy or long term drinking can be bad for the health. If you are a regular gym goer or a fitness enthusiast a night of drinking can put a halt to your exercise routine

To avoid the symptoms of hangover next morning take an anti-hangover supplement. Choose an anti-hangover supplement with electrolytes, amino acids and B vitamins. It helps you to rehydrate, helps to remove toxins and helps to reduce fatigue. So, make sure you are ready to workout with an anti-hangover supplement.

FAQs

1. Is it okay to workout the next day after drinking?

Yes, it's okay to workout the next day after drinking. But you must take certain precautions before exercising such as proper rest, hydration and a light workout.

2. Does one night of drinking affect fitness?

No, one night of drinking does not affect your fitness.

3. How many hours after a workout can I drink alcohol?

Wait at least couple of hours after a workout before drinking

4. Is it bad to drink alcohol before working out?

If you drink a glass or two then it is fine but don’t drink heavy before working out.