People who wake up with a hangover and head straight to 9AM bootcamp are less relatable than people who choose the middle seat on a plane. Or people who use the “cool” setting on a blowdryer. Or people who don’t follow Beyonce on Instagram. You get the point: exercising with a hangover is hell on earth, so we made a workout that’s totally hangover-proof, so you can sweat out last night’s tequila without the nausea and migraines that come with your regular gym routine. Do each of the following exercises for 45 seconds, and repeat the circuit 3-4 times total.
Alternating Lunge to Squat
Your leg muscles are the biggest muscles in your body, so you’re burning the most calories when you do lower body workouts. However, as much as you’d love to go on a run or make it to SoulCycle, it’s just not happening. The idea of bouncing around in a dark room while listening to Chainsmokers at full blast makes you want to vom, so lunges and squats are a hangover-proof alternative. Step forward with your right leg, creating a 90 degree angle and bringing your left knee an inch away from the ground. Then, step your feet together and squat down, keeping your knees behind your ankles. Alternate between the lunges and squats for the full 45 seconds.
Standing Oblique Crunches
Every good workout needs to have some ab component involved, but bicycle crunches and planks might sound nauseating AF right now. Luckily for you, you can work the sides of your abs while standing up, and it might actually be more effective than your 30-second side planks. Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, put your hands behind your head and slowly crunch sideways toward one side of your body, feeling the stretch on the other side. Do 5 reps on one side, then 5 reps on the other, and alternate between the two. If you have a dumbbell to hold in your hand, it’ll make it even harder, but we can also just save that for a day where you can actually see straight.
Lying Hip Bridges
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You don’t get the ass you want by sitting on it,” but it turns out, you can get it by lying on the floor. No joke. Hip bridges engage your glutes, which are the muscles that make your butt look amazing and perky in a bathing suit. Start by lying on the ground with your knees bent and your feet on the ground. Then, lift your hips off the ground, squeezing your butt to lift up, and keeping your upper back on the ground. Lift and lower your butt for a few reps, and then try holding for a few seconds at the top. If your butt is burning after like, 30 seconds, you’re doing it right.
Tricep Dips
It wouldn’t be a full-body workout if we didn’t make you work your arms, but most arm exercises require weights, and we all know you’re not making it to the gym today, so let’s not kid ourselves. Tricep dips are one of the few arm exercises that are super effective without weights required, so get ready to not be able to lift your arms tomorrow when you brush your hair. Find a bench or couch of some sort, and sit in front of it, with your hands on the bench surface behind you. With only your hands on the bench, make sure your butt is only a couple inches away. Then, dip your body up and down with your elbows bent, using only your arms to lift and lower your body. Try to do 10 straight, then rest for a few seconds and do another 10.
Downward Dog to Push-up
Downward facing dog is technically a yoga pose, so by combining it with a push-up, we’re basically yogis and also military material. It’s whatever. Start with your hands on the floor out in front of you and your feet on the ground behind you, feeling the stretch in your shoulders and calves. Then, bring your body forward so that your shoulders are over your wrists, and dip down for a push-up. Drop down to your knees if you need to, but try to get your chest as close to the ground as you can. Alternate between the two movements as many times as you can, and then you can get on with your v productive day. I mean, you know the day’s off to a good start when you literally need sunglasses to open the refrigerator. Happy Sunday.
