In case you've never known a personal trainer personally, I feel it's best I be honest and confess: we like to drink. Sure, there are personal trainers who live on nothing but green tea and raw almonds. The rest of us live on green tea, raw almonds, the odd pizza and usually some alcohol. Generally, we consume our alcohol in large quantities, infrequently. A few beers every night is not so good for the waistline... or for a 6:00 a.m. appointment at a client's home. So we tend to abstain until the time is right, then drink our faces off. No surprise, right? We work hard and play hard.
So I've had my share of hangovers.
I've also had my share of awesome hungover workouts.
'Tis the season to imbibe. If you're feeling a little fuzzy from last night's holiday get-together with the girls, or anticipating a champagne-induced haze on January 1st, try this gentle combination of cardio and dynamic stretching to energize your muscles and your brain so you can enjoy your day, hangover and all.
For a quick, energizing workout, perform 1 minute of each of the following in order. To really get your body moving and burn a few of last night's calories, perform 1 minute of each of the following, then repeat for an additional circuit. Rest as little as possible between exercises.
Jog on the Spot - just as it sounds, jog vigorously in place.
Jumping Jack - begin with hands at sides, feet together. Jump and land with feet wide, arms overhead. Return to start & repeat.
High Knees - jog on the spot with knees as high as possible.
Bum Kicks - jog on the spot, kicking feet as high as possible behind you.
March - march on the spot, with emphasis, until your breathing calms slightly and you feel ready to stretch.
Windmill - stand with feet wide, toes slightly turned out; reach right hand to left foot and extend left arm up behind you; hold 3 counts, then return to standing and repeat on opposite side; continue alternating for 1 minute.
Hip Flex & Extend - stand, holding wall or chair with one hand for balance; lift left knee as high as possible and thrust down and back, skimming the floor and squeezing butt to lift leg straight behind you; do not bend forward or backward at waist. Continue for 30 seconds on one leg, then 30 seconds on the other.
Spiderman - begin standing with feet hip-width apart; step left leg behind you as far as possible and place hands on floor, inside right foot; stretch body as long as possible and allow left hip to fall toward floor (or rest on floor if needed); hold 30 seconds on one leg, then 30 seconds on the other.
Forward Bend - stand with feet wide; clasp hands behind back and bend forward until crown of head points to the floor, allowing arms to fall forward; hold 1 minute.
Claps - lay on stomach with arms extended in front of you; clap hands in front of you and swing arms around you, without bending arms or touching floor; repeat for 1 minute.
Printer-friendly version