Should You Work Out After a Rough Night?

Jerry Seinfeld has a cute bit about the split personality we each have before and after a night of partying (just the top paragraph of the script): http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheGlasses.html

You may someday find yourself in the unenviable position as "morning guy" and wonder if you should go ahead and work out anyway. Here are some things to think about:

1. Do you feel at nauseated, light headed or have a severe headache? If so, skip it.

2. Do you usually feel a little better after moving around on days like "this"? Then maybe you should.

3. Are you going to be doing something where you can pull back on the pace and intensity or abort altogether if you start feeling worse? A hilly walk might be fine, a snow-boarding trip might be a big mistake.


If you decide you're up for at least trying, these tips should make it a more pleasant and productive experience:

1. Drink plenty of water before, during and after (but don't guzzle all at once)

2. Start about half your normal warm-up pace and warm up twice as long as usual.

3. Stop after the warm up and rest for a couple of minutes to see how you feel before continuing.

4. Avoid intense strength training and cardio that drives your exertion level higher than a "7" on a 1-10 scale (10 being max.) Light cardio, Pilates, Muscle endurance work (staying within 10 reps with loads you can normally lift 15+ times) are better options.

5. Stop every 5-10 minutes, rest and re-evaluate how you feel before continuing.

6. End the workout if you start feeling progressively worse. It's not just unpleasant - it's unproductive.

Remember if you miss a workout that day, it's not the end of the world. Sometimes rest is exactly what the body needs most. If you do decide to go for it, remember - it's the boss, so listen to it.

If you don't - it might demand your attention...:-)