Don’t go to the gym when you’re hungover — seriously

There you are. Slowly melting away on the couch with a bad hangover. You feel like you might literally keel over if you move. One of your comrades from the night before texts you and says, “I’m heading to the gym to sweat it out, do you want to come?” Of course you don’t want to go, and it turns out that it’s actually bad for you to go, anyway. Rejoice!

In an interview with Glamour, Damion Martins. M.D., a sports medicine physician, explains why. “You cannot sweat out a hangover. By trying to do so, you further dehydrate your body, leading to more detrimental effects.”

According to Glamour, when you drink, your body breaks down the alcohol into acetic acid and the rest slowly leaves your body via sweating, peeing, and breathing. If you work out, you can expedite the toxin-removal process by forcing yourself to sweat more than you normally would just lying around.

But Martins does not recommend this. Some of the consequences include, “muscle strains, cramps, muscle pulls, and electrolyte imbalances.” Yikes. He continues: “Alcohol affects your normal physiology, leading to increase levels of creatine kinase and lactate in your blood, which can have detrimental effects on other organs and may cause increased muscle soreness.”

Turns out the best way to cure a hangover is simple — water and sleep. Martins says to not just hydrate but “aggressively hydrate,” and to prioritize finding a cozy, peaceful spot to doze off after the shenanigans end. “The better quality sleep you’re able to obtain, the better you will feel in the morning.”

We can do that.