How 10 Philly Fitness Pros Recover From a Hangover (Yes, They Get Hangovers)


Fitness pros: They’re just like us! They, too, overdo it on the champagne on occasion and wake up feeling like 10,000 elves are jumping around on their skull. And considering many of us are about to shamelessly down many-a flute of champagne, we figured now is the perfect time to share how some of our favorite Philly fitness pros squash their hangover pain.

Turns out, many of them drown their sorrows in a day’s worth of grease-laden carbs and couch time (See? I told you they’re just like us!) while others turn to some magic pill called NUUN to rehydrate, and the overachievers of the bunch suffer through hot yoga or get out for a run to sweat out the booze. (So, okay, maybe they aren’t just like us.)

Check out all their trusty hangover cures below, then print this post out and put it under your pillow to refer to come the harsh light of New Year’s Day. 

Jon Lyons, founder of RUN215 

“As a beer rep, I’m a pro with killing hangovers. Honestly, the absolute KEY is to chug a pint of water before you go to bed. I actually pop a NUUN tablet and then chug. It puts a major dent in the inevitable morning hangover. Then, when I wake up, I go straight for a cup of black coffee followed by self-reflection/loathing/trying to figure out where my pants are. Then I have an everything bagel slathered with scallion cream cheese. Cold pizza is a sure-fire winner, too. After that, it’s one of two things: I either go to a hot yoga class and hate my life for the entire class (but sweat all of the badness out) or I go for a 5K run and try to blast through it as fast as I can. Things can only go uphill from there.”

Hector Bones, owner of Bones Fitness Partners 

“My hangover cure is pho, the Vietnamese soup, from Pho 75, with a can of Sprite — it can’t be bottle! The broth of the soup rehydrates me, the rice noodles absorb the alcohol perfectly, a lot of Sriracha and chili oil clear the sinuses, and the crisp carbonation of Sprite makes me feel normal again. There’s definitely no exercise planned after eating the soup. I usually take my dog for a stroll, and let him get the exercise I should be doing. Then, I lounge around in sweatpants, trying to figure out what’s for dinner: Most likely not a salad. Why stress over the great night I just had? Life can’t always be so regimented with exercise and clean eating.”

Katie Rodger, owner of The Juice 

“The key for me is to get the vitamins and fructose from a citrus fruit, and pair the fruit with a heavy dose of folate-rich leafy greens to re-up my serotonin levels — because the only thing worse than that raging headache are the twangs of anxiety that often come from over-imbibing. To really up the ante, I add a pinch of sea salt to heal the adrenals and toss in a slice or two of avocado. The healthy fat in the avocados helps the body to absorb the nutrients in the fruit and greens. Editor’s note: If you can’t stand the sound of your blender, she slings a Pineapple Mint concoction that is sure to help lower your pain — and she delivers!

“Other tried and true hangover killers: Half a tablespoon of strong, ground coffee beans mixed with two tablespoons of lemon juice. Toss that back, chug half a gallon of water, hit the trail for 30 minutes of heart-pumping, sweat-inducing detoxification and when all else fails, saddle up to a Flaquita Rita (with a hint of cayenne) at El Vez.”

Holly Waters, owner of Fitness Alive

“Ok, so you are going to kill me when I say this, but I don’t get hangovers. Who knows if it’s my digestive system or my family history but I wake up feeling peachy. I do feel dehydrated after I overdo it, so a NUUN tablet in my water and a clean smoothie make me feel like I never put a bad thing in my body. And extra sleep, which in most people’s case is always necessary!”

Kasey Manwaring, owner of GoalsFit 

“Well, after I swear off drinking, I make a huge smoothie and throw every possible healthy ingredient I can get in there: ginger, lemon, romaine and bunch of frozen fruit. The fruit and lemon help to hydrate, the romaine helps to make it a smooth texture and the ginger helps to settle the stomach.

“And, believe it or not, no matter what shape I am in, I DO get out for a run! It helps so much. The first five minutes are brutal, but after that, you forget about the hangover and can actually start to smell the booze sweat out of you. It is the last thing you will want to do, but it helps so much.”

Jeff Liebreich, co-owner of Fearless Athletics 

“I’m pretty good at bouncing back from a night out, but there are times when I might’ve accidentally drank one too many. Luckily, I live in the heart of the Italian Market, so there is no shortage of delicious and hearty options to give me life again. My go-to? A giant cup of coffee from Chapterhouse and then down to Gleaner’s Cafe for an apple cider donut. A few glasses of water and I’m back out the door to Sarcone’s for a slice (or two) of tomato pie. Finally, I’ll hit up Santucci’s for an order of the short rib gravy fries w/ provolone whiz.”

Jayel Lewis, owner of JL Fitness 

“Being a trainer, I rationalize the way I go about drinking in my head. For instance, I’ll drink vodka-waters with a splash of seltzer and a few limes so I stay hydrated throughout the night. Before I even realize I’ve had one too many, I take two Advil and always have a giant glass of water before bed. Come morning, when I’m reminded of my age, I find myself recovering with a turkey bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich, along with a tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. That typically does the trick, and if it doesn’t, I usually wind up rethinking my actions … I’m human.”

Gina Mancuso, owner of CoreFitness

“My best hangover cure happens before my head hits the pillow at night. If I have celebrated a little too enthusiastically, this basic trick works well for me: I drink a lot of water (three to four big glasses) and take four Vitamin D drops. In the morning, I’ll have a green juice — Sip-N-Glo Juicery in Rittenhouse is my go-to spot. My favorite juice is the Green Beast: kale, spinach, cucumber, celery, apple and ginger. It tastes great and it gets me back on track in a hurry. I would like to say that I go for a good long run to sweat it out but, in reality, just getting outside for some fresh air and an easy walk helps to clear the cobwebs.”

Shoshana Katz, general manager and instructor at Body Cycle Studio 

“So I’ve been hungover a total of three times in my life. (Maybe I’m lame, or maybe I’m lucky … I’m not really sure but it does help that I’m not a huge drinker). My hangovers don’t always hit me right away. Normally I have to spring out of bed to teach a Spin class, and seeing that I mostly likely haven’t slept well the night before, I’m running on adrenaline. As soon as I’m done and have a moment to sit, it will hit me like a ton of bricks. Once that happens, silence, water, my couch, my animals, and Excedrine do the trick.”

Rebecca Barber, founder of the Rocky 50K 

“When my stomach isn’t feeling great, I always reach for pasta with butter or olive oil. It never hurts my stomach and feels so comforting. So I’ve gotten in the habit of that being my hangover food the day after I’ve had too much to drink. I can’t say if it’s the right thing to do, but it always makes me feel better!

“And if I’m not feeling too bad, I’ll go for a run. It feels horrible the first mile or so, but then I start to sweat and I always come back feeling better. If I’m super hungover, though, all bets are off for this option.”

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