Can you get in shape without ditching alcohol?

Summer’s approaching, long weekends are upon us and many of us will be looking forward to a few drinks in the sunshine – let’s be optimistic here. But does enjoying a few beers by the BBQ, a cocktail by the pool or a bottle of wine with those balmy alfresco dinners mean compromising your fitness?  

Alcohol and fitness hardly go hand in hand with one another, and you probably don’t need us to tell you that (and if you did, now you know). But are the two completely incompatible, or can both be a part of your life?

The answer, you might be relieved to hear, is that drinking alcohol does not automatically mean waving goodbye to your gains. Consumed carefully and in moderation, it does not have to compromise your fitness. But, before you pop the champs to celebrate, it’s worth understanding just how alcohol affects the body.

How does alcohol affect fitness?

Whether it’s a crisp glass of white wine, a smooth indulgent red or a fresh, hoppy craft beer, alcohol can taste so good and is often marketed so cleverly that it can be easy to forget that it is, ultimately, a toxin that our bodies have to work hard to process.

Our bodies are actually pretty well equipped to process alcohol – the clever old liver metabolises 95% of alcohol that we drink, at a rate of around one unit per hour.

But, while we’re generally pretty good at doing lots of different things at once, when it comes to alcohol, the body has to work so hard to process it through our system that it struggles to do much else at the same time.

Everyone is different, and the exact impact alcohol has depends on age, gender, body mass and various other things. But the truth is that drinking alcohol does affect fitness in several different ways, both directly and indirectly.

One of the major issues with booze is the way it affects your sleep. You might drop off faster after a heavy night out, but the quality of your sleep will be compromised, because your body is having to process alcohol, rather than switching off fully. So not only will you wake up feeling less refreshed, your muscles won’t have had adequate opportunity to recover and repair.

We’ve all been there – groggy, hungover, dehydrated and unable to face anything beyond a Netflix marathon. On those mornings, it’s fair to say that hitting the gym is likely to be pretty low on your list of priorities. Alcohol also causes many of us to make poor food choices, often opting for sugary or fried foods, which not only fail to replenish our energy levels, but can hinder weight or fat loss.

And then there’s the alcohol itself. For all its deliciousness, alcohol can pack a lot of calories, and these are known as empty calories as, unlike the ones you find in food, calories in alcohol cannot be used as energy in the body.

So far, so depressing. But what if we told you that there are ways to minimise the negative effects of alcohol on your fitness, without going teetotal?

How to stay fit – without giving up alcohol

It all comes down to one little word – moderation. Yup, it’s quite simple really – if you don’t want to give up drinking, you can limit the impact alcohol has on your health and fitness by simply having less of it.

The NHS reckons that we shouldn’t drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week. But many of us don’t really have a clear idea of how much that is (around six 175ml glasses of wine or six pints of 4% beer, FYI), or how much we drink in the first place, so cutting down can be hard. But there are plenty of apps out there that you can use for tracking your alcohol intake, and working out how your drinks translate into units.

Think about why you drink, too. For many it’s simply a social activity, so could you swap that pint or G&T with your mates for a non-alcoholic beer or spirit? For others, alcohol is a means to relax after a stressful day. Look for other ways you can wind down, such as a long bath or a walk.

 Some people genuinely enjoy the taste of alcohol, often far more than its effects. If this is you, think about prioritising your alcohol consumption – for example, swerving the sugary cocktail on a night out, but letting yourself enjoy every sip of that top-notch red.

Stay hydrated, and reduce your overall alcohol intake by drinking a glass of water in between alcoholic drinks. And try waiting 20 minutes after finishing a drink before ordering or pouring another. You might find that you don’t want more after all.  

Time your drinking carefully – some people limit alcohol to weekends, or just one night of the week when they don’t have a training session planned for the next day. Just be careful that you don’t end up overdoing it on those occasions, to “make up” for the rest of the week.

Think about your “why” when it comes to fitness too. If you’re feeling tempted by one more glass, remind yourself of your goals, whether that’s to fit into your skinny jeans, or to run a half marathon. Really think about what it would mean to you to get there – imagine how much more confident you’ll feel by reaching a healthy weight, or the euphoric sense of accomplishment by crossing the finish line. By attributing personal significance and emotion to your goals, you’re far less likely to jeopardise your chances of getting there.

Ultimately, yes you can still drink alcohol while maintaining and building your fitness – and what’s more, increased exercise has been shown to help with reducing alcohol consumption and reliance, too. So if you’re looking to get your kicks from something other than booze, why not book a training session at Ellie’s Gym and embrace that glorious thing called balance.