4 Ways Alcohol Hurts Your Fitness Goals

It may go down nice, but exercise and alcohol don’t go well together. Buzz kill, we know. Credit: Kirti Poddar

Now, we like to have a cocktail, beer or glass of wine (or three!) as much as the next gal, but like we say time and time again, it’s all about moderation. Which is why we’re sharing the following guest info from Women’s Health with you. Not to be a buzz-kill or anything, but because it’s important to be informed and realize how that regular happy hour might be getting in the way of your goals…

Exercise and Alcohol: The Research

Think that getting in a quick workout gives you free reign at the bar over the weekend? Think again. A study from the University of Miami found that the more people exercise, the more they drink—with the most active women consuming the highest amounts every month. Research shows that drinkers of both genders and all ages (not just wild twenty-somethings) were 10 percent more likely to engage in vigorous exercise like running. Heavy drinkers exercised 10 minutes more each week than moderate drinkers and 20 minutes more than abstainers. An extra bender actually increased the number of minutes of total and vigorous exercise the men and women did that week. This trend seems particularly pronounced in women—especially active, educated women, who, according to recent research from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, are drinking more than ever.

Exercise and Alcohol: How It Hurts Your Workouts

Alcohol in your system is detrimental to any kind of fitness activity (except on the dance floor!). Here’s how booze wreaks havoc on your workout regimen…