While I agree on the dangers of alcohol and am not a big drinker myself, there is a large focus on the demonisation of alcohol in the fitness community. I find that in every facet of the internet exercise community, going out and having a few drinks and having fun is seen as the worst thing that a person could do.
While I understand the perspective from a solely physical performance based point-of-view, sometimes this strict adherence can almost cause more harm than good. I’m not saying you should go out and drink every weekend or even drink at all, but if its something you enjoy once in a while and find yourself saying no to occasions or regretting decisions to not go out, then go for it! Just try and balance the amount it happens by consuming alcohol socially maybe once every 2-3 weeks at a minimum.
The social benefit of seeing friends over a drink is very important just for personal sanity and if you’re missing out on these occasions because you feel you can’t partake without alcohol then maybe you should try make some exceptions every now and then.
Some of the ‘Blue Zones’ in the world contain large amounts of active individuals who are also social drinkers, they don’t overdo it but they consume alcohol to meet friends and they have exceptionally long lives. Loneliness can literally cause a shorter life just as much as an unhealthy body can.
Myself, for example, I went out this weekend. I hadn’t in a couple of weeks but I’d be feeling a bit stressed and felt the need to blow off some steam. The most important part of this for me is that the effects of going out don’t leach into the week. It’s important for me to get to bed early on Sunday and wake up early to get a gym session in. Even if the gym session isn’t my best one and I feel a bit groggy, it sets the tone for the week.
So don’t sacrifice your enjoyment of life in the hopes of being healthy because it might just have the opposite effect. Stick to your goals but enjoy any opportunities that come up, with or without alcohol. We’re not all like David Goggins and sometimes those breaks are just what we needed to push our training on even further.
Feel free to reach out to me if you’d be interested in more of a discussion about this.
Jack.