Create Exercise Habits to Replace Drinking in Excess
Consuming an alcoholic drink every now and then may not be an issue for some people. However, if a pattern of binge drinking or drinking to excess emerges, the drinker may decide that it’s time to change this habit. And many factors can contribute to this decision to stop.
Reasons People May Want to Change a Drinking Habit
For some people, excessive alcohol consumption may be hurting their health. Their drinking is leading to medical issues. Some of these issues may be due to long-term alcohol use. Cirrhosis of the liver is one potential consequence of being a heavy drinker over time.
Other issues are a result of drinking too much in one sitting. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) refers to this as binge drinking. For males, it involves consuming five drinks within two hours. For females, it is drinking four alcoholic beverages within the same time frame. This can lead to alcohol poisoning.
However, a new trend is emerging according to the NIAAA. It is called high-intensity drinking. This is when someone consumes more than two times the binge drinking levels (10 drinks for males or eight drinks for females). Consuming this amount of alcohol increases a person’s chances of an emergency room visit by 70 times.
Some people want to change this habit because drinking alcohol is affecting their personal relationships. Or their heavy drinking is impacting their job. They’re noticing negative effects in other areas of their life. Their alcohol dependence is reducing their quality of life.
Another reason to stop this bad habit is that alcohol consumption can easily lead to weight gain. A 12-ounce can of regular beer contains around 153 calories. Craft beers can have more than double this amount. Drink a few every night and the numbers on the scale will go up. So, the decision to stop drinking may be prompted by weight loss goals.
Alcohol can also limit muscle growth. It creates a hormonal imbalance that makes it more difficult to increase lean muscle mass. Thus, someone may want to stop drinking to help create a leaner, more fit physique.
Challenges with Lowering Alcohol Intake
Changing a drinking habit is not an easy process. Alcohol addiction and dependence can be incredibly difficult to overcome. It often requires finding new ways to cope with the stresses of life. One must learn how to deal with uncomfortable feelings without reaching for an alcoholic beverage to “take the edge off.”
If addiction exists, another challenge is withdrawal symptoms that come with quitting. A person may experience physical symptoms such as delirium tremens. In severe cases, alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be deadly, requiring medical intervention.
It can also be difficult to abstain when alcohol cravings strike. These may be prompted by a specific place, situation, or emotion. Reducing alcohol consumption requires avoiding these triggers when possible. If they can’t be avoided, it involves finding new, healthier ways to cope.
Benefits of Replacing Drinking with Exercise
It’s often said that the best way to change a habit is to replace it. That’s why some people chew straws or toothpicks when quitting smoking. It keeps their mouth busy when they can't have a cigarette. And there are many benefits of replacing drinking with physical activity.
For example, one study found that exercise can help reduce the urge to drink. This makes it easier to abstain from alcohol because cravings are diminished. The lower this urge, the lower the likelihood of a relapse.
A 2014 study adds that engaging in moderate and high-intensity aerobic exercise can help treat those with substance use disorders. It works by increasing abstinence and easing withdrawal symptoms. It also reduces anxiety and depression, two factors that can increase the urge to drink.
Making exercise a habit can even lead to the creation of other healthy habits. Positive changes in one area of life often leak into other areas. Working out regularly increases the desire to eat better, for instance. This sets off a cascade of healthier habits and behaviors.
Creating Successful Workout Habits to Replace Drinking
How do you make exercise a healthy habit when you want to overcome alcohol abuse or addiction at the same time?
Set a goal. Setting a fitness goal gives something to strive for. It reinforces positive health habits while seeking to achieve a desired outcome. This goal may involve exercising a certain number of days or minutes per week. It might be losing a specific amount of weight or increasing muscle mass by a certain amount. Write this goal down and look at it often. Use it to stoke the motivation to create a new, healthier habit.
Schedule your exercise sessions. It’s easier to avoid exercise if it’s not on the calendar. Schedule workout sessions the same as you would a doctor’s appointment or important work meeting. Carve the time out of your day in advance. You’re less likely to skip out when you’ve arranged your schedule to accommodate an exercise session.
Try different types of exercise. You’re not likely to make exercise a habit if you don’t enjoy it. Try a few different types of exercises to see which ones you like. Do aerobics one day and weight lifting the next. The more variety you have, the easier it is to stick to this new habit.
Create a plan for when the urge to drink strikes. Decide in advance what you will do when going through alcohol withdrawal or facing a craving. Will you head outside for a walk or go to the gym? Train yourself to respond with a healthier habit versus reaching for a drink.
Get a workout partner. Having someone to exercise with can make it easier to establish a workout habit. You have to show up at the gym because you know they are waiting for you. It forces you to be more accountable. It also gives you someone to support you as you work to reduce your alcohol consumption.
Stay hydrated. The last thing you want to do is work up a sweat, then try to rehydrate with alcohol. Instead, stay hydrated by drinking water before, during, and after your exercise sessions. If exercising for long periods of time, consider a sports drink to help replace electrolytes.
Quitting drinking isn’t easy, especially if addiction exists. In cases such as this, professional help may be necessary. Suddenly stopping drinking may not be safe medically. Plus, a counselor, therapist, or doctor will know how to work through the process in a way that reduces alcohol withdrawal.
References
Alcohol Facts and Statistics | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Niaaa.nih.gov. (2022). Retrieved 10 June 2022, from https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-facts-and-statistics.
Encyclopedia, M., & beverages, C. (2020). Calorie count - Alcoholic beverages: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Medlineplus.gov. Retrieved 10 June 2022, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000886.htm.
Ussher, M., Sampuran, A., Doshi, R., West, R., & Drummond, D. (2004). Acute effect of a brief bout of exercise on alcohol urges. Addiction, 99(12), 1542-1547. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2004.00919.x
Wang, D., Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Li, R., & Zhou, C. (2014). Impact of Physical Exercise on Substance Use Disorders: A Meta-Analysis. Plos ONE, 9(10), e110728. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0110728