A: Yes, of course you can! But, as with many things in life, moderation is the key. Everyone is different and everyone’s idea of moderation is different as well. Some people, like my mother, would argue that you can’t have too much of a good thing. But the fact that she is bed-ridden two floor above me with a heart condition, diabetes, a bad liver, and an ass too wide to fit through the bedroom door determined that was a lie. Alcohol is mainly fermented sugars. Too many sugars leads to major health issues. So, if you, like my mother, are drinking several cases of beer a day your fitness is likely to decline.
Start small and drink from bottles rather than cans. Bottles weigh more and therefore provide more of a workout when lifted to your mouth. If you are already fit one bottle simply won’t be very significant. You may need to lift a six pack while downing your beverage. If you are really muscular you could try one arming a case, or even a keg! Remember to lift from your knees. It’s really easy to forget proper lifting techniques once you’ve put a few cold ones in your belly.
If you simply can’t stop yourself from overindulging when it comes to beer then you should try adding more vigorous exercise to your party time. Try running in place as you drink. This not only helps your body process sugars better, but has the added benefit of causing you to vomit. So, not as much weight gained and less sugars to process!
It is important to remember that alcohol can adversely affect your fitness and your health. Beer will accelerate weight gain so you must stay motivated to counteract that through exercise. If you are having trouble staying motivated let me know. I might send you a picture of my mother, who I can hear berating her home healthcare worker at the moment. That should motivate anyone to stay on the path to fitness. Or you could read the advice of one of our contributors, Mr. John Alcraft, who wrote an article (How Do I Stay Motivated To Do Anything) last week you may find useful.
