8 Ways Sobriety Will Improve Your Fitness

While there are many health benefits of sobriety, for anyone who enjoys working out, you’ll notice a considerable change in your body and fitness. Keep reading to discover some of the top ways in which sobriety will improve your fitness and help you reach your health goals in the future. 

1. Quicker Reaction Times

For anyone who enjoys playing sports or taking part in more adventurous activities, you’ll find you enjoy these much more when your reaction times improve. Hand-eye coordination is weakened by alcohol, and you’ll find your judgment is impaired as well. As a result of this, you’ll be slower to react when a ball or obstacle comes your way. No matter what type of activity you enjoy doing, you need to be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times. This will minimize the risk of an injury and ensure you remain safe while working out.

2. Perform to the Best of Your Ability

In order to progress your fitness levels, you need to be able to perform to the best of your ability at all times. When you start on your sobriety journey, you’ll notice that you are much more aware and able to push your body further. In time, you’ll see a huge improvement in your stamina and strength, purely because you’ve been able to train harder than ever before.

 3. Reach Your Weight Loss Goals Quicker

Alcohol is one of the biggest obstacles for anyone trying to lose weight. It’s full of empty calories, which provide little nutritional value to help you with your fitness goals. After working out, one of the worst things you can do is reach for a drink, as it will undo some of the good work and minimize the chance of your muscles recovering properly. The high sugar content in alcohol often leads to weight gain. You’ll find you can enjoy activities you love with ease, making training more of a pleasure than ever before.

 4. Your Body Will Fatigue at a Slower Rate

Exercising naturally leaves us feeling dehydrated due to the sweat we release during a training session. However, when you add alcohol into the mix, it makes this issue even worse. Your body will then feel exhausted, meaning you’ll be much less likely to train again tomorrow. For anyone who particularly enjoys cardio workouts, you’ll reduce the glycogen in your body after drinking. By staying sober, your body can train at a higher intensity during each session, helping you to reach your goals in no time at all.

 5. Muscles Recover Quicker Without Alcohol

When we train, our muscles tear slightly, which leads to the soreness we often feel after working out. Our growth hormones naturally help these torn muscles to repair, but without focusing on your sobriety, this process will be slower than usual. When you drink alcohol after a workout, the efficient muscle healing that’s needed isn’t possible. You’ll feel much sorer for longer, which usually results in you skipping sessions or simply wanting to lie in bed. If you are hoping to gain muscle at the gym, you’ll also find that staying sober will help with this. Alcohol boosts our cortisol levels, the stress hormone, which then destroys the muscle you’ve been working so hard to build. Sobriety will increase your testosterone levels instead, resulting in building the muscles you’ve been training.

 6. More Enthusiasm for Training

There’s no denying that training regularly requires a good deal of effort and commitment. When you are hungover or struggling to get up in the morning, you are far less likely to want to put on your gym gear and go for a run. You’ll notice that your energy levels are restored when you commit to your sobriety, and you’ll be much more focused on your training. In fact, you’ll likely notice your fitness journey works hand in hand with your sobriety. Many people find the results that they achieve in the gym inspire them to stay sober and keep working on their fitness levels.

 7. Make Healthier Food Choices

Many people notice they make poor food choices after drinking, especially after a big night out. These empty calories don’t give your body the fuel it needs to train to the best of your ability. When you stay sober, you’ll find it’s much easier to make healthy eating choices. There will be fewer ups and downs with your energy levels, meaning you’ll feel ready to train at a time of day that fits with your schedule. You can also replace previous drinks with water, leaving you feeling more hydrated before, during, and after your workouts.

 8. Sobriety Boosts Your Self-Confidence

One of the biggest excuses we hear for why someone doesn’t go to the gym regularly is that their self-confidence is too low. Some gyms can be quite intimidating, and even changing in changing rooms can feel like an impossible task. You’ll notice that your self-esteem and mental health are both improved with your sobriety. Instead of feeling bad about your body and yourself in general, you’ll see you are more dedicated to your healthy living journey. You’ll realize that many other people are in the same boat as you and that working out regularly is the first step to living a healthier and happier life.

These are just a few of the key ways in which sobriety will improve your fitness. Working on your fitness levels takes a lot of dedication and enthusiasm, but you’ll notice you have more energy and feel ready to tackle any challenge that comes your way. If you are starting your sobriety journey, our app will be here to support you every step of the way. It has all of the tools you need to remain on track and start working on improving yourself to enjoy a healthier way of living in the future.