Earlier this month we covered five substances that simply don’t mix with alcohol. Now, here are five activities that simply should never be combined with alcohol.
Exercise
Alcohol is far from the ideal drink to be having before or after a workout. In fact, it actually lowers your body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates used for energy. It also inhibits your body’s circulation of glucose, which is important for sustaining enough energy throughout a workout. Alcohol’s effects on the liver can also cause you to experience a shortage of oxygen, which in turn interferes with the production of adenosine triphosphate synthesis (ATP)—an energy source that your muscles rely on to function properly.
Sex
As we all know, alcohol significantly impairs your judgment surrounding the decisions you make, and the decisions you make regarding sex will be no exception. It can increase your chances of having casual sex with someone you don’t know, and it can also cause you to take fewer precautions than you normally would while having sex. This could mean contracting an unexpected sexually transmitted disease, or even initiating an unwanted pregnancy. Research has even shown that almost 50% of unplanned sexual encounters involve alcohol, and 60% of STDs are transmitted when alcohol is involved.
Online Shopping
Considering that alcohol impairs your ability to make rational judgments, it’s no surprise that online shopping is especially dangerous while you are under the influence. And with shopping via your smartphone is becoming more and more the norm, it’s easier than ever for those under the influence of alcohol to make irresponsible financial decisions while shopping online.
Driving
This one is a no-brainer, but no list like this would be complete without it. Even though so much is widely known about alcohol’s ability to impair judgment, coordination, and reaction time, the statistics surrounding drinking and driving remain alarming. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, for example, every two minutes, a person is injured in an alcohol related car accident. In addition, on average, two out of every three people will be involved in an alcohol related crash in their lifetime.
Texting and Social Media
This one is a no-brainer. Drunk texting, calling, and social media posting is never a good idea, as you may very well end up saying something that you’ll regret to someone you love, or you could end up posting something on social media that you’ll surely regret later. Think of it this way: is there something that you could post on social media which could potentially affect your academic or professional circumstances? Even if it’s just a matter of expressing feelings that you wouldn’t normally express? Drunk texting, calling, and social media posting can have much more serious consequences that you might initially realize.