You aren’t alone if you imagine the stereotypical cannabis user as a lackadaisical, lazy lay about. However, research on cannabis consumption is consistently proving that stoners aren’t as couch-locked as popular culture depicts. In fact, in many ways, cannabis users lead much healthier lives than the average population.

One of the most interesting findings connecting a healthy lifestyle with cannabis consumption is that those who use weed can feel motivated to engage in much more physical activity, and that weed-fueled workouts can be more rewarding and require less recovery time than the alternative. How? Read on to find out.

The Marijuana Motivator

Even the most avid exerciser has days when they don’t feel like working out. Training is difficult; it requires the cooperation of both mind and body, and if the mind isn’t feeling motivated, the body won’t be adequately challenged during a sweat session.

This is why many athletes — amateur and professional — turn to cannabis. Research shows that 80 percent of cannabis users take small doses of the drug before or after exercise, as a method of motivation. Because cannabis helps to release feel-good chemicals in the brain and body, the drug serves to make a workout more enjoyable. In anticipation of that boost to their mood, most athletes are more eager to exercise knowing that a weed high, even a minor one, is in their future.

However, before you start rolling joints in the gym, you should recognize that cannabis can have a negative impact on motivation, too. Long-term, heavy cannabis consumption has been found to reduce one’s motivation overall, which certainly contributes to a disinterest in training. If you want to use weed to exercise effectively, you should try to keep your general consumption moderate, and the doses you take before you train should be low. You might talk to budtenders at a Massachusetts dispensary about microdosing, or taking especially small quantities of cannabinoids, to boost workouts without any negative effects.

Cannabis for Better Workouts

Increased motivation isn’t the only way athletes benefit from some bud during their training. Though getting high isn’t ideal for many types of workouts — especially those that require intense coordination or dangerous techniques — there are some types of training that almost demand the effects of marijuana to be enjoyable.

The best example of this is long-distance running. Runners train in a variety of ways to strengthen their bodies and minds for the miles ahead, but endurance runs tend to be among the most mentally grueling. If one’s mind isn’t properly focused and engaged during a long-distance run, they could lose time, fall out of step or breath or otherwise become less efficient in their movements. As a result, many long-distance runners take some cannabinoids before their training, to give themselves some mental stamina.

Any time your workout is long, repetitive and potentially boring, you might want to use weed to make the experience better. Not only will cannabis improve your mood, but the right strains can provide focus without impeding your strength or staying power. Thus, you are much more likely to finish your full workout with weed on your side.

Reefer Recovery

Finally, if you don’t relish the idea of using reefer during your training — perhaps being high isn’t appropriate for your preferred method of exercise — then you might still consider consuming cannabis during your recovery. Rest and recovery are just as important as exercise for building strength in the body and mind. Cannabis helps to speed up the recovery process by alleviating pain and inflammation, which allows the body to heal and grow.

Plus, THC particularly helps boost the metabolism. If you are working out to lose weight, this can be useful in burning a few extra calories at the end of your exercise. However, a metabolic boost can also be helpful in encouraging you to take in more protein, which your muscles need to repair damage sustained during training.

So many stoner stereotypes have been proven wrong in recent years, as research reveals more about what marijuana can do for the mind and body. If you struggle to exercise, you might consider introducing cannabis into your workout regimen — but you should always do so with care to keep your body and brain safe.

 

WARNING NOTE:

Only Medical Cannabis is legal here in the Cayman islands.  The term “smoking a joint” used in the article above is NOT to be practised here. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

This may also apply to other parts of the world. You need to check the legality of using cannabis wherever you are.