I’m not a huge fan of working out. Not since my days playing high school football have I given much regard for getting to the gym regularly, assuming my everyday activity was enough to keep me healthy. But I’m getting older now, and proper exercise is no longer something I can avoid. So off I trudge, 5 days a week, to my local gym to pat sweat off my face. And frankly, I don’t know how I could do it without cannabis.
I first integrate cannabis into my routine by using it to get motivated. I know that sounds like an oxymoron but bear with me. An energetic sativa, like Super Lemon Haze, can give you the drive you need to make it out the door. Not only that, but the key terpene in Super Lemon Haze acts as a Bronchodilator, opening your lungs to oxygenate your cardio.
If I plan on putting in a long workout — say a couple hours of fat burning on the treadmill — I consume a hybrid edible about half an hour before I start my exercise. Although looking to capitalize on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of the indicas, I don’t want to be left couch-locked, so the 50/50 indica and sativa edibles offer enough energy to keep you moving.
As a general rule, be careful not to over medicate, causing a loss in motor skills. While low doses of THC can increase motor skills, too much has an adverse effect. You don’t want to be the person who falls off the treadmill or loudly drops the free weights, drawing looks from fellow patrons. Know your limit and stay below it. The risk of injury is just too high.
For those looking to push their training to the fringes, cannabis’s increased pain threshold allows the body to reach for those extra reps or miles. The added distraction afforded by cannabis keeps you from getting bored, and the time spent binge watching one of your favorite shows on the old exercycle blows by as your dig in for another episode. Even those dreaded days at the gym where I have to suffer through a dead cellphone battery are a breeze with a case of the munchies and the gym TV set to the Food Network. Like a carrot on a stick, mile after mile I keep running after the meals on the screen.
My cannabis use during workouts doesn’t stop when I leave the gym. Topicals are a great relief for muscle fatigue and soreness when massaged into trouble spots, and unlike edibles that need time to take effect and smoking dry cannabis, which medicates the whole body, topicals, like oils, salves, and mentholated rubs, go to work immediately right where they are needed.
Cannabis can go beyond a trip to the gym, though. Many patients find the meditative nature of cannabis to be perfect for low impact exercise, too. The relaxed body and cleared mind afforded by certain strains generate the ideal scenario for the benefits of yoga and tai chi. Even outdoor activities, like hiking, stand-up paddleboarding, and mountain biking, can be complemented with a little green along the way.
Regardless of how you choose to integrate cannabis into your workout, remember to be responsible with your use, and you will be rewarded with the numerous tangible benefits cannabis can add.
