More and more athletes are utilizing cannabis to reach their exercise goals and recover from tough workouts.
If you’re the kind of person who keeps a gym bag handy for an early morning run or after-work pickup game, then chances are you’re filling it with more than running shoes and sports drinks these days. For a growing number of people who exercise, cannabis is as much a part of their routines as free weights, interval runs, or swim laps.
In fact, one recent study conducted by Clear Path Market Research on behalf of The Cannabis Marketing Group (CMG) showed that more than half of cannabis consumers exercise more than three times a week. The study also found that 12 percent of users utilize cannabis for exercise recovery.
The CMG survey even indicated that cannabis consumers were more likely to use wellness services such as personal trainers, nutritionists, massage therapists, and chiropractors. And a 2018 study in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research found that cannabis users also tend to have lower body-mass indexes, as well as lower risks for obesity, than those who do not consume cannabis.
Other research has found that cannabis can be associated with positive, motivational feelings linked to our reward-and-pain pathways in the brain, meaning cannabis users are possibly more predisposed to maintaining their long-term involvement with any exercise program they begin.
Though different forms of cannabis work differently from person to person and under varying circumstances, it’s worth noting some generalities.
First, both CBD and THC have been reported as beneficial in enhancing exercise. Cannabis users have attested to THC’s ability to help with strengthening mental focus in activities such as repetitive muscle movement. Noneuphoric cannabidiol has been shown to have a connection with improving sleep and overall general mood, both of which can contribute greatly to the success or failure of any physical undertaking, especially that 5 a.m. workday run in the rain.
Consumers use some forms of both THC and CBD more readily during physical activities. The CMG research revealed that consumers consider edibles the healthiest consumption option, over smoking, vaping, and dabbing.
Cannabis-infused edibles offer a range of benefits for any workout, whether indoors or outdoors, and with practically any activity. First, they can be some of the most long-acting forms of cannabis available, offering consistent results and dosing. Additionally, their small size and flavorful forms make them easy to use discreetly as it is to throw them into a gym bag or backpack.
When it comes to exercise, the findings of the CMG survey are clear: cannabis can be just as important as workout equipment, gym memberships, or athletic apparel. And it has, for many, proven to be an effective aid in helping people reach their exercise goals on strength gain, weight loss, and even mental acuity.
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