You’ve heard of using cannabis for recreation, and you’ve heard of using it to treat pain, nausea, and other physical symptoms. You have probably even heard of using weed for anxiety, depression, and mental wellbeing – but have you heard of smoking weed before working out? Weed workouts are among the latest trends in professional sports, with top athletes utilizing cannabis to enhance performance, stamina, and recovery. In this guide, you’ll discover why pro athletes are working out high and learn what you need to know to try weed workouts for yourself.
Cannabis as a Pre-Workout
Traditional pre-workout drinks, powders, and supplements contain a vague combination of B vitamins, antioxidants, caffeine, and carbohydrates. With little regulation or oversight in the industry, few companies disclose the actual contents of their formulas. Because of this, many professional athletes are moving away from using traditional pre-workout, worried about the potential side effects of consuming unknown ingredients in high concentrations.
Athletes have been consuming and enjoying the benefits of cannabis for centuries, but the supporting evidence for weed’s potential to enhance performance is a recent discovery. While much of the evidence for cannabis as a pre-workout supplement is anecdotal, it is worth noting that the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits the use of marijuana – presumably because it is thought to enhance athletic performance. Athletes that use cannabis as a pre-workout report the following benefits:
Motivation
Many people struggle to get up and start exercising, not because they don’t want to exercise, but because they struggle with motivation. Stress, anxiety, tiredness, and the many daily life challenges can make it hard to self-motivate, but taking cannabis shortly before a workout can help clear the cobwebs and get you moving. The right strain can brighten your whole outlook and even give you a boost of energy.
Muscle Relaxation
Tight, tense, stressed muscles can make workouts out painful and impact performance. This is why stretching before and after an exercise is important since this helps increase blood flow, relax the muscles, and prepare them for movement or recovery. Cannabis can help increase muscle relaxation and is known to calm muscle spasms. When used just before a workout, cannabis can help to reduce the incidence of cramping during exercise.
Energy and Focus
Everyone reaches that moment in a workout when they start to feel burnt out, distracted, or just bored. Working out high can help keep your focus longer and enhance your energy for a longer, more effective workout. In addition to an overall boost of energy and focus, being high during a workout can also make the entire experience more enjoyable and relaxing.
Recovery
Thanks to its ability to reduce pain, inflammation, and cramping, cannabis is an excellent tool to improve post-workout recovery time. Even the most athletic individuals need time to recover, but using cannabis can reduce the time it takes and reduce discomfort during the process.
Emotional Wellbeing
Exercise doesn’t just impact the body; it affects the mind as well. Working out can leave you feeling great, but not everyone feels equally amazing after sweating it out. Using cannabis to enhance the rest of your workout routine can also help to support emotional wellbeing. Increased energy, increased motivation, and increased enjoyment all help make working out a better, more holistic experience – and all of that is possible with cannabis.
Edibles and Exercise
While there are many benefits of smoking weed before a workout, edibles are becoming a popular method of enhancing exercise. When you consume an edible, it can take a while to kick in, with your metabolism doing most of the work to begin delivering THC to your system. Working out enhances the metabolization of edibles, so it’s not hard to imagine why taking one before you head out for a run, a yoga class, or a bike ride might be helpful.
Edibles can kick in when you are in the middle of your workout, helping to give you an extra boost of energy and fueling you through to the end. When your muscles are screaming for you to stop and you feel like you just can’t focus on going anymore, that edible kicks in and pushes you to finish your workout. THC edibles come in a wide range of flavors and concentrations, and depending on what you are looking for, you may want to try one over another.
To enhance concentration and aid in muscle recovery, try an Indica. If you want something to push you ahead when you start to feel exhausted, a Sativa might be the option for you. To enjoy the best of both worlds, try hybrid edibles! And if you are looking for the recovery but not the high, you can always turn to CBD edibles for your workout routine.
Final Thoughts
Cannabis isn’t just for relaxation, anymore. Now, professional athletes and fitness beginners alike are enjoying the benefits of working out high. Able to increase motivation, energy, and focus, cannabis is an incredible tool to help you start a fitness journey, or reinvent your relationship with working out. If you’ve never worked out high, give it a try and see how it could change how you experience your exercise routine.
The easiest way to get started is to place an order online with a trusted service like greenrush delivery. That way you don’t even have to leave your home and can get it delivered to your door.