How to Lift Your Workout with Cannabis

By Travis Crane

Weed and exercise. These two things would seem like the last activities to ever work together, yet a new movement of weed-inspired exercise trends has made a big splash in the cannabis and fitness industries.

You might be thinking, “Weed and exercise? Every time I smoke the last thing I want to do is work out.” But that’s just because you’ve never really given it a try! With new and different cannabis gyms, yoga classes and more related activities that combine weed and exercise, there is are more and more ways to pair cannabis with an active, high-intensity lifestyle.

We’ve created a weed and exercise activity list to help you research and decide what cannabis-inspired activity might just be enough to lift your spirits, whether it’s lifting weights or stretching your limbs and mind with cannabis yoga.

Photo by Break the Stigma Fitness

Lift More than Weights at a Cannabis Gym

Running a couple miles on the treadmill is never fun, but what if you could just space out and relax while you did it? Cannabis gyms like Break the Stigma Fitness have brought this practice into reality by creating a variety of fitness programs that utilize weed and exercise together to create an uplifting and relaxing experience while still teaching and training.

Now that multiple cannabis gyms have opened their doors to cannabis lovers that want to stay fit and baked, combining weed and exercise is becoming more commonplace — and actually fun. Try out a strain like Durban Poison to get a nice uplifting burst of energy before you hit the cannabis gym.

Photo by Ganja Yoga Retreats

Combine Weed and Exercise with Yoga

Find your Zen and center your chi with cannabis-infused yoga! Stretch out your limbs, muscles and mind with an all-inclusive cannabis-infused yoga retreat into Rockies or stay in Denver and check out some other yoga classes that incorporate cannabis into practice.

Yoga is a great way to infuse weed and exercise without over-exerting yourself, and with the added spiritual aspect of yoga at its core, adding some cannabis to the mix can create a highly relaxing and eye-opening experience. Try a nice hybrid strain like White Widow that keeps you focused while relaxing your muscles for the best mental and physical yoga experience.

Test your Endurance with a Cannabis Run

Lifting weights and doing yoga not your thing? Try running! Prove that millions use cannabis in a healthy and responsible way and remove the stigma of the lazy stoner by running a 4.20-mile relay at the 420 Games. Combining different events that showcase the endurance and resilience of cannabis users, you can help shut down the prohibition era stigmas associated with cannabis while exercising and meeting great new people. You might even meet a new running buddy.

Get energized for your next run – whether at the 420 Games or on your treadmill at home – with Jack Herer, the sativa-dominant hybrid strain that is sure to get you feeling pumped up and mentally clear before you start your workout.

Get Outdoors and Hike with Cannabis

 Combine weed and exercise at your own pace with a hike. When asked their favorite things to do while high, a good part of our survey respondants mentioned being out in nature. The mountains and local parks around Denver make for a great backdrop to wander around after a smoke sesh. The best part about scenic hiking is that it almost doesn’t feel like exercise when you’re distracted by all the beautiful nature and wildlife you see along the way.

Strains like Pineapple Express and Super Lemon Haze will have you feeling energized and excited to explore, while helping you appreciate the nature around you a little more. The added energy boost is perfect for trekking through the woods and mountains for a couple hours before you return to the concrete jungle.

Photo by Wikimedia / Paxson Woelber

Reward Yourself with Weed After a Workout

For some people, exercise takes a lot of focus and effort that may be inhibited when under the influence of cannabis. While weed and exercise may go great together for some, others may want to wait until after their workout to enjoy some cannabis, and this is just as rewarding!

There is nothing better than relaxing to the max after a heavy workout with a nice joint to help rejuvenate the muscles and put the body at ease. Wind down with some Blue Dream or my personal favorite, Gorilla Glue #4 after you get back from the gym to soothe your body and mind and prepare for the next day’s workout.

Weed and Exercise: Things to Know

When it comes to combining weed and exercise – as awesome (or to some, awful) as it may sound – it is not something to be taken lightly. As counter-intuitive as it may seem to the natural tendency to play weed games and not take highs seriously, working out stoned can be very different to working out sober if you have never tried it.

Be Wary of Edibles

How a person reacts to edibles is exclusive to that individual, and the onset time can always vary, compared to consuming dry flower cannabis which usually take effects almost instantly. The last thing you want is to take an edible and get 45 minutes into your workout before you even feel anything, only to get so baked you can’t finish.

Before you munch on an edible and head straight to the gym ask yourself, “How long do edibles take to kick in?”, and plan accordingly by leaving later or taking a small-dose edible so you don’t get overwhelmed at the gym.

Pace Yourself

Even a seasoned cannabis user should be careful when they first decide to start combining weed and exercise. Studies have shown that since THC binds to fat, and fat is burned during a workout, that THC can be re-released into the bloodstream once released from fat, which can be like consuming a small amount of cannabis

This means that if you are a regular cannabis user when you aren’t working out, you may feel a small high during your workout when the THC is released back into your bloodstream. If you decide to smoke a fat bowl before you start your workout, there’s a chance you could get hit with a second wave mid-workout that could throw your game off. So, be careful with how much you decide to consume prior to your workout.

Amplified Runner’s High

You know when you run for a while, and then you actually start to feel good? That’s because your brain is releasing endorphins that make you feel excited and pumped up. However, it may not just be the endorphins making you feel this way.

The Endocannabinoid System that is part of the human makeup has shown to potentially manufacture and release its own cannabinoids during exercise in order to ease pain and relax muscles. This means that the runner’s high could very well be a mix of endorphins and cannabinoids coursing through your body, and consuming additional cannabis prior to a workout could enhance those effects creating the ultimate runner’s high.

As it depends on the individual’s tolerance and fat levels among other factors, weed and exercise, specifically running, can either lead to the most relaxing run, or the most overwhelming run that you’ve ever experienced. Also, don’t forget to look both ways if you decide to smoke up before your next run.

There is Still More to Learn

With cannabis’ federal status as a schedule 1 drug with no medicinal value, there is still very limited research on the effects of combining weed and exercise. A lot of the findings regarding weed and exercise are anecdotal or from first-hand experience from athletes and doctors who have experimented with weed and exercise.

However, it is safe to say that you shouldn’t eat a 500mg edible and hit the gym, and you should definitely wait a couple hours before going if you just finished your first time dabbing. The main takeaway here is that combining weed and exercise can be beneficial and fun for some, while distracting and stressful to others. The best way to find out any answer to life’s many questions is to try it for yourself, so start small and see if weed and exercise work together for you.

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