All Strains for Awesome Gains
The proper ways to incorporate cannabis into your fitness routines.
If you resolved to look and feel your very fittest in 2017 definitely hit the gym… but first consider consuming cannabis.
Experts say getting stoned pre-workout helps:
You Get in the Zone
Seibo Shen, co-founder and CEO at VapeXhale brings intention to his workouts and is eager to share that using cannabis accentuates this mindset.
“Cannabis promotes homeostasis. When I’m amped up it calms me down, when I’m drowsy it gives me energy. No matter what strain I consume getting high will bring me to the perfect baseline.”
A pre-workout combination of breathing exercises and cannabis leaves Shen feeling physically loose with a sharp state of mind allowing him to perform at a higher level.
Jim McAlpine, president and founder of The 420 Games also attributes improved performance to cannabis. When he goes for a long swim without cannabis he frequently gets too bored to finish.
“THC allows for me to push myself harder because without it I lose my motivation.”
Prevent Injury
Ask any fitness geek, body awareness improves performance. Shen has found that cannabis helps him to better feel specific muscle groups. This attention to detail improves Shen’s exercise form which both prevents injury and increases effectiveness. Shen also finds that consuming CBD pre-workout reduces joint inflammation.
“After I consume cannabis I feel like the Tin Man and I just oiled my joints.”
According to the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology there are there are anti-inflammatory benefits to CBD proving Shen isn’t just so stoned he thinks he’s in Oz.
Burn Calories More Efficiently
A 2013 study performed by The American Journal of Medicine found cannabis lowers insulin resistance, improves fasting insulin levels and facilitates metabolic function. In layman’s terms your body will actually burn those extra holiday calories more efficiently than those friends who voted no on Prop 64 — especially if you are working out! Bonus? They also found cannabis users have significantly smaller average waist circumferences than those who abstain.
Stay Motivated
McAlpine loves the feeling he gets after a workout.
“When I get out of the pool I feel better than after any bong rip. My heart is beating hard and I just feel amazing, regardless of whether or not I’ve smoked.”
Turns out, this sensation, commonly termed “runner’s high,” actually is akin to getting stoned. A 2003 study from the Georgia Institute of Technology found that as we reach the peak of our workouts our body releases its own natural cannabinoids.
The natural activation of the body’s endocannabinoid system late in a workout, promoting athletes to push through explains why toking up pre-workout helps Shen and McAlpine get in the right headspace for fitness and maintain their motivational peak throughout.
Originally published in Issue 24 of Cannabis Now. LEARN MORE
TELL US, how do you incorporate cannabis into your workout routine?
