6 minute read
Her Highness: Seven Cannabis-Infused Reasons to Work Out with Weed
Seven Cannabis-Infused Reasons to Work Out with Weed
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It’s time to bring one of our greatest cultural secrets into the light: a lot of people work out high.
There’s still a social stigma around marijuana, particularly in the health and wellness industries. But using weed and working up a sweat are natural bedfellows, and here at Your Highness’ Royal Headquarters, I refuse to allow you, my fellow Weed-Lovin’ Mainers, to be shamed into avoiding cannabis-enhanced workouts!
But listen, don’t take my word for it. For you, loyal subjects, I have done the very scientifi c work of compiling all of the best anecdotal evidence and pop culture references to demonstrate — nay, prove — to you that you can get up off that couch and get yer butt moving. Even if you’re usually high all day, ya big old stoner.
A 2019 study [...] reported that those who incorporated pot into their workout routines exercised an average of 43 minutes more per week than those who didn’t
So lace up those old kicks, grab the nearest pair of leggings, and cue up some Kesha in your Spotify playlist. Let’s get stonercized!
Weed Is a Mean Green Motivation Machine
A 2019 study of cannabis-using exercise enthusiasts published in the journal Frontiers of Public Health reported that those who incorporated pot into their workout routines exercised an average of 43 minutes more per week than those who didn’t. The same study also reported increased enjoyment of exercise, more motivation, and reduced workout recovery time. Kinda makes you wonder how us stoners got the bad reputation of sitting on the couch eating chips all day.
The HIGH TIMES Bonghitters’ Legacy of Championships
Think stoners can’t be great at team sports? Wrong! Just ask The Bonghitters, HIGH TIMES magazine’s New York Publishing League softball team, who in 2015 earned the moniker of “the Yankees of New York Media Softball” from Bloomberg News. In other words, they win. A lot. If you google your way through interviews with team members, it’s pretty clear though never confi rmed (weed is still illegal in New York) that many of the Bonghitters get high before games. Whether they’re hitting the bong to reduce pre-game anxiety, improve their focus, or just have more dang fun out on the fi eld, the team’s synergy with weed keeps adding up to newsworthy championships year after year.
Sore Muscles Have Met Their Match in CBD
CBD has been thoroughly studied for its anti-infl ammatory effects, making it the archnemesis of a sore, infl amed muscle. There are some outstanding full-spectrum CBD and 1:1 CBD/THC salves made here in Maine, like Crystal Spring Healing’s 100mg (CBD/ THC) Healing Salve or 400mg CBD salve from the folks at Royal River Botanicals’. Slathering some topical CBD onto sore joints and muscles works wonders to keep you moving after a tough workout. But don’t limit your topical CBD ritual to just after your workouts. Topicals of any kind can be used before your workout to minimize minor muscle pain, too. Experiment with this affordable, natural remedy to fi nd the pain-reducing combo that works best for you.
Arnold’s Big-Ass Muscles Dig That Sweet Cheeba
Before he ever became the Governator, gifted us with the iconic and oft-quoted line “it’s not a tumor,” or went head-to-head with James Earl Jones as the barbarous gladiator Conan, Arnold Schwarzenegger was a championship bodybuilder. He was also a self-proclaimed, unabashed cannabis user.
At the age of 30, Arnold appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron, in which he famously smokes a joint at fellow muscleman Lou Ferrigno’s birthday party. He later discouraged the director from cutting the scene in a theatrical re-release because it wouldn’t be “truthful.” One thing Arnold doesn’t tell us in the film, though? How to deal with the munchies so we can get hella baked and also have those totally ripped abs.
Weed Can Make Boot Camp Feel More Like Summer Camp
Not everyone exercises because they love it — some of us do it to lose weight, remediate a health issue, or because we feel it’s something we “should” do (note: starting an exercise regimen if you haven’t been active warrants a check-in with your medical advisors to make sure you can exercise safely). But weed opens up the opportunity to turn our workout vibe from dread to shred. In an interview with the Daily Star, cyclist and outspoken potadvocate Roger Boyd recounts his two-year, 19,000-mile bike ride, for which he got stoned on the daily simply to get more enjoyment out of the ride. Anecdotally, weed can help you have more fun exercising, and some athletes report being able to push through fatigue or minor pain when high. So if you’d rather be home on the couch hitting your vape instead of working up a sweat, why not see if that vape can make your workout more fun?
Weed Will Help You Find That Flow, Jo!
It’s no secret to marijuana aficionados that a nice hit of a heady strain will send your mind blasting off to all sorts of cool mental destinations. Your Highness recently enjoyed a pleasantly potent sativa-dominant strain grown by Ripple Wellness called Triangle Mints, which paired perfectly with an evening yoga class.
When we asked a local yoga instructor why she thinks responsible adult cannabis use prior to attending (not teaching) a yoga class is a good thing, she replied, “the mind-body connection is really complex, and weed can help you relax into the flow of things and stay present.” Some gyms embrace their weed-lovin’ members. Before the pandemic, Hustle & Flow Movement Studio in Portland offered a yoga class called High Vibes, for which students were welcome to imbibe (before coming to class) and vibe on the mat.
That "flow" is often talked about but little studied phenomenon for which we have a lot of slang: feelin’ it; vibing; in the zone. But whatever you call it, try a sativa, known for its “heady” effects, to boost focus and tap into that flow.
Weed Pumps Up Your Runner’s High
If you’re just getting started with exercise, it probably sucks. It hurts, you feel out of breath and frustrated that you can’t go faster, do more reps, or keep up with the rest of your enviably fit fellow barre class students.
Even in those early stages, exercise offers a pretty cool perk — the “runner’s high,” that feeling that sets in after vigorous exercise. Scientists reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America that the neurotransmitter that strenuous exercise produces is the same one triggered by smoking weed. A great opportunity to double your fun! Additionally, the THC stored in the fat cells of cannabis users may enter the bloodstream as fat is converted to energy during a workout. So even pot pros will want to be careful here — work out safely, and if you feel too high, take a water break. And maybe reserve the gravity bong hits for times when you’re not about to run a marathon.
So there you have it, loyal subjects. Feeling motivated? Great! Give some of the above suggestions a try and get moving. Chances are, the gal sweating on the treadmill next to you is high too.
Diana Gonzeaux
