6 Ways Marijuana Affects Your Workout Routine For Better
Now that marijuana is rapidly becoming legal in many parts of the U.S as well as beyond; a lot of research is taking place that effectively debunks plenty of myths regarding marijuana. Best of all, cannabis’s social stigma is now also becoming a thing of the past. In fact, so much so, that many pro athletes, as well as fitness gurus, have started to challenge the usual old stereotypes of the fat lazy, stoner.
Let look at how weed can affect the average workout routine of the fitness conscious person:
1. It Helps To Reduce Inflammation
Multiple pieces of research have shown that reducing joint and muscle inflammation is arguably one of the most promising areas when it comes to cannabis research for athletes. As a matter of fact, various studies have illustrated that CBD, the innocent and non-psychoactive part found in marijuana actively helps to ease inflammation across the body.
This is why many researchers are now actively looking into this wonder drug’s potential to treat various autoimmune conditions such as lupus, Crohn’s disease, and even psoriasis. Many athletes have to deal with inflammation and pain in muscles and connective tissue caused by strenuous workouts or past surgery or injury. What is more, you don’t have to smoke the stuff or even get high in order to reap the many benefits of CBD’s awesome anti-inflammatory properties. With the large amounts of topical lotions and tinctures now available it is easier than ever to reliable and locally targeted recovery through high concentrated doses in the affected areas. Obviously make sure you manage dosing appropriately
2. It Acts to Ease Soreness and Pain
This goes hand-in-hand with weed’s above-mentioned anti-inflammatory properties. Basically, cannabis is known to alleviate the pain of high-stress workouts. This is yet another area of weed research. It is one that has shown highly positive results. It would not be wrong to state that marijuana can decrease pain ranging from acute pain stemming from muscle spasms, all the way to chronic pain. As of now, various studies have found that it can help you to decrease your dependence on opiates and other habit-forming painkillers. In fact, weed has been proven to increase the quality of life of people suffering from gunshot wounds to trauma caused by accidents. Much the same applies to post-heavy workout muscle aches and soreness.
3. It Can Treat Even Severe Muscle Spasms
There is yet another area of medicinal application for weed. It helps in treating muscle spasms. Cannabis has been known to show very positive results in the treatment of muscle spasms associated with various gym-related issues. If you find your hands shaking after a really hard workout and if you feel that it is affecting your performance, you may take weed to increase the speed of muscle recovery and also reduce your muscle spasms. This way you will be able to increase the duration of your workout and concentrate on your strength training as well.
4. It Improves Your Sleep Patterns
If there is one thing athletes need to improve their performance, both in the gym as well as in the field- it is a good night’s sleep. Here weed can help a lot. Unlike other sophomoric drugs, it will not make you dependent on it while ensuring that you get your 8 hours every day. Best of all, you will wake up feeling energized (albeit a tad sleepy) and you can tackle the day’s workout routine in style. Since you will have plenty of sleep under your belt, your workout duration will increase and you will be able to reap the rewards every day.
In fact, you can just simply get up and start working out on gym equipment that you can use in your own house and all by yourself. Before you know it, everyone will be able to see the changes and look at you with wonder.
5. It Acts as an Aid to Mental Acuity
In contrary to what people have been thinking over the past few centuries, marijuana might not have detrimental effects on human brain functionality. As a matter of fact, many people think that it is actually the diametrical opposite. A uniformly regular, low dose of the weed derivative THC acts to restore the core cognitive functions in old mice. This is why many athletes have said that it helps them get ‘into the zone’- so to speak. It helps them to increase their focus and also reduce performance-related anxiety too. In the long run, it can also act as a sort of catalyst that will help you to achieve what is referred to as a meditative or flow state. This is what most karate dojos teach as well. Once you meditate enough and are calm, you will be able to concentrate like never before and thereby become a highly successful athlete.
6. It Improves Overall Athletic Performance
Weed can quite literally make you become much better at your favorite sports. While participating in any sort of sporting activity drunk can adversely compromise the performance and even impair your judgment, weed has the opposite effect. In fact, many athletes claim that smoking weed beforehand will help to actually enhance your athletic abilities and skills. It is possible to both train harder and focus on the form while being high. It not only relaxes you but also improves your situational awareness too. This holds particularly true for contact sports such as boxing and karate, as well as skiing, cycling, and even running. In fact, many pro skiers use weed in their daily gym workouts to increase their endurance and stamina.
Conclusion
Weed can help you to achieve your workout-related goals in ways you may never have known before. For example, you can use it to get better sleep and increase your concentration. At the same time, weed is a great way to relax and take on your workout as a challenge, rather than an onerous chore that you despair of undertaking every day.