The connection between marijuana and exercise may not seem intuitive. Some people feel extremely relaxed when consuming marijuana. That doesn’t mesh well with exercise, where your muscles are extremely active. Other people may find the mental calm helps them focus on their exercise and hit a personal record.

So, does marijuana improve your workouts? Well, the answer depends on a few things.

Low-Intensity Workouts

As the outset, it’s best to mention that there isn’t much direct research on exercise and marijuana-use. That being said, there is anecdotal evidence and links between what we know marijuana does and how that could, in theory, affect our workouts.

Marijuana can improve low-intensity or steady-state cardio. If you’re not a masochist, chances are you find jogging on a treadmill or track unbearable. Some people report that marijuana can make repetitive activities tolerable, even enjoyable!

Additionally, by clearing your head, marijuana makes light-to-moderate workouts easier to do. You’re able to focus more, since marijuana can unburden your mind off anxieties and other things weighing it down. Lastly, if you don’t enjoy working out, marijuana can take the edge off and make it a more tolerable experience.

High-Intensity Workouts

Marijuana and Exercise

Sprinting, powerlifting, and other high-intensity workouts generally don’t benefit from marijuana use prior to the workout. These workouts require you to be extremely focused and your muscles to be extremely active.

While marijuana does help unburden your mind, it unburdens it generally. For heavier workouts, your mind has to take on the burden of moving quickly and powerfully.

Additionally, marijuana relaxes your muscles, which isn’t as much of a problem when your workouts aren’t intense. However, if you’re, for example, squatting 315 pounds for a one-rep max, you’ll want your muscles firing on all cylinders. If they aren’t, you could hurt yourself.

That being said, certain ways of marijuana could be extremely useful after working out. Topical oils and lotions, for example, don’t generate a high, but are frequently used to address localized muscle soreness or inflammation. If you’re extremely sore or deal with some recurrent joint pain, marijuana could help ease the pain.

Individual Differences

Using marijuana after a workout is more manageable, because you don’t need your muscles at peak performance. However, marijuana affects everyone differently. If you have a very low tolerance for marijuana, you may need a different strain compared to someone who has a much higher tolerance.

Moreover, certain cannabinoids (the chemicals that cause marijuana’s effects) and ways of consuming them may not mesh well with you. You may not want the psychoactive effects of THC. If that’s the case, opt for a strain that has a greater concentration of CBD.

The bottom line is you should experiment with different strains, low-intensity workouts, and post-high-intensity workout recovery to see what works for you. If you have a medical condition that causes pain, and marijuana is known to treat it, contact Indica MD. We offer marijuana card California and New York. Apply online now and remedy your joint and other physical pains.