Putting marijuana and exercise in a single sentence is not only ironical but may also seem absurd. Isn’t it?
A recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health has found that consuming marijuana improves a person’s workout experience and motivates them to continue with it.
The Study
Researchers at the University of Colorado conducted a survey, wherein over 600 marijuana consumers — from states where it is legal to assess how people use marijuana in regard to exercise — shared the changes they experienced when they consumed cannabis before or after their exercise/workout.
Nearly 500 participants responded that they endorse the use of marijuana either 1 hour before or up to 4 hours after exercising. Digging further, the researchers found that people who did consume cannabis in the said timeframe worked out longer than users who didn’t pair the activities. Furthermore, it was deduced that those who engaged in co-use worked out an average of 43 minutes longer for aerobic exercise and 30 minutes longer for anaerobic exercise.
In addition, 70% of respondents agreed or ‘strongly agreed’ that marijuana increases enjoyment of exercise, 78% felt that the drug eases recovery from fatigue due to the same, and nearly 50% believed that it provides the much-needed motivation to start and carry on.
How can this be possible?
Although the exact reasons behind this trend may be hard to ascertain, researchers think that consuming marijuana may remove a few barriers in the mind that people experience in regard to exercising, viz. a lack of motivation, low enjoyment, difficult recovery (fatigue) after an intense workout, etc.
This piece of study has come as a huge development in breaking the clichéd, stereotypical mindset that consuming marijuana makes you a lethargic, sedentary pot-head. Another study published a few days ago had found that people who consume marijuana are less likely to be obese compared to those who shy away from the leafy drug with many therapeutic benefits!
