4 benefits of including cannabis in your fitness routine

With some states legalizing the use of cannabis, the social stigma surrounding the issue could ease. Nowadays, cannabis seems to have become more popular and more accessible to people. In fact, there are fitness gurus and athletes who are even starting to speak of its benefits.

Today, some fitness enthusiasts use cannabis before or after their exercise routine and believe that exercising while high is beneficial. That being said, cannabis is believed to improve overall fitness as well.

To put your mind at ease, here are some claimed health benefits of cannabis and how it should improve your fitness game.

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Minimizing inflammation and pain

One of the most promising areas of cannabis research is its ability to reduce joint and muscle inflammation. Studies have tried to prove that the non-psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD), can help reduce inflammation.

Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, cannabis is also known to help relieve body aches and pains that result from too much exercise. CBD can relieve pain by affecting the activity of the endocannabinoid receptor, interacting with neurotransmitters in the nervous system, and reducing inflammation. It is said to be effective in relieving acute pain, muscle tension pain, and chronic pain.

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This could be beneficial for athletes and fitness enthusiasts dealing with inflammation and pain in the muscles and connective tissue. It could also be helpful for those recovering from surgery or previous injury.

This is perhaps the main area of ​​cannabis research that appears to have shown positive results. It can be good news for fitness enthusiasts looking for alternatives to opiates.

Improve sleep

Sleep is critical to overall fitness as it gives the body enough time to recover and repair damaged muscles after a workout. Because it is also the only time the body produces growth hormones that are necessary for recovery.

Unfortunately, many people suffer from lack of sleep. That said, they don’t get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep every night. If this happens, it could mean that their own fitness goals are being sabotaged.

However, cannabis can help in this area as it is believed to promote sleep. It is said to help restore the natural sleep cycle, which is usually out of sync due to the daily schedules and stressors of modern life. Because of its claimed anti-anxiety properties, cannabis could also help calm a stressed mind and body. And if chronic pain makes it difficult for you to close your eyes at night, cannabis can help with relief.

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Cannabis is also said to help people who suffer from sleep apnea. It’s supposed to suppress dreams by reducing the amount of REM sleep you get. This could be beneficial for people with post-traumatic stress disorder as it could mean fewer nightmares.

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Increase in energy and mental sharpness

Numerous factors can affect your energy levels and concentration, including chronic pain conditions, excessive stress, lack of sleep, and even diet. And a lack of energy and focus could prevent you from reaching your fitness goals. For example, you may have a hard time finishing a half hour exercise routine when you are feeling tired and lethargic.

Fortunately, cannabis could help with that, and it’s easy to find the best strains for energy and mental boost. Cannabis is said to directly improve energy and promote human alertness. It is believed to activate the neurons in specific areas of the brain that are responsible for activity and alertness.

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In addition, cannabis is also said to indirectly boost energy by improving other problems. For one, it might help you get enough sleep. Also, it’s said to be great for reducing symptoms of stress and anxiety, and it could relieve pain, which can lead to fatigue and lethargy.

The popular belief is that cannabis impairs brain function. However, this cannot always be the case. As some studies have shown, low doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis, could restore cognitive functions in mice.

By improving mental acuity, cannabis could help fitness enthusiasts get into the “zone” with their fitness routines. It could help their mental game while increasing concentration by reducing anxiety and keeping them calm and relaxed.

Support in losing weight

Another area in which cannabis is believed to improve overall fitness is in weight loss. There are claims that cannabis could help with weight loss. For one, it’s supposed to help reduce appetite.

The common belief is that cannabis stimulates the appetite since marijuana users are supposed to be hungry after smoking. However, this can only be half the story. While THC in cannabis could cause hunger, CBD is said to do the opposite. In fact, one study found that CBD is a CB1 receptor antagonist, meaning it could deactivate or block the receptor. This could help reduce appetite and control hunger pangs.

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In addition, cannabis is said to turn bad (white) fat into good (brown) fat. While white fat is responsible for an increased risk of chronic conditions like diabetes, brown fat, a metabolically active form of fat, could burn energy and generate heat. This means it could burn calories.

CBD can play several roles in how the body interacts with these fats. Not only could CBD help convert harmful white fat cells into brown fat cells, but it could also stimulate the body to break down these fats efficiently. Because of this, CBD can be a promising therapy for obesity prevention, although this claim still requires more clinical and human studies.

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Finally, cannabis is believed to reduce the risk of metabolic disorders that lead to weight gain. Overactivation of CB1 receptors can be partly responsible for the increase in adipose tissue throughout the body, contributing to obesity and other metabolic risks. As mentioned earlier, cannabis is said to deactivate these receptors, which could help reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

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While there is still a lot to learn about how cannabis works, it can help improve your exercise performance and possibly help you achieve your fitness goals.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and was republished with permission.