Explore Effective Ways to Combine Weed and Working Out
Working out with weed can be rewarding if it’s done with intention. Considering when, where, and how you’ll be exercising allows you to choose an appropriate consumption method and strain for where your mind and body need to be, whether you’re setting off on a 3-mile run or spending the next 45 minutes somewhere between child’s pose and Shavasana.Check out these options for incorporating weed into your workout routine. “Runner’s High” might just take on a whole new meaning for you.
Working Out with Weed: Pre-Workout Options
Consuming weed before you work out can be tricky and will depend a lot on the type of exercise you’re planning to do.
Cardio + Weights
If your workout is going to be more intense than relaxing, avoid strains that are overly sedating. Instead, look for a strain that’s going to boost your energy and focus. Think hybrid strains and/or strains with a decent amount of limonene.Consider strains like:
Be conscious of your intake. Working out with weed can go from helpful and motivating to distracting and sedating if you consume too much. For the most positive experience, allow yourself the space and time to narrow down your preferred strain, consumption method, and dosage. It may take a few tries to get your weed and working out ratios right.
Something to keep in mind—some consumers prefer to vape cannabis before an intense workout to avoid potentially burning their lungs. Edibles are also an option, though their timing can be less predictable and their effects more intense.
Mind-Body Workouts
If your workout is more in the realm of yoga, hiking, going for a walk, or any other activity that’s considered to be a little less strenuous, you might want to work out with a more calming strain. Working out with weed can be great, indica-leaning hybrids and/or strains with high amounts of linalool are a good place to start.Try strains like:
You may even enjoy these strains during your workout, just be careful not to overdo it and detract from the activity at hand.
Weed and Working Out: Post-Workout Options
Regardless of whether you choose to go all out at the gym or opt for a 30-minute walk around the neighborhood, your body will need time to relax and recover afterward. Working out with weed can be an option, but using it at the end of your routine can enhance that relaxation and even potentially speed up recovery.
Many of the chemical compounds in cannabis, including THC, CBD, linalool, and other cannabinoids and terpenes, have anti-inflammatory properties that can help sore muscles recover from intense and/or repetitive use. Depending on how sore you are, and how wired you might still feel from adrenaline, there are a few ways you can add weed to your post-workout routine.
Edibles
Edibles are an effective option if your body is feeling tense or sore. While smoking and vaping tend to impart more of a head high, edibles provide full-body effects that can bring you down after an adrenaline rush and help your body relax after being pushed to the max.
A popular post-workout edible right now is Upstate Elevator Operators’ Raspberry Fast Acting Gummies.
Flower & Concentrates
Inhaling cannabis after working out is a popular strategy simply because of the method’s immediate onset. Unlike edibles, you don’t have to wait for the effects to set in if you smoke or vape your weed.
Pineapple Kush is an ideal strain for a post-workout toke as it’s relaxing without completely sedating.
Topicals
Topicals can be a helpful addition to any weed workout routine. This consumption method is applied on top of your skin, directly onto an area that needs help. Because of this, topicals do not impart a high.
If you have a particular muscle that’s extra sensitive or sore, or maybe a bruise from playing a contact sport or something similar, apply a topical directly to that spot. The plant’s anti-inflammatory compounds will deploy to that area and help reduce swelling and discomfort.
Highly Rooted’s Whipped Body Butter 1:1 (600mg THC & 600mg CBD) is designed specifically for sore muscles, achy joints, sprains, strains, and more. Try it out the next time you’re considering working out with weed.
Ask Your Budtender for Advice on Working Out With Weed
Working out with weed is becoming a popular strategy amongst adults who smoke weed. One survey out of CU Boulder noted over 80% of the survey’s 605 respondents endorsed using weed concurrently with exercise. Weed and working out is on the rise.
If you still have questions or want some direction on the best weed strains for working out, swing by The Tea House in White River Junction. That’s right, we have the best cannabis in Vermont. Our budtenders can offer you first-hand advice for working out with weed, plus the perfect products for post-workout relaxation.
