5 reasons to combine cannabis and cardio

Are you looking to spice up your at-home workout routine but you’re not quite sure how? Have you ever considered combining a little cannabis with some cardio?! It may sound wild to some, but at Stoned+Toned it’s the heart of what we do and believe in. First we smoke cannabis and then we break a sweat, and here’s why…

1. Enhanced mind-body connection

One of the wonderful things about cannabis is that it brings you to the present moment. It allows you to focus on the here and now. This is precisely why combining cannabis with movement enhances your mind-body connection; it heightens your sense of body awareness, allowing for a deeper internal connection. Why is the mind-body connection so crucial to increased performance? Because when you’re working out and challenging yourself, it’s your mind that will talk you into giving up long before your body does. When your brain is telling you that yes, you can, and yes, you are strong enough, it gives you the ability to push yourself a little bit more.

Now, keep in mind this isn’t for pushing through pain. There’s a difference between the burn of building muscle and actual pain. Being present in your body implies the ability to acknowledge the pain and modify the workout, allowing you to finish feeling successful.

2. Increased energy

While some cannabis strains can cause couch-lock, there are certain strains that will provide you with a boost of energy, depending on the terpene profile of the strain. Terpenes are what give cannabis its smell and flavor, and ultimately what will determine the type of experience you will have while high.

Strains with dominant terpenes such as limonene are known to help elevate mood and boost energy. Another terpene that’s great to look for when pairing cannabis with exercise is pinene. Pinene promotes energy and can help open the airways and support memory retention, allowing you to master any moves while exercising. All in all, when ingesting strains high in energizing terpenes like limonene or pinene, you very well may notice that you can do an extra few reps, run a little farther, or you can hold that plank a little longer.

3. Anti-inflammatory

Another great reason to combine cannabis with exercise is the fact that cannabis is a powerful anti-inflammatory. If you’re working out daily and pushing your body to the limit, introducing cannabis or CBD into the mix can provide your body with much-needed support.

Or maybe you’re someone who has always wanted to get into movement and exercise, but an autoimmune disorder or past injury is holding you back. Try strains rich in myrcene and other uplifting terpenes, such as Blue Dream, and see what you and your body can do!

If smoking doesn’t sit right with you, look into low dose edibles or THC capsules. You’ll want to plan accordingly if you’re doing this to allow for the effects to kick in; we recommend having a low dose edible or capsule roughly 30 minutes before you begin a workout. Start low with your dosing — you can always increase your dose, but you can’t go back! We recommend trying 2.5mg THC in an edible form for working out. Keep in mind that you should always eat edibles with other food, preferably healthy fats.

4. Stress relief

Who doesn’t experience stress in their day to day life? While some people may be able to manage their stress easily, others struggle with it. When used mindfully, cannabis can be a wonderful tool to help combat high volumes of stress. And when your stress is down, everything else in your body has the ability to work better: Your mind will be more present, your body awareness will be on point, and you won’t be counting down the minutes of your workout. If stress is keeping you from hitting your full potential, especially in a workout, look for strains that have more uplifting terpenes like limonene or terpinolene — found in strains such as Trainwreck and Lemon OG Haze. These strains can ease your stress and leave you feeling uplifted and ready to crush a workout.

5. Cannabis is medicine. Movement is medicine.

Last, and most definitely not least, cannabis is medicine, and movement is medicine. Combining the two amplifies the power of each. Cannabis really takes movement and exercise to that next level — the one that you didn’t even realize you needed. Normally, working out requires getting into a groove to release stress and heighten your mood. Adding cannabis to the workout can simply get you there faster, and then it helps all those good feelings last even longer.

Cannabis and movement truly allow you to shut off the outside world and bring those racing thoughts to a halt. At the root of it, cannabis and movement are about creating time and taking up space for yourself. Showing up is hard, showing up for ourselves is even harder; but that’s where all the magic really happens.

Please Remember

Please remember, there’s no universal one size fits all for cannabis or movement. It’s all about what feels right to you and your body. Try new strains, test out a different consumption method. Play with cannabis and movement to find your sweet spot, and then lean into it and let the rest go.