Marijuana may encourage people to exercise: study

PanARMENIAN.Net - More and more people are looking to combine cannabis with their workout routine. According to a new paper published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health Tuesday, April 30, marijuana users in states where the drug is recreationally legal said that they use it either shortly before or shortly after exercise, Forbes reports.

Many of those mentioned in the paper say that they think marijuana helps to motivate them to work out, as well as enjoy exercise more and improve their recovery. That's to say that they think that not only is cannabis helping them get motivated to work out, but it's also helping them avoid pain the day after as well, potentially motivating them to exercise more frequently.

The paper is the result of research done at CU Boulder.

“Our results suggest that prior findings of cannabis users being more likely to meet official exercise recommendations may be at least partly associated with perceived impacts of cannabis co-use on enjoyment, reductions in pain and inflammation during and after exercise, and to a lesser extent motivation,” reads the study.

“Furthermore, participants who use cannabis before and/or after exercise reported that they exercised more, and had positive attitudes about co-use on exercise, which implies cannabis may be a useful tool for exercise among some users. In other words, sedentary cannabis users, particularly those who attribute low physical activity to concerns about recovery, motivation, or enjoyment, may benefit from co-use, provided that they select low-risk exercise options that do not compromise safety during intoxication.”

The study seems to contradict the stereotype that cannabis users tend to be couch potatoes and not exercise as much as those who do not use the drug.

The research seems to indicate that rather than promoting a sedentary lifestyle, cannabis is actually helping to drive some users into participating in physical activities.