There are some classic activities that go well with marijuana: watching funny movies, listening to music, raiding the kitchen. But let’s not forget that it’s also possible to run or stretch while high, if you do it responsibly.
Why You Should (Maybe) Try Exercising While High
As one redditor said in a thread on running high on groceries: “It made my music sound better, it made me feel more connected to nature, it racked up the miles and it took the pain away. Terrible. Now I can’t help but prefer to have an edible before running.”
Other runners weighed in and agreed that cannabis makes long runs less boring, aches and pains fade into the background, and the sights and sounds of a run, especially a trail run, more pleasurable. One added: “It’s great when you’re out on the trails just connecting with nature or running through the streets on a December night looking at the Christmas lights.”
The legendary “runner’s high” (not a true high, just a good mood experienced during or shortly after a run) was believed to come from endorphins released during exercise. More recent research, however, targets endocannabinoids, our own brain’s homemade versions of the chemicals found in grass. If this is true, cannabis is only enhancing the feeling many of us get from running anyway.
The herb is also popular with yogis, though a recent discussion thread was divided between those who felt that being high helped them meditate and relax, and others who felt that it got in the way of truly being in touch with their body. That said, if you like to do yoga while high, there are Ganja yoga classes specifically for this experience.
Lifting weights while high doesn’t seem to be as popular as rhythmic or meditative activities, but there are definitely people who swear cannabis helps the mind-muscle connection when doing bodybuilding-style workouts (where you do high reps with dumbbells, for example).
How to exercise stoned, if you want to try it
For safety, it is important to think about everything before you start. Definitely don’t drive to (or from) the gym while high. If you are going to walk, choose a route that you can run without getting lost or wandering into an unsafe area. And consider doing your exercise with a friend who It is not high. With those safety tips covered, let’s break down some of the most important points for an enjoyable workout.
start exercising, so get high
The biggest obstacle many of us have to working out while high is that when you’re high, often the last thing you want to do is get off the couch and expend energy. The runners of Reddit has a simple solution for this problem :Tima your consumption so that the effects hit you later you start your training. If you’re planning a long run where you’ll be out for a few hours, you can eat the groceries, then get dressed and maybe have that meal before training, and by the time you get to your second or third mile, you will start to feel the rush coming. Or use a vaporizer while you warm up for your next session on the stationary bike or yoga mat. You get the idea.
try it at home first
Another important point, highlighted by redditors in many different threads, is to make sure everything is familiar the first time. Don’t plan on grabbing a weed gummy at the marathon start line if you’ve never been high before.
Use a method or product that you have used before and stay in a familiar environment (like your home), especially if you are prone to anxiety. Once you know how you react and how you like the experience, you can be more adventurous.
Use a lighter dose
Many of the cannabis-loving runners noted that they use less weed for exercise than if they were just hanging out. Half the dose seems to be a good rule of thumb. So if you’d normally take a 5mg gummy, try 2.5 for your next run.
Traditionally, sativa strains are considered better for activity. But the sativa/indica split isn’t always a reliable indicator of how you’ll feel. Some redditors recommend using something with a 1:1 THC to CBD ratio. Your experience may also vary from product to product; groceries are notoriously variable. Bottom line, wear something familiar.
Plan ahead for snacks and dry mouth
Especially if you’re going for a run, you’ll want to make sure you can get water if your mouth gets dry. (It’s also even more important to plan ahead if it’s going to be hot or if weather conditions are potentially dangerous—you might not do it enough to notice signs of dehydration, for example.)
If you exercise for health-related reasons and are worried about eating a big bag of Cheetos and throwing your diet off course, you’ll be glad to know that fruit can be a heavenly experience when you’re stoned. Make sure you have a ripe mango ready to go. or to quote other redditor: “HHave you ever eaten an overripe tangerine while high? Juicy, sweet and tangy perfection. Get yourself a strawberry. Dip some cherry tomatoes in balsamic vinegar and salt. So good.”
Why You Might Not Want To Exercise While High
While many Redditors endorsed the experience, some tried to exercise while high and did not recommend it.
A common complaint was that altering the perception of time is a double-edged sword. While many people find the miles fly by, others feel like they’ve been running for hours when it’s only been a few minutes. If you’re doing a workout where it matters exactly what pace you’re going at or exactly what technique you use, cannabis can interfere with that as well. Some runners said they liked to be high when doing easy runs or long runs, but would not be focused enough to run their best race.
And just as cannabis can help you connect with your body, some people felt they were also unaware of their body and their surroundings, unpleasantly.
Even if you have fun working out loud, another potential problem is that you get so used to it that you can’t (or don’t want to) exercise without it. Judging by the number of people who said that forever get high when they exercise, that seems to be a valid concern.
If you compete in a drug-tested sport, that’s another reason why you should be careful about high exercise. The World Anti-Doping Agency considers THC allowed outside of competition (so it’s okay to get high on your own time), but athletes have been arrested when they use weed close enough to competition that it still shows up on a drug test. .
And lastly, you may want to be aware of the effects it could have on other people. A redditor complained about his fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu practices who were so high they couldn’t fully participate. So if you’re going to work out loud, remember to be considerate of others.
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