In a recent study published in Sports Medicine, researchers from the University of Colorado delved into the intricate relationship between cannabis consumption and exercise, aiming to uncover how legal-market cannabis affects regular marijuana users during immediate responses to exercise in a controlled laboratory setting.
See Also: New Study Finds Diverse Views Among Sports Medicine Doctors On Marijuana Use, Highlights CBD
Participants from Boulder, Colorado, assigned either a THC-dominant product (24% THC and 1% CBD) or a CBD-dominant product (1% THC and 20% CBD) reported increased enjoyment during the cannabis exercise activity, regardless of the product’s cannabinoid content, reported Marijuana Moment. Notably, CBD users reported a higher difference in enjoyment compared to non-cannabis workouts.
“At baseline, most participants reported that cannabis increased their enjoyment of exercise (90.5%), reduced their pain/discomfort levels during exercise (69.0%), improved their ability to focus during exercise (59.5%), and increased their motivation to exercise (57.1%). Only 45.2% reported that cannabis made the time go by faster during exercise, and only 28.6% reported that cannabis improved their exercise performance,” reads the study.
Despite federal restrictions on cannabis research, the study contributed valuable information to the growing body of knowledge on marijuana’s effects. Aligned with broader public interest, the study also challenged stereotypes associating cannabis with sedentary behavior.
While marijuana consumption before exercise “may lead to increases in both positive and negative aspects of the subjective exercise experience,” researchers concluded that “research using diverse samples, exercise modalities, and methodologies (e.g., placebo-controlled trials) is needed to establish the generalizability of these findings.”
Read Next: Study: Cannabis May Offer Relief For Adults With ADHD And Improve Quality Of Life: Study
Image by John Arano On Unsplash
Winter is here, which means the days are feeling shorter and the weather’s getting colder.
The dark and nippy mornings don’t exactly make it easy to arise for an early spin class or a run.
We spoke with two exercise experts for their tips how to keep motivated to get moving in winter.
The season can indeed be very disruptive to people’s exercise routines, says Matthew Bourke, from The University of Queensland’s Health and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation.
“Things like the cold, bad weather, it getting lighter later in the morning and darker earlier in the evening are key barriers which get in the way of physical activity,” Dr Bourke says.
“For a lot of people, these barriers outweigh their motives to exercise.
“It takes a lot more effort and self-control to overcome these barriers to exercise in winter.”
Sport and exercise psychologist Emma Slade says evolution suggests why some people want to “hibernate” more in winter.
“We have shorter days, in turn less hours of sunlight, and often our appetite changes towards more hearty and warm meals,” Ms Slade says.
“Some people may find winter really leads them to slow down, and again this stems from our evolution.
“Winter for many species is time for restoration.”
During the darker, colder winter months, it’s not uncommon for some people to find they struggle with motivation.
Many Australians report that they feel flat and lethargic in winter, the federal government’s health advice website Health Direct says.
Some people might put this down to ‘the winter blues’.
But a small proportion of people might experience something more severe, called seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
SAD is a type of depression that usually develops in winter and autumn.
The cause isn’t clear, but it’s believed the lack of sunlight has something to do with it, Health Direct says:
“It is thought to be caused by changes in light exposure, which lead to changes to the body’s circadian rhythms (its ‘body clock’).
“At different times of the year, the body produces different amounts of melatonin and serotonin, which affect mood.”
In winter, SAD symptoms can include:
But SAD is rare.
SAD affects “about one in 300” Australians, Professor Greg Murray, director of the Centre for Mental Health at Swinburne University, says.
While the ‘winter blues’ or SAD can take a toll on our mood, experts say exercising regularly is one way to help alleviate some of the symptoms.
At the start of every year, gyms see a surge of newcomers eager to kick start their year with fitness goals.
However, by June, 50 per cent of new members will cancel their membership, according to a report from an international body representing the fitness industry.
“In Australia, if we have people starting the year out strong and making a new year’s resolution to exercise more, we naturally expect some of this motivation to start dropping over the first half of the year,” Ms Slade says.
“This occurring at the same time as leading into winter is a double-whammy on motivation.”
The short answer is no — because everyone is different.
“The type of exercise that you enjoy is usually the one that will get you moving more consistently,” Ms Slade says.
“It’s the form of exercise where you know overcoming the slight grind and grumble in getting started will soon be overcome by a deep feeling of satisfaction or fulfilment.”
Dr Bourke agrees.
He points to a study that showed participants’ motivation wavered if their main focus for exercise was on improving health and body image, rather than exercising for fun, accomplishment or a challenge.
The study called the former focuses external motivators and the latter intrinsic motivators.
“There was a study in Wisconsin which looked at motivation between people who exercised all year round and those who only exercised during winter,” he says.
“The authors found that people who sustained their levels of exercise during winter were more strongly motivated by the enjoyment, challenge, and the social affiliation compared to those who only exercised in warmer months.
“That’s why it’s important to try and find something that you actually like doing.”
For some people who love a challenge, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts may tick the box.
For others, a fun exercise may be taking a walk in the park with the dog. Or maybe, joining a weekly social run club.
Here’s what Ms Slade and Dr Bourke suggest.
Dr Bourke’s biggest tip to defeat the urge to stay toasty on the couch is to build a habit.
Schedule your workout into your day with a precise time, so it’s set in stone.
“One way to form a habit is through what is called context-dependent repetition,” he says.
“This is where someone forms habits by doing the same thing in the same contexts over time, such as going to the gym on their lunch break every Tuesday.”
He also recommends using specific cues that signal to yourself that you’re headed out to exercise.
The goal is to build up an association between a cue and an activity.
Take washing your hands after using the toilet as an example: handwashing is the activity and using the toilet is the cue.
Your cue might be bringing exercise clothes to work on specific days, and your activity might be going for a run straight after the work day ends.
After a period of repetition, it will become almost instinctual to get changed into your work-out gear as soon your shift is over.
It’s true that darker months can affect mood, but Ms Slade encourages people to embrace seasonal changes rather than dread them.
“‘I’m lazy in winter’ is a very common form of self-talk synonymous with skipping sessions and sleeping in.
“Shifting this thought to more adaptive thinking such as ‘with trial and error I can adapt and find a winter routine that works for me’ creates a more compassionate and curious space.
“The weather isn’t in your control, but how you prepare is.”
This is where problem-solving comes into the picture.
“Give yourself a couple of weeks to find a winter routine that works for you,” Ms Slade says.
“After each bout of exercise, reflect on what worked and also what didn’t work or got in the way.
“From there, you can continue to tweak and modify an approach that suits best.”
For example, if you plan to go to the gym in the evenings in winter, but find yourself getting home first and instead settling in for the night, you might take your workout gear with you and head straight from work to the gym.
I can vouch for this!
And if you don’t get off to a good start this winter, you can continue to problem solve your routine and adjust it right in time for next year.
According to a study in the International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, listening to motivational music before you do something can put you in the right frame of mind for the task at hand.
“Pre-task music can be used to heighten exercisers’ activation for an impending bout of exercise, and has been shown to optimise arousal and facilitate task-relevant imagery,” the report says.
Another study in the Psychological Bulletin also found stimulative music can distract from pain endured during exercise through competing sensory stimuli.
“Music has the capacity to provide significant positive effects for exercises in terms of reduced perceived exertion and more efficient oxygen utilisation,” the report says.
So, forge a habit (as per Mr Bourke’s advice) to listen to music before you exercise.
It could help you get your sneakers on and drive you out the door, even if it’s cold outside.
“Integrating media, such as music, podcasts, or audiobooks can be a great way to make exercising more enjoyable,” Dr Bourke says.
Winter officially starts today — June 1.
But, because Australia is so big, the seasonal conditions people experience differ depending on where they are.
Northern parts of Australia experience wet season and dry season.
While further south, people tend to think of seasons in the European or North American sense — summer, autumn, winter and spring.
Winter officially ends on August 31.
This year it’ll be on June 21, the Bureau of Meteorology said in a social media post.
Nina Cash’s life motto is, “It’s never too late,” and it certainly fared her well when she decided at 57, to enter Sports Illustrated‘s rookie modelling competition.
“I would never have had the courage to enter the competition in my twenties or thirties, but at 57, I felt more confident and comfortable in my own skin and able take the leap and enter,” Nina tells HELLO!.
Nina was named one of the seven winners of the competition, and now calls modelling her ‘encore career’, following a work life that saw her earn a doctorate in educational leadership.
“As a life-long learner, I am enjoying the process of learning about the modelling industry,” Nina says of her latest challenge. “I have met some wonderful, supportive people who have been so encouraging.
“I look at Apo Whang Od, who was on the cover of Philippine Vogue last year at the age of 106, and Iris Apfel, who signed with a modelling agency at 97, and realise there is still a chance for me, in my late fifties, to be on the cover of a fashion magazine.”
“Life experience has definitely helped in building my confidence,” Nina says of where she found the courage to enter the modelling competition.
© Ben Watts /SPORTS ILLUSTRATED“As you grow older, you begin to understand what matters to you and what doesn’t. What matters to me is how I feel about myself at the end of the day. It truly is none of my business what others think of me.”
INSPIRATION: How I beat a midlife confidence crisis at 49
That said, Nina notes that she’s had a huge confidence boost since winning the competition. “I am a minority, 57-year-old, grey haired, disabled (because I have diabetes), retired, senior citizen, who is featured as a 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Rookie – I can’t believe it!”
Given how incredible she looks, you might expect Nina to have an intense fitness routine, but we’re happy to report her exercise regime is surprisingly relatable.
“I have always been active, but I’m not a gym junkie and I don’t work out every single day,” she explains. “I don’t have a regime, I just move about and exercise in whatever manner I feel like at the time.
© Dana Patrick“It is important for me to be active, whether it be riding my Peloton, walking my dogs or dancing to eighties music in my living room. Movement is very therapeutic for me and fills my emotional bank account.”
READ: I’m more energetic than ever at 61 – here’s how
At 49, Nina was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, explaining: “I am fortunate to not have to take insulin, but am on medication and will probably need to be for the rest of my life.”
To stay healthy, she takes supplements including folic acid, magnesium and vitamin D, but doesn’t follow a strict diet.
“Although I am diabetic, I eat anything I want in moderation,” she shares. “I do not deprive myself of certain foods, but I certainly don’t go crazy and eat a gallon of ice cream.
“I make it a point to never skip breakfast – it’s my fuel for the day. I load up on protein and then throughout the day, I graze on healthy snacks, instead of a full lunch and dinner.
“I try not to eat past 6pm, as I feel so much better in the morning when I wake up, which is around 5am or when my four rescue pups decide to wake me up!”
READ: I’m healthier than ever at 70 – here’s how I stay at my best
As someone brimming with energy and enthusiasm, it’s clear to see Nina is an optimistic person – with so much excitement still to come.
© Dana Patrick“What makes me happiest in my fifties is knowing that my happiest moments have yet to come! Life is good and I am grateful and appreciative of it all,” she tells HELLO!
“My advice for others is very simple: Life is going to pass regardless of what you are doing or not doing, just go for it!”
© GettyHELLO! wanted to create a space dedicated to sharing incredible stories from midlife; somewhere you can find inspiring stories of like-minded women, living their best life beyond 45.
Enter, Second Act…
For too long, we were expected to fade into the background when we hit 45, but we’re here to reframe your Second Act as a celebratory, exciting new chapter with endless possibilities ahead.
From women who embarked on new careers in their fifties, to those who travelled the world alone after their children left home, to women who finally felt confident when they reached their forties, Second Act is devoted to celebrating the incredible stories of midlife, and we’d love to have you along for the journey – because being part of a community makes everything more enjoyable.
Visit HELLO!’s Second Act hub
Chronic stress can lead to weight gain by triggering emotional eating and disrupting hormone levels. Find ways to manage stress, such as practicing relaxation techniques, meditation, or engaging in hobbies you enjoy. It’s crucial tips on how to not be fat without exercise.
9. Get more vitamin C and D:
Vitamin C and D play roles in weight management and overall health. Incorporate foods rich in these vitamins, such as citrus fruits, berries, mushrooms, and fatty fish, into your diet.
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