Jan
You Can’t Have Fitness Without Health.
This is the day and the month we start to make fitness goals. Move more, lift more. Go faster, go further. But the simple fact is, that a lot of common fitness new year resolution trends may not be that healthy for you.
The actual definition of health is simple:
Health (noun) The state of being free from illness or injury
Many things perceived as fitness, so as a base example; a ‘six pack of abs’ is not as healthy as six quality hours of sleep (though, let’s be honest, seven would be better!) Fitness is a personal journey too and should be tailored as such. Feeling good must always top looking good, though sadly it often doesn’t, and sustainable effort trumps no pain, no gain, unless you have the Paris Olympics in sight.
Anyway, for most of us it’s this time of year that gym memberships rise, and we tend to go hell for leather to eliminate all of our festive excess. So, at the same time as we head for the rowing machine, it might just be worth asking if CBD lives up to the hype in terms of fitness and health.
1. Reducing pain and inflammation
One way in which CBD oil may help people training is by reducing pain and minimising inflammation post-workout.
Any reduction in inflammation can reduce the pain associated with normal muscle pain after a tough workout as well as injuries, and there is plenty of evidence from research that CBD can help reduce pain. The studies point to action at certain receptors, but also a reduction in inflammation as explanations for how it works.
2. Aiding Muscle Recovery
It is the ability to reduce inflammation that may make CBD oil a useful recovery supplement. Rigorous workouts that cause tiny tears in muscle tissue, in turn trigger inflammation. The body then goes to work repairing the damaged tissue, building it up to be stronger muscle tissue and this is normal for those of us training seriously, and leads to gains, but there are definitely also times when pushing it too far leads to inflammation and muscle damage. For recovery from difficult workouts, the anti-inflammatory effects of CBD oil may be helpful in healing the damage.
3. Better Sleep
We all work out better and perform better when we sleep well. End of. So if CBD oil can improve your sleep, it can indirectly improve your fitness performance, and if it helps us manage stress and anxiety at the same time, then all the better!
In the UK, CBD is an approved food supplement and considered to be safe ( when its properly regulated and labelled correctly) Whether it will really provide you with benefits is still under review, but for most people it is a low-risk option with some evidence based information to support its use in promoting good health.
Health and fitness work hand in hand. A health and balanced diet, loads of water, alcohol in moderation, movement and mindfulness are all important. Adding a daily dose of CBD in whatever form you prefer can only enhance those new simple things.
Happy New Year!
