Oklahoma City, OK: Middle-aged adults are more likely to engage in physical activities on days when they also consume cannabis, according to data published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.
Researchers affiliated with the University of Oklahoma assessed the relationship between cannabis use and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in a cohort of 98 healthy middle-aged adults.
They found that participants typically engaged in 31 more minutes of physical activity on days they consumed cannabis. Participants also tended to consume more alcohol on days they were most physically active.
“The observed positive … associations between cannabis use and MVPA aligned with our hypothesis and prior cross-sectional observations,” the study’s authors concluded. “As the current study’s sample was composed of healthy middle-aged adults, it may be that cannabis use increased PA [physical activity] enjoyment and/or subsequent feelings of psychological reward. … Future studies may also consider including an assessment of whether cannabis was used pre- or post-PA and for what reasons.”
The findings are consistent with those of other studies concluding that adults with a history of marijuana use typically exercise as much or more than their non-using peers. Among those age 60 and older, marijuana use has been associated with increased exercise frequency.
Full text of the study, “Associations between cannabis use and same-day health and substance use behaviors,” appears in Addictive Behaviors.
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