Get Active and Don’t Forget Your CBD!

Spring has finally come for those of us living in the Northwest, Midwest, and Northeast. Temperatures are climbing, snow has melted, and the plants and trees are coming back to life. (And if allergies are a problem for you, we’ve previously addressed that so be sure to take a look!)

Those residing in the Southwest and Southeast are noticing even warmer temperatures and are probably breaking out the shorts and t-shirts if you ever even put them away!

It’s the perfect time of year to get active and enjoy the outdoors.

Two outdoor activities surging in popularity that many folks are taking up in 2021 are stand-up paddleboarding and trail running. They’re getting a lot of attention and for good reason.

If you’re thinking about adding either – or both! – to your list of do’s for spring and summer 2021, you may also want to consider looking into CBD at the same time. That’s because new activities sometimes come with a few bumps and bruises, and CBD will be there to help you through any pain.

Discover what loads who have started and stayed involved in these great sports, and many others, already know… CBD will help with potential aches and pains and allow you to enjoy your newfound activities even more.

So, let’s take a look at what each sport entails, what the common injuries or issues are, and then discuss how CBD can help you along the way. And of course, where you can buy CBD!

• What are Stand-Up Paddleboarding and Trail Running?

Stand-up paddleboarding, also known as SUP, has taken off as a recreational activity over the last decade. It’s an outdoor water sport in which the rider is standing on a large board and using a paddle to power through either fresh or salt water.

The benefits of SUP are numerous. It’s a great cardio workout, it burns a lot of calories, it’s a low impact exercise, it works your entire body, and it reduces stress. [1]

But like any sport, there is the risk of strain and injury.

According to the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, the most common injuries associated with SUP and the percentage of total injuries suffered by those doing the sport are:

•       muscle/tendon at 50.4%
•       joint/ligament 22.6%
•       and skin 14.2% [2]

Trail running, unlike road or treadmill running, involves really getting out of the urban environments many of us find ourselves surrounded by. It’s all about running on unpaved paths and trails, and often includes ascents and descents, as many folks do it on hills and mountains.

The benefits of trail running just can’t be ignored. It’s an activity that will build muscle, spur on fat loss, give you a mental workout, improve balance, and contribute positively to your mental health. [3]

While trail running is definitely lower impact on the body and joints than pavement running, there are some common injuries and issues reported within the sport:

•       lower back pain
•       plantar fasciitis
•       sprained ankles
•       Achilles tendonitis
•       runners’ knee (patellofemoral pain)
•       iliotibial band (ITB) and hip pain [4]

What many of these injuries and issues listed for both activities have in common is that they, of course, cause pain as well as inflammation. And this goes for many other activities and sports as well!

CBD can definitely help you out on this front.

But before we get into the HOW of it, let’s take a moment to cover what CBD is and WHY it can help.

• What is CBD and Why is CBD Good for Active Lifestyles?

Cannabidiol, or CBD as you’ll commonly hear it called, is one of many cannabinoids derived from the hemp plant. It’s actually one of over 140 identified cannabinoids. But unlike another popular one you may be familiar with, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it is not psychoactive.

Doctors and scientists only really started studying and finding out more about cannabinoids in the 1980s. Then, more recently in the ‘90s, this investigation led to the discovery of endocannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

This may be getting a little technical and complicated. Don’t worry, I get it.

If you’d like a simple, yet thorough explanation of it all, we’ve previously talked about CBD and all these more complicated parts in an easy-to-follow way. You can catch that here.

However, if you’d like the “too long, didn’t read” version, just know that endocannabinoids work inside your body with special receptors in the ECS to regulate and perform a variety of functions. And, as noted by Dr. Walter Boron and Dr. Emile Boulpaep in their medical textbook Medical Physiology, some of those functions relate to pain. [5]

• How Does CBD Help with Pain?

Before we chat about how CBD helps, let’s take a look at what pain is.

Pain is one of those things that we all know about but some of us might have trouble really defining.

The pros at John Hopkins Medicine define pain as, “an uncomfortable feeling that tells you something may be wrong. It can be steady, throbbing, stabbing, aching, pinching, or described in many other ways.” Pain can be classified as either acute or chronic. Acute pain is usually severe and short-lived. [6] Think about it as hurting you when you get injured.

Chronic pain – the kind we’re interested in when it comes to CBD – can range from mild to severe and sticks around for long periods of time. This is the pain you feel after being injured. Sometimes it can last days and other times weeks!

Many of the issues and injuries we listed above actually relate to inflammation, one of the leading causes of chronic pain.

See how it’s all coming together?

As discussed by Dr. Burstein of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, CBD may have an effect on the receptor binding that’s involved in controlling inflammation. [7]

While more clinical trials are needed to further investigate, studies are being conducted and published with greater frequency as time goes by in various journals like Neurobiology of Disease in 2013 and Frontiers in Endocrinology in 2020. [8] [9]

Ultimately, as written about in a 2015 review, when taken regularly, CBD has the ability to reduce inflammation. This means a potential reduction in chronic pain for anyone injured or suffering aches after partaking in their outdoor activities of choice. [10]

• Okay, CBD Helps… Now What?

Now it’s time to get yourself some CBD.

The best place to buy CBD is going to be online. Buying CBD oil or other products online is simple, discreet, and a great way to get access to the best products on the market like those sold here.

If you’re a traditionalist, you’ll probably opt for CBD oil, which comes in a variety of potencies. Placing the recommended number of drops under your tongue will deliver it quickly into your system.

Oils may not be for everyone however, which is why there are other great options available.

CBD soft gels and gummies are both excellent choices if you’d like to take your CBD with you in a portable format. And believe it or not, CBD even comes in a chewing gum as well.

When it comes to sporting activities and any injuries, you really should consider something like CBD pain relief cream as it has the ability to soothe and offer relief at targeted locations. It’s especially effective for muscle or joint pain.

Another similar and equally great option – as well as a personal favorite – is the CBD ice pain relief- roll-on that incorporates menthol. In addition to feeling amazing, menthol has been shown to increase absorption of molecules through the skin. That means better delivery of your CBD to where you want it!

But if you can’t choose just one CBD option, you may want to think about combining a few to be sure you’re never without.

• Enjoy Yourself in The Great Outdoors and Enjoy the Benefits of CBD!

Whether it’s SUP, trail running, or any other sport or activity, CBD is going to be there to support you should you run into issues with pain along the way.

As always, it’s a good idea to consult a healthcare professional before starting anything new. And if you’re in competitive sports, be aware of guidelines surrounding CBD products.

Staying active is a great way to better your health, and CBD is as well! Enjoy!

SOURCES:
[1] https://www.active360.co.uk/blog/top-6-benefits-of-sup-boarding.htm]
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5472235/
[3] https://www.redbull.com/ie-en/10-reason-to-go-trail-running
[4] https://www.junglerun.sg/2018/09/19/8-common-trail-running-injuries-explained/
[5] https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Medical_Physiology_2e_Updated_Edition_E/54mxMgO5H_YC (p. 332)
[6] https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/pain/blaustein_pain_center/patient_care/what_is_pain.html
[7] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0968089615000838#!
[8] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969996113001939
[9] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2020.00103/
[10] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272373349_Cannabidiol_CBD_and_its_analogs_A_review_of_their_effects_on_inflammation

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By WriterGary.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.*