University of Colorado researchers collected surveys from over 600 cannabis users to study how people use the drug in relation to their athletic activity

A new study published in the medical journal Frontiers in Public Health has found that consuming cannabis may help motivate users to exercise and improve their workouts.

University of Colorado researchers collected surveys from over 600 cannabis users to study how people use the drug in relation to their athletic activity. The surveys were distributed in states where cannabis is legal to consume.

The data collected indicates that most of the study’s participants report that cannabis consumption led to better exercise experience.

“Results indicated that the majority (81.7%) of participants endorsed using cannabis concurrently with exercise, and those who did tended to be younger and more likely to be males (p<0.0005 for both),” the study reads.

Furthermore, participants reported that cannabis use increased the amount of exercise in which they partook, and that it not only increased their enjoyment of the workout but improved their post-workout recovery.

“Even after controlling for these differences, co-users reported engaging in more minutes of aerobic and anaerobic exercise per week (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively). In addition, the majority of participants who endorsed using cannabis shortly before/after exercise reported that doing so enhances their enjoyment of and recovery from exercise, and approximately half reported that it increases their motivation to exercise,” researchers wrote.

The increase in motivation is perhaps the study’s most surprising piece of information, given the prevalence of the “lazy pothead” stereotype of a sedentary, shiftless procrastinator.

The study’s authors hope the information will provide a more accurate portrait of the average cannabis user. “This study represents an important step in clarifying cannabis use with exercise among adult users in states with legal cannabis markets, and provides guidance for future research directions,” the study concludes.