One thing I miss the most about pre-pandemic life is taking workout classes. I miss walking into a rose quartz-accented yoga studio that smells like eucalyptus and lemongrass, and getting my butt kicked in Vinyasa II. I also miss sweating my ta-tas off at cycling. Basically, I miss having a Class Pass and being able to work out any time, anywhere. It was a weekly ritual. I used to meet up with a friend, we’d get stoned down the street from a studio 30 minutes before class started, and then show up ready to rock and roll. But as soon as the pandemic hit, my stoned workouts came to a halt.

Like everyone, my body, mind, and soul are feeling it. I’ve worked out less in the past year than I have in my entire life. But last week, I decided to get my ass back on the mat. I did a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout because I heard it’s a full-body experience — and based on how angsty I’ve been lately, I needed the exertion. Little did I know that even a level zero HIIT class for babies could destroy you if you’re not in shape — which I am not. I was way in over my head.

Fast forward to the next day, and I could barely move. I could hardly get out of bed in the morning. No joke, I had to resort to falling back onto the toilet because my legs hurt too much to sit down like a normal person. I wish I was exaggerating. I now needed something that was going to target the pain in my quads and hamstrings — ASAP.

I scoured the interwebs and discovered a brand called Pure Craft, a CBD brand with a fairly vast product line — but their newest topical piqued my interest. Pure Craft CBD’s 1000mg Nano-Optimized CBD Infused Muscle and Joint Cream is not only infused with lab tested hemp-CBD, but it’s also loaded with other healing herbs like Argan Oil, Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Horsetail Extract, Cucumber Extract, Aloe Leaf Juice, Rose Hip, Pomegranate Extract, Lemongrass Extract, Basil Oil, Melaleuca Leaf Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Pine Oil, Rosemary Oil, Lavender, and Peppermint Oil. 

As someone who cares deeply about what I put in and on my body, the ingredients sold me. Also, Pure Craft CBD uses nano-technology to emulsify CBD particles so they can be absorbed quickly by the body. That’s exactly when I knew I needed this product: I needed something that was going to absorb into my muscles and heal them.

I got next day shipping because my legs hurt that bad — and I knew, based on how sore I was, the next time I did a HIIT workout, I was likely going to feel this way again. So I needed to be prepared. 

The product arrived on my doorstep the next day by 1pm. I opened the box and began massaging the cream into my legs. Somehow they were even more stiff and sore than the day before, so the topical couldn’t have come at a better time. Within 15 minutes, I felt a cooling sensation on my quads. My legs were able to move with ease again. I’ve used topicals before — and they’re not all made equally. 

This is the best topical CBD product for pain relief. I’ve since done two more HIIT sessions. I decided to lather my quads with Pure Craft CBD’s Nano Infused Muscle and Joint Cream before and after each session, which has really changed my workout game. I feel like I’ve discovered the secret to ultra-fast recovery time. I may not be taking workout classes any time soon, but my summertime bod will officially be here in a flash.

**This was made in partnership with Pure Craft CBD