If you’ve been on the internet and social media for a while now, there is almost a guarantee that you’ve heard about the inflammation epidemic that is surrounding us today. Many people online will offer their take on the topic and offer anti-inflammatory solutions that aren’t necessarily sustainable or backed by research.
Exercise: A Proven Anti-Inflammatory Solution
One way to mitigate the effects of inflammation in the body which is proven to work is exercise. Now many factors go into inflammation, its causes and solutions. Exercise is what I want to focus on right now. First, we’ll go over how what inflammation is, how it affects the body and how exercise and inflammation are related, then, I’ll give some tips to be more active and see the benefits.
What is inflammation?
With this word getting thrown around a lot, it is important to know what it is exactly. Inflammation occurs when our bodies come in contact (touch, ingesting, smelling) with irritants. This inflammation can be good for the body but it can also harm it. It is a defense mechanism to get rid of whatever the irritant may be.
Chronic inflammation is when it persists over a long period of time. This is when it is not beneficial. The once good defense is now causing more harm and can negatively impact the different systems in our bodies.
How does it affect our bodies?
Inflammation can contribute to the plaque in the arteries, it can interfere with insulin signaling thus, causing higher blood sugar levels, it can even affect the brain, causing inflammation and disregulating brain activity, clarity and function.
These are just a few ways inflammation is harmful and they all can increase the risk of chronic illnesses like atherosclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, etc.
Correlation between exercise and inflammation
Exercise is beneficial to inflammation due to its ability to decrease the secretion of the pro-inflammatory hormone adipokine. This hormone directly relates to the amount of fat stored in the body. When exercise decreases, the body releases more of this hormone, leading to increased inflammation and fat accumulation.
Understanding that inflammation can increase the risk of the diseases listed earlier, and recognizing that exercise can decrease adipokine secretion (which reduces inflammation), we can directly correlate exercise with mitigating the effects of inflammation.
Getting the most anti-inflammatory benefits from exercise
There is ongoing research on what kind of exercise is most beneficial to lowering inflammation in individuals. What I have seen is that any kind of exercise is good.
If you are a sedentary person, going for a short walk a couple times a day, using a stationary bike everyday, doing calf raises during work or some yoga poses during breaks can be a great start to moving your body more. Any exercise at this point will aid in decreasing adipokine secretion.
For more active individuals, following a training plan may be the best option. Lots of exercise with a lack of recovery time can actually negate the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise. By following a training plan, your body can get the adequate amount of exercise and recovery time to achieve the benefits fully.
Conclusion: Take Control of Your Inflammation
To conclude, inflammation is a part of many people’s lives. If you are wondering how to reduce its effects on your life, exercise may be the right step!
Author: Reese Couch
