Drop inflammation with this strategy.
CHRONIC INFLAMMATION IS POISON FOR YOUR HEALTH. The condition is associated with colorectal cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and more. That’s the bad news. The good? Certain physical activities can reduce your inflammation.
Today we turn to three of my favorite ways to reduce chronic inflammation. The good news? Just 20 to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity can improve your health by reducing chronic inflammation.
What is inflammation?
When we encounter something offensive (including pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, or toxic chemicals) or suffer an injury, our immune system is activated.
The first line of immune system defense includes inflammatory cells and substances that stimulate more inflammatory cells (cytokines). The inflammatory cells trap pathogens such as viruses.
You know the visible manifestations of this response: Swelling, pain, redness, and bruising. The internal inflammation that you cannot see is significant, too.
Inflammation types
There are two types of inflammation: acute inflammation responds to sudden changes in your body. For example, when you cut your finger, your body responds by sending inflammatory cells to the injury. Healing begins.
Your body continues sending inflammatory cells with chronic inflammation, even after the outside danger is no longer present.
An example of chronic inflammation is rheumatoid arthritis, a condition in which inflammatory cells and substances attack joint tissues. Intermittent inflammation follows, leading to severe damage to joints (and associated pain and deformities).
Cardio lowers inflammation
A 2017 small study demonstrates the power of a single 20-minute cardio session to lower inflammatory levels. But you don’t have to do cardio work to reap the inflammation reduction benefits of exercise. Any moderate-intensity physical activity helps to drop your inflammation levels.
Let’s look at four strategies for fighting inflammation. We begin with yoga. An exploratory study showed that 12 weeks of yoga slowed cellular aging. The mindfulness practitioners had lower levels of inflammation and cortisol. The study suggested that yoga may promote brain health, too.
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