The influence of exercise on inflammation in the body
By Paul Bolger. Chartered Physiotherapist at Nano Physiotherapy, Kilkenny (www.nanophysio.ie).
Within your body right now there is a magnificent and complex series of interactions taking place. A part of what makes this process tick is our innate inflammatory response – keeping us safe from infection and keeping our tissues in pristine working order. Many things affect the levels of inflammation in our body at any given moment.
Exercise is a powerful anti-inflammatory. This is one of the reasons why it is fantastic for health.
Inflammatory Changes with Exercise
Exercise initially causes a temporary rise in inflammation. If you have been keeping up to date with my recent articles, you might have an idea as to why this is the case.
Inflammation is a key part of the body’s defence mechanism. It is vital in fighting infections and in the healing process. When we exercise and take strain through our muscles, joints and tissues, tiny, microscopic damage occurs.
This damage is a welcome thing. In healing the micro-damage, we overcompensate and become slightly stronger (this is how our bones and muscles become stronger with regular training).
In response to this damage, our body cranks up levels of inflammation to prepare the body for healing. This is quickly followed by an increase in anti-inflammatory cells that bring inflammation back down.
The more intensely we exercise, and the longer we do it for, the lower the body’s inflammation levels drop after exercise. In fact, some people who train really intensively for long periods of time actually lower their inflammatory levels (and immune function) so much that they are at higher risk of picking up an infection!
Long-Term Anti-Inflammatory
When we are active regularly (like when we meet our minimum recommended 150-mins of moderate intensity exercise per week), inflammatory levels gradually lower to a healthier baseline level.
This is part of the reason why people who are at risk of conditions related to chronic inflammation – such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, dementia – can drastically cut their risk with regular physical active. And for those already suffering from one of these conditions – the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise are key in managing symptoms, slowing progression and improving quality of life.
One great thing about exercise is that the side effects, unlike with many medications, tend to be positive.
Harness Your Inner Anti-Inflammatories
For those of you reading who do little to no exercise – any increase in exercise levels, with consistency, is a real positive. For those reading who suffer from a condition related to inflammation – such as many auto-immune related conditions – exercise may be a key component of your management strategy and is best undertaken with the guidance of a healthcare professional.
Exercise is just one way to harness your own inner anti-inflammatory powers. As I wrote in last week’s article, body weight and diet are vital too. Next week we will weigh up other factors that affect inflammation both positively and negatively, and, in doing so, hopefully give you a greater appreciating for how making small changes in your week will have a great impact on your health.
