Fight chronic inflammation with exercise

Physical activity suppresses the release of inflammatory chemicals and increases the release of chemicals that fight inflammation

- Danielle Friedman

NEW YORK - The next time you are feeling the burn during a workout, it might give you a boost to know that exercise can also be a balm. Research suggests it is one of the best tools to fight chronic inflammation.

Inflammation has emerged as a looming health concern in recent years. Experts say it can be both a cause and a sign of disease. And although there is still a lot people do not know about its significance, most experts agree that the less chronically inflamed people are, the healthier they are.

The scientific evidence is also clear that people who are sedentary tend to have higher levels of inflammation compared with those who exercise regularly. And when sedentary people start moving consistently, their inflammation levels generally decline.

Some researchers believe that exercise's power to fight inflammation may be at the heart of why physical activity is so effective at protecting people against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia and other conditions.

The growing understanding that exercise and inflammation are linked is relatively recent. And this has spurred a boom of research into the connection, said Dr Robert Shmerling, a rheumatologist and medical editor at Harvard Health Publishing.

Here is what you should know.

WHAT IS CHRONIC INFLAMMATION?