NO MORE EXCUSES

Here’s one more reason to exercise

- DANIELLE FRIEDMAN

The next time you're 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 for fighting 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's still a lot we don't know about its significance, most experts agree that the less chronically inflamed we are, the healthier we are.

The scientific evidence is also clear that people who are sedentary tend to have higher levels of inflammation compared with people 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 even be at the heart of why physical activity is so effective at protecting us against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia and other chronic conditions.

The growing understanding that exercise and inflammation are linked has been relatively recent, and this has spurred a boom of research into the connection, said Dr Robert Shmerling, a rheumatologist and a medical editor at Harvard Health Publishing. Here's what we know — and what it means for you.

WHAT IS CHRONIC INFLAMMATION?

Although inflammation may seem like a menace, it serves a vital function in keeping you healthy.

For example, after a paper cut or an ankle sprain, immune cells flood the area, which causes the surrounding tissue to swell and turn red — this kind of acute inflammation usually resolves in a few days. A similar process happens when you get an infection, such as a cold or the flu.