Exercising to Reduce Inflammation
There are many tactics that people use in an attempt to reduce inflammation. While these tactics such as nourishing massages, a healthy diet, and hot baths work. Exercising is another great way to reduce inflammation. In fact, studies have shown that those who exercise for two and a half hours per week lowered their inflammation by 12 percent.
Now you know that exercising is effective, but it’s important to understand that intense exercise actually causes inflammation. So which exercises reduce it? Here’s the list according to the experts:
Take a daily walk.
When you are experiencing inflammation, whether it’s from intense exercise or other causes, a light walk is an excellent way to reset. This lets your muscles recover. It brings down inflammation by pushing fresh blood and oxygen throughout your body, pumping the lymphatic system for waste removal, and gently restoring your digestive system.
Take your talk up a level with a hike.
Gain some altitude with an uphill walk. Hiking, like walking, stimulates muscle recovery and reboots your system. ‘Forest bathing” meaning time spent surrounded by trees, lowers the body’s cortisol stress-response, which is linked to inflammation, by up to 20 percent.
Rollout with a foam roller.
Taking some time to foam roll helps with muscle soreness, improves flexibility, improves sleep, helps with digestion, and lowers inflammation. Not to mention, it has core strength building benefits. To reduce inflammation, place the foam roller under your muscle and let gravity apply pressure to the muscle. Gently roll back and forth along the targeted muscle.
Practice yoga, meditation, and deep breathing exercises.
The power of yoga and deep breathing is cleansing in many ways and should come as no surprise to have inflammation reducing tendencies. Yoga and meditation both require deep, controlled breathing. This puts the body in a state of deep relaxation which is incredibly helpful in lowering inflammation.
There are many tactics and tools to help in the fight to reduce inflammation. With so many options, it is possible to reduce your inflammation dramatically each day!