Studies show that exercise is a key ingredient to reducing inflammation.
Here we look at which forms of exercise are best.
Reducing inflammationcontinues to be a hot topic, and for good reason.
Getty / Anon Krudsumlit / EyeEm
Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, can be problematic.
The good news is that research suggests evenmoderate exercise can lower the body’s inflammatory response.
The key is to get moving.
Here are five simple ways to exercise at home to reduce inflammation.
Yoga
Yoga is meditation in motion.
Pretty impressive, right?
Yoga can be done anywhere.
(YouTube also offersthousands of free videos to choose from.)
Seal your lips and begin to inhale and exhale through the nose.
From here, move to a hands-and-knees posture on your mat.
Continue focusing on your breath and move into theCat and Cow series.
Hold Downward Dog for three full breath cycles before beginning to walk your feet toward your hands.
Then allow your arms to hang in Rag Doll Pose.
In addition, research shows thatresistance training can slow down the inflammatory responsein older adults.
To get a full-body workout using only bodyweight exercises, try completing the following five exercises for time.
Go through all the exercises two to three times, depending on how you feel.
With all exercise, the key is to adjust the intensity relative to your ability.
It’s a complicated term, but when you think of SMR, think self deep-tissue massage.
Research shows a significantincrease in the range of motion of the jointsandimproved muscle functionwhen SMR techniques are used.
Start with your calves and work your way up the back of your legsfrom calves to hamstrings to glutes.
Then move to the front of your legsthe muscles around the shins, up to the quads.
Move to your back, rolling into your shoulder blades with your arms crossed over your chest.
Finally, finish by lying on the foam roller (lengthwise) vertically from your head to your tailbone.
Cycling
Nothing takes you back to feeling like a kid quite like riding a bike.
And you don’t have to go to a high-intensity spin class to see the benefits.
Riding a bike is a great choice for people with joint pain and arthritis since it is low-impact.
Plus, cycling promotes range of motion at both the hip and knee.
