Exercise Reverses Silent Inflammation That Drives Aging and Disease
Professor Janet Lord, a world expert in immune aging, explains 'inflammaging' - chronic low-level inflammation that quietly builds with age and drives diseases like dementia, heart disease, and muscle loss. Unlike acute inflammation from injuries, inflammaging persists for years at 2-3 times normal levels because aging immune systems struggle to switch it off. Modern sedentary lifestyles and excess fat tissue fuel this process. However, research shows exercise powerfully reverses inflammaging through multiple mechanisms: reducing fat tissue, activating anti-inflammatory muscle signals, and improving immune function. A study of 200 older adults found those taking 3,000 steps daily had high inflammaging, while those taking 10,000 steps had none. Even breaking up sitting time helps, as moving muscles produce inflammation-dampening compounds. The research demonstrates that even in your 70s, it's not too late to reverse immune aging through increased physical activity.