Just 20 Minutes of Walking May Reduce Inflammation in Your Body

Just 20 minutes of exercise may help fight inflammation in the body, a new study suggests.

20 Minutes of Walking May Reduce Inflammation in Your Body. Image credit: Paul Glendell/Natural England/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

In the study, 47 people walked on a treadmill at a brisk pace for 20 minutes, and had blood samples taken before and after this exercise session.

The researchers found that this amount of exercise reduced markers of inflammation in the body. Specifically, the 20-minute exercise session resulted in a 5 percent decrease in the number of immune cells that produced a protein called TNF, which is involved in the body's inflammatory response, the researchers said.

"Each time we exercise, we are truly doing something good for our body on many levels, including at the immune cell level," study researcher Suzi Hong, a researcher of psychiatry and family medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, said in a statement.

The new study revealed one way that exercise creates an anti-inflammatory effect. First, hormones produced during exercise, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, activate receptors called beta-2 adrenergic receptors.

These receptors are present on many cells, including immune cells, and it's this activation that leads to changes in the body's immune system response, including a decrease in cells producing TNF.

"Knowing what sets regulatory mechanisms of inflammatory proteins in motion may contribute to developing new therapies for the overwhelming number of individuals with chronic inflammatory conditions, including nearly 25 million Americans who suffer from autoimmune diseases," Hong said.

The researchers also stressed that the findings suggest you don't have to go all-out during exercise in order to experience anti-inflammatory effects. "Twenty minutes to half an hour of moderate exercise, including fast walking, appears to be sufficient," Hong said. "Feeling like a workout needs to be at a peak exertion level for a long duration can intimidate those who suffer from chronic inflammatory diseases and could greatly benefit from physical activity." (Tasnim News Agency)

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

High Temp Grilled Meat May Raise Blood Pressure

Among people who routinely eat meat, chicken and fish, those who grill, broil or roast these foods at high temperatures may be more likely to develop high blood pressure.

Scientists discover rare genetic susceptibility to common cold

Scientists have identified a rare genetic mutation that results in a markedly increased susceptibility to infection by human rhinoviruses (HRVs) — the main causes of the common cold.

Diuretic therapy for extremely preterm infants does not alleviate respiratory problems

Diuretic therapy — commonly given to extremely preterm infants to help them overcome respiratory problems — appears to offer no benefit for this purpose, according to an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

Study: There's No Fail-safe Way to Prevent Dementia

A new study has dashed hopes that people may be able to protect themselves from dementia through medicine, diet or exercise.

“Residual echo” of ancient humans in scans may hold clues to mental disorders

Researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health have produced the first direct evidence that parts of our brains implicated in mental disorders may be shaped by a “residual echo” from our ancient past.

New Hope for Stopping An Understudied Heart Disease in Its Tracks

Thanks, in part, to pigs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Arlington Agricultural Research Station, scientists now are catching up on understanding the roots of calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD).