Inflammation has been linked to heart attacks, cancer, Alzheimer’s and more.
Not all inflammation is bad. Inflammation is the body’s natural response and a way to heal yourself, like when you burn your hand and it swells up. It’s chronic inflammation that’s the trouble maker. This type of inflammation can wreak havoc on your health and cause premature aging. Your unhealthy lifestyle choices, too much stored fat and long periods of sitting cause chronic inflammation. While changing your diet (pages and pages can be written about an “anti-inflammatory diet”) is necessary, this focuses on how muscles prevent inflammation.
Muscles secrete hormone-like compounds called myokines. A recently published review confirms that the link between inactivity and disease was decreased myokines. Some myokines have a direct effect on the muscle. Others are released in the blood and travel to other tissues. Some of the effects of myokines include:
- Stronger bones
- Fat cells that release more fat for fuel
- Reduced growth of tumors
So in closing, you need to move! Any movement counts. Make an effort to break out of your routine and encourage your muscles to secrete those hormone-like compounds call myokines. You’ll be better off for it.
For additional information see
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21354469