20 minutes of exercise enough to fight inflammation

If you can find 20 minutes in your day, you can reduce inflammation in the body, according to a new study.

The long term health benefits of daily physical exercise are widely understood.  They include reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, improving metabolism and  strengthening the heart, muscles and bones.

Now, researchers from the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine say 20 minutes is enough to trigger activation of the sympathetic nervous system, increasing heart rate, blood pressue and breathing rate.  This, in turn, would incourage the body to produce and anti-inflammatory cellular response to reduce the chances of chronic inflammation.

If left untreated, the inflammation may contribute to diabetes, obesity, celiac disease, arthritis, fibromyalgia and other possible risks.

The study found that one session of about 20 minutes of moderate exercise resulted in a five percent drop in cells producing inflammatory proteins.

The research is published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity.