When we think of inflammation in the body, we almost always think of the inflammatory foods we regret that we have just eaten, you know foods like fried chicken, curly cheese fries and ice cream stews. But sedentary behaviors also affect inflammation, so exercise can help cool chronic inflammation just like eating a healthier diet. (See: What happens to your body when you sit all day)
Inflammation in the body damages cells and can cause a variety of diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer and weight gain. It can also make your body look, feel and function as if it is older than it actually is. “Researchers have coined the catchy term ‘Inflammaging’ to describe how inflammation can accelerate aging,” says Mike Zimmerman, author of Eat This, Not That! Book 14-day anti-inflammatory diet.
Chronic low-grade inflammation is when the body’s immune system is in a state of constant attack. While replacing processed foods with fresh anti-inflammatory products (the best ones are mentioned in Zimmerman’s book) is the best way to tame inflammation. And Strength training works especially well to reduce the age-accelerating effects of inflammation.
Think of this study in the journal Medicine and science in sports and exercise. Researchers broke a group of 103 previously sedentary people into aerobic exercise, strength training and control groups. Both training groups saw their blood levels of an inflammatory marker called C-reactive protein fall, but the resistance group’s number dropped 32%, twice as much as for the aerobic group. Other studies have suggested similar anti-inflammatory benefits of strength training.
Why not give resistance training a shot at trying to reduce this silent age? After consulting with exercise physiologists, Zimmerman developed this simple beginner program that requires nothing more than your own body weight for resistance and just a few square meters of space to move around. It is called 3-3-3 because it consists of only three exercises (you choose them) that are performed for one minute each (a total of 3 minutes) for a total of 3 rounds. It’s only 9 minutes to push yourself, but it obviously takes a little longer when you plan to rest when you need to. “Take the rest you need between minutes,” says Zimmerman. “The idea here is to challenge your muscles, not set world records.”
Choose three of the following suggested exercises that were chosen because they are generally known (no exotic traits to learn), hit several muscle groups in the body in a short time and require no equipment and little space. Exercise 3-3-3 three times a week and leave a day in between to exercise cardiovascularly like walking fast or cycling. And for more ways to reduce inflammation, do not miss these 14 tips to reduce inflammation to lose weight faster, according to RDs.
Assume a pushup position but with your weight on your forearms. Keep your stomach in the back, squeeze your glutes and keep your body straight from head to heel. Raise your right leg and hold for five seconds. Then lower it and lift your left leg for five seconds. Alternate legs for the allotted time.
Place your hands on your hips and assume a staggered posture, left leg forward. Slowly lower your body as far as you can and then jump with enough force to push both feet off the floor. Change legs in the air and land with your right leg forward. It’s a rope. Change leg positions with each explosive jump. Be sure to follow these instructions carefully – you do not want to make any of the 6 exercise mistakes that prevent weight loss, according to experts.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Go forward (or “north”) with your right leg and lower your body until the top of your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left knee comes close to the floor. Return to standing and repeat the exercise while hitting points on the compass (northeast, east, etc.). NOTE: Northern lungs are forward, southern are backward, east and west are side lungs. When you press “straight south” you change legs and continue until you reach the north again. Do as much as you can during the allotted time.
Go down on all fours and place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Straighten your arms and legs. Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor. Pause and push yourself up again. Repeat for allotted time.
Lie up on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Raise your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Squeeze your glutes when you reach the top of the movement. Pause and then lower the body back to the starting position. (Gets a little overwhelmed? Then maybe you can check out The 30-Second Trick That Packs on Muscle, according to a training expert.)
Assume a launch position. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles. Without letting your lower back position change, lift your left foot off the floor and move your left knee toward your chest. Return to the starting position and repeat with the right leg. Alternate the movement with each leg quickly.
Stand with your hands on the back of your head and your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause and then return to the starting position. Repeat for allotted time.
Are you ready for more? Then take a pair of dumbbells and try this Total Body Home workout that builds strength and burns calories fast.
