Physical activity and movement are critical for health and well-being, not just for adults but also for children and seniors. But despite the seemingly endless amounts of research and evidence showing the benefits of movement, a large percentage of the U.S. population still falls short of the recommended level of exercise in a week. Many factors, including desk jobs, busy lives and limiting health conditions contribute to the problem. And now that winter is in full swing, pushing many indoors, finding ways to keep the body moving during those dark, cold days is crucial.

Chronic inflammation has become an epidemic of the developed world, the result of multiple factors, including diet and lifestyle. According to a 2015 article in Behavioural Neurology Journal (www.hindawi.com/journals/bn/), our hunter-gatherer ancestors experienced significantly lower levels of inflammation, particularly in terms of the duration of its presence in the body. Where earlier humans may have experienced up to 40 days of acute inflammation per incident, present-day pathologies may linger for months and even years, leading to the onset of chronic illnesses like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Research has been conducted to measure the levels of certain inflammation markers with long durations of inactivity in newly diagnosed diabetics. Results showed that sedentary lifestyles caused an elevation in the marker IL-6, but increases in activity lowered another inflammatory marker, c-reactive protein. In fact, this research, published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease (www.nmcd-journal.com) in 2014 found that each hour of added movement in a day decreased c-reactive protein by 24 percent over a six-month period.

The important correlation between exercise and inflammation levels in humans has led some researchers to suggest that our muscles are the “forgotten organ” of the immune system. Physical activity and engagement of the body’s musculature activates anti-inflammatory immune function. And more specifically, exercise before eating can lower inflammation brought on by intake of certain foods, like fats, meats and simple carbs.

The question remains, how can individuals bring more movement and activity into their daily lives? A 2013 article in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com) suggests that even 30 minutes of concentrated daily activity may not be sufficient to counteract the effect of sitting for the rest of the day.

If you’re not one to spend hours at the gym every week, there is hope. Simply standing up, walking around your house or office for a few minutes every hour can significantly reduce the levels of inflammation in your body. While this does not replace dedicated cardiovascular and weight-bearing exercise, your body will likely soon feel the positive effects of more movement in your day.

Wendy Romig, MS, CNS, LDN is a licensed clinical nutritionist/herbalist and owner of Sage Integrative Health Center in Mt. Airy. She sees clients with a range of conditions and uses functional nutrition and herbal remedies to help them achieve their health goals.