The hot topic right now is COVID-19 and the sheer volume of elderly people dying due to the virus. Everyone knows that exercise is generally important for health maintenance, but have you ever wondered why it is important, and specifically important for the elderly right now?

Follow my logic for a minute:

Your immune system, in general, is what protects you from disease.

Monteiro-Junior et al. (2018) states “there is no consensus about the cause and effect relationship between the immune system and disease, but studies have shown that older adults with higher levels of inflammatory markers have a higher risk of developing diseases than older and younger adults with less circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines”1

In short: inflammation prevention is the key.

Three of the most common biomarkers of inflammation are Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumornecrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP). So in a way these become our metric for inflammatory health.

In this previously mentioned study, Monteiro-Junior et al. (2018) conducted a meta-analytic review of over 81 peer reviewed journal articles around the effect of chronic exercise on inflammatory status of the elderly persons (≥60 y).

They concluded that regular exercise decreases IL-6 and CRP (aka inflammation) levels in older persons.

So while I know we are all cooped up right now and following the rules and regulations of self-isolation. We need to also be aware of the bigger picture of exercise and its relationship on total health. Remember: EXERCISE IS MEDICINE.

References

1Ostan R, Bucci L, Capri M, et al. (2008). Immunosenescence and immunogenetics of human longevity. Neuroimmunomodulation. 15(4– 6):224–240. PubMed doi:10.1159/000156466

Monteiro-Junior, R. S., de Tarso Maciel-Pinheiro, P., Portugal, E. D. M. M., da Silva Figueiredo, L. F., Terra, R., Carneiro, L. S., … & Laks, J. (2018). Effect of exercise on inflammatory profile of older persons: systematic review and meta-analyses. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 15(1), 64-71.