This morning, I did not want to get out of bed. The pull of stillness was strong, the thought of movement unappealing. I didn’t want to go to tennis. The excuse was ready on my lips—fatigue, workload, the ever-present whisper of just skip it this once.
And I could have. No one would have forced me onto the court. No one but me.
But as I sat there, debating, I reminded myself of something I know deep in my bones: movement is not optional for me—it’s essential.
It’s easy to view exercise as a checkbox on a to-do list, a task to be completed and set aside. But that’s not what this is. I don’t move just for vanity or routine. I move because my body demands it. Because my mind requires the cognitive challenge of strategy and quick decisions. Because my muscles, my bones, my joints—they all depend on intentional movement to stay strong, supple, and resistant to injury.
And perhaps most importantly, because movement is my first line of defense against chronic inflammation.
Movement: The Most Underrated Anti-Inflammatory Medicine
When I choose movement, I’m choosing to fight against the silent forces working against me—stagnation, stress, systemic inflammation. The longer I stay still, the more these forces take hold.
Because inflammation doesn’t just show up as swelling after an injury. It creeps in subtly—fatigue that lingers, joints that ache without reason, a brain that feels sluggish, digestion that slows to a crawl. It’s the body’s distress signal, whispering before it starts to shout.
The science is clear: exercise is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory tools we have.
- It lowers systemic inflammation by promoting better circulation and oxygenation.
- It supports immune health by encouraging lymphatic drainage and cellular repair.
- It regulates blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, two key factors in inflammation-driven disease.
- It balances cortisol, the stress hormone that, when chronically elevated, fans the flames of inflammation throughout the body.
And yet, even with this knowledge, resistance still shows up. There are days when my body begs for stillness, when my mind manufactures excuses. And that’s when I remind myself: This is a privilege, not a burden.
Flipping the Switch: A Mindset Shift for Lifelong Health
It takes work to keep me healthy. A lot of work. Given my history of physical and emotional trauma, my genetics, my past dietary choices, my body does not maintain equilibrium on its own. I have to fight for it.
But here’s the truth: we all do.
If you’re feeling stuck in your health right now, ask yourself—what’s one thing you know would help you, but you’ve been resisting?
What’s one step, one decision, one action you can take today?
Because I promise you, the return on investment is exponential.
Your future self is waiting. Make the choice they’ll thank you for.
We do not rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training.
Archilochus (Ancient Greek poet)