How to Reduce Inflammaging and Delay Ageing After 70

You might not feel it, but it’s there.

It doesn’t come with a fever, or swelling, or redness. It’s slow, subtle, and spreads quietly through the body. It changes how your joints feel, how your heart works, how your mind functions. It even plays a role in the development of diseases we once thought were simply ‘part of getting old’.

It’s called inflammaging.

And it may be the most important health concept you’ve never heard of.

This blog post is the fourth in our Rewriting the Rules of Ageing series. In previous articles, we explored how decline after 70 is common, but not inevitable. We looked at mobility, falls, and frailty. Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on the silent force behind many of those changes — chronic, low-grade inflammation — and how it can be managed with the right approach.

What is Inflammaging?

Inflammaging is a term coined by researchers to describe the persistent, low-level inflammation that tends to increase with age. Unlike acute inflammation, which helps us heal when we’re injured or sick, chronic inflammation wears the body down over time.

As we get older, the immune system changes. It becomes less efficient at fighting off infections, yet more prone to staying in a ‘switched-on’ state. This leads to a constant release of inflammatory chemicals that damage tissues, disrupt cells, and accelerate ageing.

Why Does It Matter?

Because inflammaging is now understood to be a key driver behind some of the most common and life-limiting conditions in later life, including:

• Cardiovascular disease

• Type 2 diabetes

• Osteoarthritis and joint pain

• Cognitive decline and dementia

• Certain cancers

• Sarcopenia (muscle loss)

These aren’t isolated issues. They often appear together, compounding one another and contributing to the gradual decline in physical and mental health that many people experience after 70.

But here’s the good news: inflammaging is not inevitable. In fact, it is heavily influenced by the way we live, eat, move, rest, and connect with others.

The Causes of Chronic Inflammation in Older Adults

Chronic inflammation doesn’t come from one single source. Instead, it’s the result of many small stressors acting on the body over time. Here are the biggest contributors:

1. Physical Inactivity

Lack of movement slows circulation, impairs the immune response, and encourages fat to build up around organs. This type of visceral fat produces inflammatory chemicals called cytokines.

Regular exercise, on the other hand, reduces these inflammatory markers and improves immune regulation.

2. Poor Diet

Highly processed foods, excessive sugar, saturated fats, and low fibre diets all contribute to systemic inflammation. These foods alter the gut microbiome, spike blood sugar levels, and lead to weight gain, particularly around the abdomen.

Diets high in colourful vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein help combat inflammation by providing essential nutrients and antioxidants.

3. Sleep Disruption

Sleep is when the body repairs itself. Poor quality or fragmented sleep disrupts hormonal regulation and immune system balance, both of which can worsen inflammation.

Older adults often struggle with sleep, and this can be both a cause and a consequence of inflammation.

4. Stress and Social Isolation

Chronic stress — whether emotional, financial, or psychological — increases cortisol, which in turn fuels inflammation. Loneliness and isolation, which are sadly common in older adults, also raise inflammation markers and increase the risk of depression and cognitive decline.

5. Underlying Conditions

Hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance are all inflammatory states. If unmanaged, they continue to drive inflammation forward, often without clear symptoms at first.

Why Inflammation Accelerates Ageing

Inflammaging is like a slow-burning fire within the body. It doesn’t just affect one organ. It undermines cellular health across the entire system, including:

• The brain: Chronic inflammation is associated with reduced memory, slower processing, and increased dementia risk.

• The heart: It contributes to plaque build-up in arteries and impairs blood vessel function.

• The joints: Inflammation wears down cartilage, contributing to osteoarthritis.

• The muscles: It interferes with muscle regeneration, worsening frailty and mobility loss.

What makes this especially dangerous is how invisible it is. Many people do not feel unwell — until the damage is already done.

That’s why prevention and proactive lifestyle choices are so important.

The Anti-Inflammation Lifestyle: What Works

The body is remarkably adaptive. Even after years of exposure to inflammatory triggers, you can turn things around. Research consistently shows that specific changes to movement, diet, sleep, and stress management can lower inflammation levels and improve long-term health outcomes.

Let’s break it down.

1. Move to Heal

Exercise is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory tools we have.

How It Helps:

• Lowers C-reactive protein (CRP), an important inflammation marker.

• Improves insulin sensitivity.

• Reduces visceral fat.

• Enhances immune system regulation.

What to Do:

• Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week (e.g. brisk walking, swimming, cycling).

• Include resistance training twice a week to build muscle.

• Add balance and flexibility exercises to reduce joint stress and risk of falls.

You don’t need to run marathons. Consistency is far more important than intensity. Even 20 minutes a day can make a measurable difference.

2. Eat to Reduce Inflammation

Food can either fuel inflammation or fight it. The goal is to shift towards a diet rich in anti-inflammatory compounds.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods:

• Oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel): High in omega-3 fatty acids.

• Berries and leafy greens: Rich in antioxidants.

• Whole grains and legumes: Provide fibre that supports gut health.

• Olive oil, nuts, and seeds: Healthy fats that calm inflammation.

• Herbs and spices (like turmeric and ginger): Natural anti-inflammatories.

Foods to Minimise:

• Refined sugar and white carbs.

• Deep-fried foods and trans fats.

• Excess alcohol.

• Processed meats and ready meals.

The Mediterranean diet has been repeatedly shown to lower inflammation and reduce the risk of chronic illness. It’s a sustainable and enjoyable way to eat.

3. Prioritise Restorative Sleep

Sleep allows the body to repair tissues and regulate inflammation. Sleep loss, especially over time, contributes directly to systemic inflammation.

Tips for Better Sleep:

• Maintain a consistent sleep-wake schedule.

• Avoid screens and stimulants before bed.

• Create a quiet, dark, and cool sleep environment.

• Address pain, restless legs, or other disruptions with a healthcare provider.

4. Lower Stress, Raise Connection

Social isolation is not just an emotional issue. It is a biological stressor. Loneliness has been shown to increase inflammatory gene expression.

What Helps:

• Meaningful relationships and social contact.

• Mindfulness, meditation, or breathing exercises.

• Engaging in purposeful activities or hobbies.

• Group exercise sessions that combine movement and social interaction.

Even a 10-minute daily relaxation practice can lower stress hormone levels.

The EverFit Model: An Anti-Inflammatory Approach in Action

EverFit’s model is built on preventative, whole-person care. Rather than treating symptoms after they appear, EverFit focuses on maintaining function and health through:

• Targeted exercise plans tailored to older adults’ needs.

• Nutritional support based on anti-inflammatory guidelines.

• Cognitive engagement and social connection built into each session.

• Continuous monitoring to track progress and spot red flags early.

By combining these elements, EverFit helps reduce inflammation across the board, improving outcomes for mobility, chronic disease prevention, and mental health.

It’s not just a programme. It’s a system for long-term resilience.

It’s Not Too Late

One of the most empowering messages from inflammation research is this: you can start at any age.

In a study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, older adults who made moderate lifestyle changes saw significant reductions in inflammation in just 12 weeks. Other studies have shown improvements in metabolic markers after just one week of healthy eating and movement.

You do not need to be perfect. You do not need to change everything at once. But you do need to start.

Take the First Step: Your Anti-Inflammaging Plan

Here is a simple plan to help reduce inflammation this week:

These habits are small, but they add up — and they help fight the fire of chronic inflammation from multiple angles.

Looking Ahead

Inflammaging is real, but it is not your destiny. With the right lifestyle, you can protect your brain, heart, joints, muscles and mood well into your 80s and 90s.

In our next post, we’ll explore the link between physical activity, cognition, and dementia prevention — and how movement could be one of the best things you can do for your brain.

Until then, remember this: you are not too old, and it is not too late.

Additional Reading & References

• Harvard Health – How Exercise Fights Inflammation

• NIH/NIA – Inflammaging: How Inflammation Accelerates Ageing

• The Lancet Neurology – Lifestyle and Prevention of Cognitive Decline

• British Heart Foundation – Anti-Inflammatory Diet

• Age UK – Sleep and Ageing