THE EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON INFLAMMATION AND CELLULAR SENESCENCE: MECHANISMS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTHY AGEING

Ageing is accompanied by a progressive accumulation of senescent cells and a chronic, low grade inflammatory state often termed inflammation, both of which contribute to the onset of age related disease and functional decline. Physical exercise has emerged as one of the most accessible and effective non pharmacological interventions capable of modulating these processes. This review synthesizes evidence on the relationship between exercise, inflammation, and cellular senescence, with particular attention to the mechanisms through which acute and chronic exercise influence the senescence associated secretory phenotype, immune cell ageing, and tissue level senescent cell burden. The review considers the paradoxical role of exercise induced acute inflammation as a beneficial signal that promotes adaptive remodeling and senescent cell clearance, in contrast with the deleterious effects of unresolved chronic inflammation. It further examines emerging evidence on high intensity interval training, resistance exercise, and hypoxic exercise as modulators of senescence markers such as p16INK4a and p21CIP1, and considers the implications of these findings for the prevention of sarcopenia, cardiovascular ageing, and neurodegeneration. The review concludes that structured exercise interventions represent a promising senomorphic and senolytic adjunct strategy and identifies priority areas for future research, including dose response relationships and the translation of mechanistic findings into clinical exercise prescription for older adults.