Staying Active: 6 Exercises That Help Reduce Your High Cholesterol And Lower Risk Of Heart Attack

The most natural way of keeping cholesterol under control is through a healthy diet and physical exercise. In fact, this pair stands at the very base of living a healthy life, and can help improve a lot of different conditions, from high cholesterol to hypertension. Depending on your current health state, you might want to avoid exercises that put a lot of strain on your body. It’s always important to talk to your doctor before you start exercising.

1. Running

Aside from walking, running is probably the simplest way to exercise, but that doesn’t always mean it’s less exhausting. Running is recommended for people whose joints are in good shape, and it’s an activity that can lower cholesterol levels with great efficiency.

Running is also convenient because you don’t need to invest that much in equipment (good running shoes are a must, however), and you can enjoy a breath of fresh air while you’re doing it. Also, if you don’t usually run, it is recommended to start at a slower pace, and gradually increase the speed and the miles, once you get used to the activity.

2. Walking

While it’s not the most physically demanding activity, walking will always do more good than harm. Older people in particular are way better off walking rather than stressing their bodies and their joint by trying more intense exercising.

For walking to be really efficient in lowering cholesterol, it should be done on a daily basis, for at least half an hour each day (one hour would be ideal). People who don’t have that much free time should consider replacing car or public transportation rides with walks.

So, instead of thinking about the type of exercise, focus on the amount of calories you want to burn. If your goal is to burn 250 calories every day, it doesn’t really matter whether you walk or run.

3. Swimming

Swimming is a sport that demands activity from almost every muscle in the body, which makes it one of the best physical activities ever. Even more, a lot of people think of swimming as one of the best ways to relax, so the fact that it’s also healthy is just an added bonus.

Among the many benefits brought by swimming are: lowering bad cholesterol levels, helping with weight loss, and evenly distributing body fat.

4. Weight lifting

Weight lifting can be a really good method for lowering the chances of heart disease. Even more, people who lift weights are also likely to lose bad cholesterol from their blood stream. When combined with aerobic exercises, weight lifting can help people lose a considerable amount of weight, compared to what a single type of exercise would do for their bodies.

The combination of aerobics and resistance training also increase cardiovascular fitness.  According to a study published in the Journals of Gerontology, women between the ages of 70 and 87 participated in a resistance training program for a duration of 11 weeks. The participants had lower cholesterol levels.

5. Biking

As mentioned before, the number of calories you burn and the energy you consume are the real metrics that you should worry about in terms of exercising for lowering cholesterol level and for having better heart health.

Biking can take up as much energy as jogging, but is particularly recommended for those with joint problems. If you have joint aches, it’s recommended to choose biking over jogging. The Journal of the American Heart Association stated that people who cycle have much healthier cholesterol levels compared to those who don’t.

6. Yoga

As most of you know, yoga is not as physically demanding as other forms of exercising. Truth of the matter is that something as simple as stretching your body while doing yoga can reduce the risk of heart disease. Whether or not yoga is good for cholesterol or not is still up for debate.

However, the results of two studies published in the Indian Health Journal and the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology bring good news: it seems that those who practice yoga have lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol levels compared to those who don’t exercise at all.

Important considerations

According to the American Heart Association, you should exercise for about 30 minutes every day if you want your cholesterol levels to drop and your heart to stay healthy. Those of you looking to also lose weight would have to work out for about one hour every day.

You can also try to combine your physical activity with something that you like or have to do anyway. For example, cleaning the house is also a great opportunity for some aerobics, while walking your dog can also turn into a longer walking sessions for yourself.

Conclusion

Aside from exercising, there are a lot of different small things that you can do but, when put together, can make a big difference. For instance, try using the stairs instead of taking the elevator. If you don’t have any excess weight to carry, take a walk to the grocery store instead of going by car.

And how about avoiding crowded buses on a summer day, and just walking under the shade instead? You can also pick up the pace when cleaning, and do your chores at a faster pace. Yard work, while tedious, is also good for your cholesterol, because it keeps those muscles active.