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Exercises to Help Lower Cholesterol

Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle and one of the ways it can improve your health is to help lower your cholesterol. Exercise gives you an alternative to medicine and the potentially unwanted side effects of them. An exercise program designed to lower cholesterol doesn't need to take up a lot of time.

  1. How It Helps

    • Exercise gets your heart pumping harder and raises your metabolism, so you burn more calories. Since many of these calories are from fat, which adds to your cholesterol, reducing your fat levels will also lower your LDL cholesterol levels. At the same time, you'll be raising your HDL cholesterol level.

      Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in blood lipids. It helps form cell membranes and some hormones. Cholesterol can't dissolve in the blood; it has to be transported by lipoproteins. LDL cholesterol tends to clog arteries while HDL cholesterol is an effective mover of cholesterol. Exercise increases the size of the lipoproteins that carry cholesterol through the blood. The lipoproteins move easier, the larger they are, which means they are less likely to coat an artery wall and form plaque.

    Best Exercises

    • The best exercises for lowering your cholesterol is up to you. Choose exercises you enjoy because it is more likely you will stick with the program. Focus your exercise program around aerobic exercises, including walking, jogging, biking, swimming and circuit training. Aerobic exercise can lower your LDL cholesterol level from 5 percent to 10 percent and raise your HDL cholesterol level by 3 percent to 6 percent Yoga and tai chi also might work well, though they haven't been studied as thoroughly as aerobics as a means to cut cholesterol. The more vigorous the exercise is, the more effective it will be in lowering cholesterol.

    How Often

    • For a workout program to have an effect on your body and your cholesterol, you need to do a 30-minute workout at least three times a week, though the American Heart Association recommends it be done daily. It also should be done on a regular schedule. Those who can't do the 30 minutes in one session should break it up into shorter sessions throughout the day. The key is to get your heart beating faster.

    Diet and Health Concerns

    • In conjunction with exercise, adopting a healthier, balanced diet; losing weight; and quitting smoking can all help you quickly improve your cholesterol levels. In your diet, avoid animal-source foods (meats and dairy products). They contain cholesterol. Plant-source foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes) contain no cholesterol. A cholesterol-lowering diet should include as much plant-source foods as possible and minimal animal-source foods, and the animal-source foods should be low fat. Seek to limit your daily cholesterol intake to 300 mg or less. Those with high cholesterol should strive for even lower limits.

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