|  | Conditions Treatments | Cholesterol

Cholesterol Reduction Exercise

Reducing your cholesterol is important if your total cholesterol levels are more than 200 mg/dL. High cholesterol can be caused by a number of problems, including poor eating habits, lack of physical activity or genetic conditions. Exercise can help you keep your cholesterol under control by helping you lose weight and improve flexibility.

  1. Understanding Cholesterol Levels

    • You already know what your optimal total cholesterol count should be, but there are three other numbers you should also know: your LDL (low-density lipoprotein), HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and triglyceride levels. LDL, or "bad," cholesterol, is responsible for clogging arteries and causing coronary diseases in many people. HDL, or "good," cholesterol, helps reduce plaque buildup in your arteries. Triglycerides are another form of fat produced by the liver that can cause arterial damage at high levels. Healthy levels of LDL are under 100 mg/dL, HDL should be 40 mg/dL or more and triglyceride levels should not exceed 150 mg/dL.

    How Exercise Can Help

    • Working out for 30 minutes a day, five to six days a week can help you strengthen your heart and lower your cholesterol. Losing weight can also help, since being overweight can increase your cholesterol levels and risk of heart attack. Abdominal fat is the most dangerous type; men should aim for a waist 40 inches or below, women should aim for a waist that is 35 inches or less.

      Aerobics, weight training, yoga, pilates, tai chi, running, jogging, walking and cycling are all excellent options for regular exercise. Sports such as golf, tennis, racquetball, swimming and soccer are ideal for people who might not like traditional exercise but enjoy competition. No matter which activity you choose, though, you don't have to overexert yourself in order for it to be beneficial. Even low-impact workouts are effective in lowering cholesterol over time.

    Alternatives to Traditional Exercise

    • If aerobic workouts are too strenuous for you because of injuries or disabilities, you might consider alternative workout options such as chair aerobics or water aerobics. If you have joint pain the knees, for example, a water workout will add buoyancy to your body and drastically reduce the stress on your joints. If you are disabled, chair exercises can help you increase your heart rate to burn fat and calories without requiring full use of limb motion.

      If you don't have time to dedicate to a full workout, you can also incorporate simple activities into your daily routine that will help you burn calories, like parking at the back of the parking lot when you go grocery shopping, playing with your kids for an hour, walking to the store instead of driving.

Cholesterol - Related Articles