6 Exercises That Will Pay Off

When you were first diagnosed with high cholesterol, your doctor may have talked to you about exercise. Besides improving your diet, exercising is one of the most effective lifestyle changes you can make to help bring your numbers down naturally.

Your first thought may have been, “I hate running.” Or maybe you like running, but you’ve been sidelined lately because of an injury. Or maybe you don’t mind jogging, but you hate the treadmill.

Running isn’t the only way to turn your health around. There’s no doubt that it’s an effective aerobic exercise, but several other good choices are available that can help counteract the negative affects high cholesterol has on your health.

Cholesterol is one of the fatty substances we have circulating in our blood. If we have too much, it can stick to the inside walls of our arteries, narrowing them and increasing risk of cardiovascular disease.

It’s not only the amount of cholesterol in the blood that affects our risk, though. Other factors play a part. One of these is the type of protein that carries the cholesterol through the body. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is more likely to cause problems. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol protects the body from cholesterol buildup.

Exercise helps increase levels of HDL good cholesterol. Researchers reported on this in Lipids in Health and Disease. Physically active women had significantly higher levels of HDL cholesterol than sedentary women. Another study published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology found similar results. In men with belly fat, regular endurance exercise increased HDL good cholesterol levels.

Exercise may even change the nature of our cholesterol. In 2002, researchers from Duke University Medical Center found that exercise improved the number and size of the particles carrying cholesterol through the body. Those who exercised more had larger, “fluffier” particles that were less likely to clog arteries.

Exercise can help you lower cholesterol numbers even if you’re overweight. In the Journal of Obesity, researchers reported that overweight and obese adults who walked, jogged, and cycled while eating a cholesterol-lowering diet improved total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.

Some research has indicated that it may be that “how much” you exercise is more important than what kind of exercise you do. That means it’s worth it to incorporate more activity into your day however you can. Take a walk during your lunch hour, choose the stairs, stand up to take phone calls, or store a jump rope at your desk.

In addition, try to incorporate at least 30 minutes of structured exercise into each day. Any exercise is better than none, but the following six types have shown in studies to be effective at reducing cholesterol levels.

1. Go for a nice run or jog

If your joints are in good shape and you enjoy jogging, you’re in luck, as this is a great exercise for lowering cholesterol and for managing your weight. Don’t think you have to race, though. An easy jog for a few miles may be better for lowering cholesterol than a fast sprint around the block.

In a 2013 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers reported that long-distance runners showed significantly better improvements in HDL cholesterol levels than short-distance runners (less than 10 miles a week). They also saw better improvements in their blood pressure.

2. Take a brisk walk

Whether walking is as good as running for cardiovascular health has long been the subject of debate. Especially as we get older, walking can often be a much better exercise in terms of protecting joint health.

Researchers reported good news on this in 2013 in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. They compared tens of thousands of runners to an equal number of walkers. Results showed that the amount of exercise was what mattered, not the type.

People who exerted the same level of energy when exercising experienced similar benefits, whether they walked or ran. Benefits included reduced risk of high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

It takes longer to walk off calories than to run them off. If you burn 300 calories either way, though, you’ve spent about the same amount of energy. You are likely to experience similar benefits. Lead author of the study above, Paul Williams, stated that walking 4.3 miles at a brisk pace would take about the same amount of energy as running three miles.

3. Bike to work or just for fun

Cycling expends about the same energy as jogging, but it’s easier on your joints. That’s an important thing for many people as they age. Hips and knees are vulnerable to arthritis, and we all do need to watch out for them. If you’re starting to feel some pain in these joints, it may be best to choose cycling over running.

If it’s possible to bike to work, try it. Studies have shown some positive benefits. Scientists reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association that people who biked to work were less likely to develop high cholesterol than those who didn’t.

A second study published in Circulation found that cycling reduces risk of heart disease. A group of adults between the ages of 50–65 who regularly spent time biking had 11–18 fewer heart attacks over the period of 20 years than those who didn’t.

4. Take a few laps at the pool

Swimming is probably the most joint-saving aerobic exercise you can do. In a 2010 study, researchers compared swimming with walking in women aged 50 to 70 years. They found that swimming improved body weight, body fat distribution, and LDL cholesterol levels better than walking did.

Researchers also looked at the beneficial effects of swimming in men in the International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education. They found that swimmers had 53 percent, 50 percent, and 49 percent lower risk of dying from any cause than did men who were sedentary, walkers, or runners, respectively.

5. Lift a few weights

So far, we’ve been talking mostly about aerobic exercise. It is the type of exercise most commonly recommended for reducing risk of heart disease.

Some research suggests, though, that resistance training is also extremely beneficial for those with high cholesterol. The journal Atherosclerosis published a study showing that those who participated in resistance training were able to clear LDL from their bloodstream faster than those who didn’t.

Resistance training can also help you protect cardiovascular health. In BMC Public Health, scientists reported that combining resistance and aerobic exercise helped people lose more weight and fat than either of these alone. The combination also created increased cardiovascular fitness.

Don’t think you’re too old to try weight lifting. It helps people of any age. The Journals of Gerontology published a study on women aged 70–87 years. Those who participated in a resistance-training program for about 11 weeks had significantly lower LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol levels compared with those who didn’t.

6. Strike a few yoga poses

After all this talk about aerobic exercise and lifting weights, it may seem odd that yoga would show up on the list. After all, yoga is mostly stretching, right?

Studies show, however, that yoga may reduce risk of heart disease. In some cases, it may directly affect cholesterol levels.

Researchers reported in the Indian Heart Journal that a three-month yoga program helped reduce total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. It also improved HDL cholesterol levels in diabetics. The participants practiced for about one hour a day.

In a large study review published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, those who regularly practiced yoga showed significant improvement in LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and blood pressure over those who didn’t exercise.

All of these exercises are helpful for reducing cholesterol and protecting you from cardiovascular disease. You can choose which is best for you based on your overall health, joint health, and lifestyle.

There are other options, as well. If you play tennis or dance regularly, you’re likely to be expending about the same energy as someone who walks briskly or runs. The important thing is to get in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise daily, with resistance training two times a week. Then add in more throughout your day when you can. Wherever you are, get up and move!

Dyslipidemia: Symptoms, Treatment, and More

What is dyslipidemia?

Dyslipidemia refers to unhealthy levels of one or more kinds of lipid (fat) in your blood.

Your blood contains three main types of lipid:

• high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
• low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
• triglycerides

If you have dyslipidemia, it usually means your LDL levels or your triglycerides are too high. It can also mean your HDL levels are too low.

LDL cholesterol is considered the “bad” type of cholesterol. That’s because it can build up and form clumps or plaques in the walls of your arteries. Too much plaque in the arteries of your heart can cause a heart attack.

HDL is the “good” cholesterol because it helps remove LDL from your blood.

Triglycerides come from the calories you eat but don’t burn right away. Triglycerides are stored in fat cells. They’re released as energy when you need them. If you eat more calories than you burn, though, you can get a buildup of triglycerides.

High LDL and triglyceride levels put you at a higher risk for heart attack and stroke. Low levels of HDL cholesterol are linked to higher heart disease risks. Learn about the recommended cholesterol levels by age.

Dyslipidemia is divided up into primary and secondary types. Primary dyslipidemia is inherited. Secondary dyslipidemia is an acquired condition. That means it develops from other causes, such as obesity or diabetes.

You may hear the term hyperlipidemia used interchangeably with dyslipidemia. But that’s not entirely accurate. Hyperlipidemia refers to high levels of LDL or triglycerides. Dyslipidemia can refer to levels that are either higher or lower than the normal range for those blood fats.

Among the specific types of primary dyslipidemia are:

• Familial combined hyperlipidemia. This is the most common inherited cause of both high LDL cholesterol and high triglycerides. If you have familial combined hyperlipidemia, you could develop these problems in your teens or 20s. You’re also at a higher risk for early coronary artery disease, which can lead to a heart attack. Learn more about this condition.
• Familial hypercholesterolemia and polygenic hypercholesterolemia. These are both characterized by high total cholesterol. You can calculate your total cholesterol by adding your LDL and HDL levels, along with half of your triglyceride level. A total cholesterol level of under 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) is best.
• Familial hyperapobetalipoproteinemia. This condition means you have high levels of apolipoprotein B, a protein that is part of your LDL cholesterol.

Hyperlipoproteinemia is a condition that can be primary or secondary. If you have this condition, your body has difficulty breaking down LDL cholesterol or triglycerides.

You could have dyslipidemia and never know it. Like high blood pressure, high cholesterol doesn’t have obvious symptoms. It’s often discovered during a routine blood test.

However, dyslipidemia can lead to cardiovascular disease, which can be symptomatic. High LDL cholesterol levels are associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), which is blockage in the arteries of your heart, and peripheral artery disease (PAD), which is blockage in the arteries of your legs. CAD can lead to chest pain and eventually a heart attack. The main symptom of PAD is leg pain when walking.

Several behaviors can lead to dyslipidemia. They include:

• cigarette smoking
• obesity and a sedentary lifestyle
• consumption of foods high in saturated fat and trans fat

Excessive alcohol consumption may also contribute to higher triglyceride levels.

You’re at a higher risk of primary dyslipidemia if one or both of your parents had dyslipidemia.

Advancing age is also a risk factor for high cholesterol. Women tend to have lower LDL levels than men until menopause. That’s when women’s LDL levels start to rise.

Other medical conditions that can raise your dyslipidemia risk include:

• type 2 diabetes
• hypothyroidism
• chronic kidney disease

Also, a low HDL cholesterol level is associated with a high LDL level, though the two numbers don’t always move in tandem.

A simple blood test that checks for LDL, HDL, and triglycerides will reveal whether your levels are high, low, or in a healthy range. These numbers can change from year to year, so getting annual blood work is a good idea. If you take medications for dyslipidemia your doctor may want you to have more frequent blood tests. Here’s how to prepare for a cholesterol test.

Lifestyle changes may be able to help you get your cholesterol and triglyceride levels under control. The first step is to change your diet. Changes should include consuming less saturated fat, refined sugar, and alcohol. Adding more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains to your diet may help. Check out these 13 cholesterol-lowering foods to add to your diet.

Daily exercise and weight loss may also help you improve your cholesterol profile.

Try to maintain a healthy weight by following a heart-healthy diet and exercising regularly. You should also quit smoking if you smoke.

If you’re concerned about dyslipidemia, discuss with your doctor how you can guard against it.

If you have a family history of high cholesterol, be proactive about leading a healthy life before your cholesterol numbers start to move toward unhealthy levels.

With the help of statins or fibrates and a healthy lifestyle, you can usually manage dyslipidemia. The key is to keep taking medications if they’re effective at managing your numbers and you aren’t experiencing any side effects. Sometimes people reach their cholesterol targets and stop taking their statins.

If you follow your doctor’s advice, you should be able to get dyslipidemia under control and lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

What if high cholesterol?

If your LDL (“bad” cholesterol) level is higher than normal, you should pay close attention to your diet and actively engage in fitness. Here are the workouts that are best for lowering cholesterol.

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What to do, if…

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Cholesterol itself is a necessary and important thing. It is necessary for the production of various hormones (including cortisol and testosterone), the production of vitamin D, and the protection of cell membranes. One problem: cholesterol is insoluble in water (and blood), therefore complex lipoprotein proteins deliver it to the tissues, which, in turn, can be high density (HDL) or low density (LDL).

Contents of the article

Moreover, the latter, low-density, tend to precipitate cholesterol right in the middle of the blood vessel, which leads to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and, as a result, various cardiovascular problems.

It is almost impossible to determine by any external signs that the level of LDL (“bad” cholesterol) is above the norm in the early stages of atherosclerosis. Waiting later is completely pointless. But we can safely say that the factors that increase this level include: poor heredity, regular consumption of animal fat and easily digestible carbohydrates (bread, sweets), smoking and a sedentary lifestyle. In general, doing a blood test does not hurt at all.

Recommendations

Regardless of what your blood shows, we – and the British Heart Foundation with us – recommend regular exercise and paying close attention to your diet. Give up fatty and sweet fast food and start training: 2-3 sessions a week, combining strength and cardio loads, will help reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol and improve blood flow in the vessels.

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Cardio

The best exercise for a cholesterol person is the rowing machine. Start with a 15-minute moderate-intensity set so you can keep up a conversation while rowing. Rest three minutes. Then – a 10-minute set at a slightly faster pace. And again rest – two minutes. Finish your workout with a five-minute set near the intensity limit. Arrange for yourself such “swims” 2-3 times a week separately from strength training or immediately after them.

Strength Treatment

Do this simple set of exercises 2-3 times a week. Despite their apparent simplicity, they all burn a lot of calories and promote muscle hypertrophy. Rest between sets – 30 seconds.

Wall Squat

Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your back against a wall with your body against the ball. The back is straight, the legs are slightly bent at the knees. This is the starting position. Without lifting your heels from the floor, sit down, lowering your pelvis just below your knees. Immediately return to the starting point. Without stopping the movement, rise on your toes and freeze in this position for 2 seconds. 2-3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Fitball Dumbbell Press

Lie on your back on the ball with dumbbells in your hands. The body is horizontal, the legs are wider than the shoulders, the dumbbells are in one line, above the shoulder joints. From this position, lower the dumbbells so that your shoulders form a single line and your elbows are bent 90 degrees. After a second pause, squeeze the dumbbells up to the starting position. 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

Fitball Push-ups

With your hands on the fitball, straighten your legs and body and do regular push-ups, trying to touch the ball with your chest on each repetition. 2-3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Romanian Row + Dumbbell Bent Over Row

Stand straight with your feet slightly narrower than your shoulders and grab each dumbbell. Taking the pelvis back and not rounding the lower back, lean forward so that the dumbbells drop to the middle of the shins. Now, without straightening, pull both dumbbells to your belt, bringing your shoulder blades together with force. Straighten your arms and return to an upright position. 2-3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Shoulder flexion and abduction with dumbbells alternately

Stand straight with your knees slightly bent and holding dumbbells in your hands. Raise one straight arm with a dumbbell in front of you, and the other at the same time clearly to the side. Return to the starting position and repeat, changing the direction of arm movement. This will be one repetition. 2-3 sets of 5 repetitions.

Dynamic Lunge with Dumbbells

With dumbbells in both hands, stand with your feet slightly narrower than your shoulders. From this position, take a big step forward. Immediately bend your front leg and lower yourself so that the knee of your other leg almost touches the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement with the other leg. Three sets of 10 repetitions for each.

More on the topic:

How to exercise to lower cholesterol?

What foods increase the level of good cholesterol: 7 examples

Named simple and affordable exercises that reduce cholesterol

• Health

It is quite possible to reduce blood cholesterol levels without pills – for this you just need to move more. But which exercises will most effectively improve the situation?

October 20, 2022

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Don’t want to deal with clogged arteries, atherosclerosis and a sudden heart attack or stroke? Watch your cholesterol levels, doctors do not get tired of repeating.

Most often, elevated cholesterol levels are found in people who lead an unhealthy lifestyle. One of the most effective ways to lower cholesterol is to lose weight and move more. Which exercises are more useful than others?

— Sometimes lifestyle changes are enough to lower cholesterol levels . This is especially true for people with obesity and leading an unhealthy lifestyle,” doctor Boris Nikulin told Doctor Peter. – By following a series of recommendations within 6-8 weeks, can improve your performance and maintain health without additional drugs . It is important to increase daily physical activity – walk more in the fresh air, monitor the rate of steps per day, add light workouts.

See also

The most effective way to normalize cholesterol levels is give the body a cardio load . It’s about 30 minutes every day 5-7 times a week. The point of such exercises is that the heartbeat accelerates and remains frequent for a long time. Thanks to this, blood circulation throughout the body is enhanced – this gives the necessary healing effect and improves the condition of blood vessels.

Fast walking or running
You don’t have to go to the gym for a treadmill or buy one to take home. It’s enough just to walk at a fast pace – to the store and back, to work, through the park, up and down the stairs in your house.

It is important to understand that people who are overweight or have problems with joints should not run – a quick walk is enough, until the pulse rises slightly, but for at least 20-30 minutes. By the way, this way you will reduce not only the level of cholesterol, but also the pressure.

Cycling
This type of exercise is useful for those who are worried about the health of their knees – a machine or a real bike in this sense is a more gentle sport for your joints.

Cycling for at least 15 minutes a day has been shown to reduce the risk of death, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases. For example, the risk of developing coronary heart disease is reduced by 19%!

Swimming
This type of physical activity exercises the whole body – and it is especially good for heart health. Cardio helps to maintain optimal levels of sugar and cholesterol, because small, about a fraction of a second, muscle contraction already improves blood circulation. Due to the increase in blood flow, the state of blood vessels is normalized and cholesterol is reduced.

See also

Yoga
Yoga is great for increasing flexibility and improving sleep quality.