Cholesterol-Get Active...manage your cholesterol betterL

Being physically active can significantly lower serum cholesterol levels, whether it involves routine activities like cleaning or gardening or a structured exercise program. Exercise helps in the battle against high cholesterol in several ways:

  • Increases the amount of HDL cholesterol (the 'good' cholesterol) in your blood, while reducing the amount of LDL cholesterol (the 'bad', artery-clogging cholesterol).
  • Promotes weight loss and helps in weight control.

Regular aerobic exercise improves blood circulation, which, in turn eliminates clots and contributes to better heart function. It is recommended that a normal adult indulge in some form of exercise for thirty minutes (need not be continuous but can be spread out throughout the day)every day.

GET ACTIVE MANAGE YOUR CHOLESTEROL BETTER

Just got your lipid profile and it shows Cholesterol as HIGH ? Well no worries you still have a chance before your doctor puts you on cholesterol lowering drugs . Just try the simple formula of dietary modification with exercise .

Research has shown a positive relationship between exercise and cholesterol - in fact, there are many exercises to lower cholesterol levels.

Whether you are trying to prevent high cholesterol, or have already been diagnosed with it, exercise can be an important weapon in the fight against high cholesterol and heart disease. According to recent studies, regular exercise has the ability to lower LDL levels (also known as 'bad' cholesterol) and raise HDL cholesterol (also known as 'good' cholesterol).

How low can your cholesterol levels go if you regularly exercise?

Current studies suggest that :

  • LDL cholesterol can be lowered by 5 to 10%,
  • whereas HDL cholesterol can be raised by between 3 and 6% with regular exercise.

Current guidelines suggest that you get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day for most days of the week. For some people, just finding the time to exercise can be an issue. If this sounds like you, the 30-minute interval can be divided up. Additionally, there are shortcuts you can fit into the day that force you to get some exercise.

How can exercise benefit people with high cholesterol ?

  • Exercise itself does not 'burn off' cholesterol like it can with fat tissue.
  • Â However, when exercise is of sufficient volume, for example, an adequate weekly frequency and duration, it can significantly reduce triglycerides
  • It can stimulate several metabolic enzyme systems in the muscles and liver to convert some of the cholesterol to a more favorable form, such as HDL-cholesterol.
  • Reducing triglycerides decreases triglyceride-rich particles that are known to promote the growth of fatty deposits on artery walls.

For many people with cholesterol disorders the first choice of therapy is dietary modification. In general, reducing high-glycemic carbohydrates reduces triglycerides, and reducing saturated and trans-fat foods decreases LDL-cholesterol. If LDL cholesterol (the'bad' cholesterol) is high enough, dietary therapy is often supplemented with cholesterol-lowering drug therapy.

Exercise is of tremendous benefit when used in combination with either of these two forms of therapy. For those who maintain a frequent and sufficient level of exercise, it is possible that their physician will reduce their cholesterol-lowering medication and in some cases stop it altogether.

  • Choose dynamic forms of exercise that tend to last at least 20 to 30 minutes and are performed at moderate intensities. Moderate exercise intensities would be an approximate effort of four to seven, on a scale of one to ten with ten being near maximal exercise.
  • In general, for exercise to significantly lower cholesterol levels, a relatively high volume of exercise is recommended

(e.g. 1,500 kcal or more per week). In 12 to 16 weeks this volume of exercise can reduce total cholesterol by 10 to 20 percent.

This volume of weekly exercise is approximately the same volume of physical activity required to lose weight.

As a result, fat weight loss tends to be associated with increases in HDL-cholesterol and reductions in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels, especially fat lost around the waist and abdomen.

A sample program would be :

  • to start with walking 20 minutes per day, four days a week.
  • Over six to eight weeks, graduate this program to one hour, six to seven days a week of walking over hilly (variable) terrain or walk-jogging over relatively flat ground.
  • An alternative would be to walk 50 to 60 minutes three days a week and take an aerobics class three days a week and perhaps two to three sets of singles tennis on the seventh day.

Follow this be assured of a healthy lipid profile for life !