Cholesterol a waxy substance found in every cell, is essential to the human body. It plays an important role in health and well-being, whether it is helping with hormone production, digestion, brain development and function, or bone and muscle growth.
Some cholesterol is good and necessary. But too much, especially certain types of bad cholesterol, can lead to health complications.
To understand the interaction between regular exercise, diet, and cholesterol, it is important to know that there are two main types of cholesterol. Health experts consider one of them to be good and the other to be harmful to an individual’s health.
Two types lipoprotein cholesterol:
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, Also known as “good” cholesterol, HDL absorbs cholesterol from the blood and then carries it back to the liver, where it is later eliminated. High HDL levels can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, Also known as bad cholesterol, LDL is not bad on its own. However, when you have too much LDL circulating in your blood, it becomes more difficult to remove naturally. If LDL cholesterol builds up in your blood, it can combine with other substances to form plaque on the walls of your arteries. High LDL cholesterol levels can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.
How much exercise do you need to reduce your cholesterol most effectively?
If you want to lower your cholesterol, even light aerobic exercise every day can make a significant difference in your heart health.
You can do 30 minutes of low- or moderate-intensity exercise every day, and in 2 to 6 months, you will see a positive effect on your LDL fractions and reduce your risk of heart disease.
The time it takes to lower cholesterol levels depends on the individual, but of course, the more and harder you exercise, the greater the impact on cholesterol. High intensity exercise is the best type for lowering cholesterol because it increases your heart rate and blood flow.
What type of exercise is best?
The best exercise plan for one person can be completely different from another. To have the best chance of building healthy habits, you should tailor it to your current fitness level, personal preferences, desired fitness goals, and recommendations from your healthcare provider.
If you don’t exercise regularly, start slowly by focusing mainly on low- to moderate-intensity activities. From there, as your fitness and endurance increase, you can start incorporating more intense activities into your regimen.
You can try the following starting exercises:
- Aerobic exercise: Cardiovascular exercises focus on increasing your heart rate and breathing rate for a long period of time, which is extremely important for heart and lung health. Types of aerobic exercises you can do include: running, walking (fast), cycling, playing sports, swimming, dancing, rowing, skiing, jumping rope, climbing stairs, hiking.
- Endurance training: Also known as strength training, endurance training helps burn fat, build muscle, and support cardiovascular health. It includes activities such as weightlifting, bodyweight training, resistance band exercises, and suspension training.
- Interval training: This type of exercise involves alternating cycles of high-intensity exercise, such as sprinting, with periods of low-intensity exercise, such as walking. This could include activities such as: high-intensity sprints, circuit training, cycling classes, martial arts, surfing.
Ideally, you should exercise for at least 30 minutes five times a week. If your cholesterol is high, you may want to gradually increase the intensity and frequency of your workouts over time.
