High levels of cholesterol that are not managed properly can lead to heart and blood vessel disease, stroke, and other serious health problems. Doctors may suggest a combination of medication and lifestyle changes to reduce cholesterol. One effective approach is regular exercise. If you're wondering which workouts are best for reducing cholesterol levels, check out the article below for more information.
How can exercise help control cholesterol levels?
If your cholesterol is high, you should alter your lifestyle in addition to taking medication regularly. Maintaining your cholesterol levels can be achieved through giving up smoking, avoiding saturated fat foods, and engaging in regular exercise.
Good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL) can be raised and lowered in the blood with the correct exercise and diet. Along with promoting muscular growth, exercise will help burn fat.
A minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise each week is advised by the American Heart Association. You might compensate for lost exercise time by engaging in other physical activities.
Read more: Beverage Recommendations To Lower Cholesterol
Exercises that are beneficial for high cholesterol
Brisk walking or jogging
Brisk walking or jogging is an effective exercise to lower blood cholesterol levels. It is convenient, easy to perform, and can aid weight loss by burning calories when done regularly.
Starting with a stroll in the fresh air can be beneficial. You can gradually pick up the pace and try some light running. Walking quickly and jogging can enhance cardiac function, lower blood pressure, improve blood circulation, and lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
Cycling
Cycling is a good way to reduce harmful cholesterol levels through exercise. Selecting the appropriate fitness regimen might be challenging for senior citizens with high cholesterol because they typically experience joint issues.
Due to its low joint stress, cycling can be a safe exercise for people beginning to experience hip or knee pain. According to research that discusses the advantages of cycling, persons who ride to work are less likely than those who do not have high cholesterol.
Read more: Containing High Cholesterol, Here's How To Safely Consumption Of Shrimp
Swimming
A study conducted in 2010 found that swimming was an effective way for women in their 50s and 70s to lose weight, improve their body fat distribution, and significantly lower their bad cholesterol. The study compared the swimming results to another group that walked regularly and found that those who swam had better results.
All of your limbs move during swimming. Swimming is a soothing exercise that also improves blood circulation and lowers cholesterol.
Yoga
According to a Healthline report, several small studies show that doing yoga daily can lower blood levels of bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol levels. Yoga poses have the added benefit of reducing blood pressure. Experts think that yoga benefits heart health, while additional research is necessary.
Yoga also helps with flexibility, emotional and physical well-being, and sleep quality. We advise those practising yoga to enroll in a beginner's class first.
In addition to maintaining a diet, exercise can help maintain cholesterol levels in the blood. Choose exercise according to your abilities and do it regularly, 3-5 times weekly. Warm-up and cool down to prevent injury.
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- dr Hanifa Rahma
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Chertoff, J. (2020). Can Yoga Help Lower Cholesterol?. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/cholesterol/yoga-for-cholesterol#
Story, C. (2019). Lowering Your High Cholesterol: 6 Exercises That Will Pay Off When. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/high-cholesterol/treating-with-statins/best-exercises
Rowden, A. (2021). Does exercise lower cholesterol?. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/does-exercise-lower-cholesterol
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