What Exercise Is Best For Reducing Cholesterol? Easy And Effective!
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., and cholesterol is one of the main culprits. Your body needs some cholesterol, but too much can cause serious problems and lead to heart attacks and strokes.
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Exercise Is The Best Way To Lower Cholesterol! How Does It Work?
If you want to reduce your cholesterol levels without medication, try exercising regularly.
There are many types of exercise that can help lower your cholesterol naturally—with no side effects! Here are a few we recommend:
✨Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is any activity that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up for at least 20 minutes.
Examples include running, swimming, cycling, and playing tennis.
But you don’t have to join a gym or make pricey equipment purchases to be an aerobic exerciser—you can do many versions of aerobic exercise in your own home with little or no equipment at all.
When you’re looking for an aerobic workout that will help lower cholesterol levels while also boosting your mood and energy level, try these easy ideas:
Try housework around the house—cleaning the bathroom (hoovering), vacuuming carpets or floors (sweeping), washing dishes (scrubbing). This type of activity makes chores fun!
Do some gardening—weeding the garden isn’t just good exercise; it’s also peaceful and relaxing!
Take a walk with your kids around their neighborhood every evening after dinner. Talk while walking together; this is a great time spent together as a family!
✨Strength Training
While aerobic exercise is important, it won’t help you achieve your cholesterol-reduction goals if you’re not also doing strength training.
That’s because strength training can help reduce high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides.
One of the most effective ways to do this is by incorporating resistance bands into your routine. Resistance band exercises are easy to perform, require very little equipment, and can be done at home or in a gym setting.
They also offer a number of benefits over traditional weightlifting:
- Less risk for joint strain or injury
- More flexibility options than with traditional weights
- Easier on the joints, especially if you have arthritis
✨Water Aerobics
Water aerobics is a great way to get your heart rate up and work your muscles. It also provides a full-body workout that can improve flexibility, strength, and coordination.
Studies have shown that water aerobics can lower cholesterol levels by as much as 10 percent in just 12 weeks!
✨Brisk Walking
Walking is a great way to exercise your heart, joints, and overall health. It’s also an easy and free activity that you can do anywhere, with or without a friend.
The best part?
Walking will help lower your cholesterol levels too!
Walking has been called one of the best exercises for lowering cholesterol because it helps prevent high LDL (bad) cholesterol from building up on arterial walls.
The American Heart Association recommends brisk walking as one of its top three aerobic exercises for optimal heart health along with biking and swimming.
✨Cycling
Cycling is a great cardiovascular exercise. It’s low-impact, so it can be done on a stationary bike in the comfort of your own home or gym.
It’s also easy on the joints, making it ideal for those who are unable to participate in high-impact activities due to age or injury.
Cycling is also a great way to get outside in the fresh air and meet up with friends!
✨Running
Running is a great exercise to lower cholesterol and lose weight. It’s also an excellent way to get into shape and stay in shape.
If you want to run, it’s important to start slowly and gradually increase your speed, distance, and frequency until you reach your target level of fitness.
✨Swimming Laps
Swimming is a great way to get your heart rate up, reduce stress, and help you sleep better. Not only does swimming burn calories—but a 180-pound person burns about 800 calories an hour—it also helps strengthen your upper body and boost flexibility in your hips and legs.
But wait! There’s more: Swimming is low impact, so it doesn’t put as much strain on the joints as other forms of exercise do.
This makes it ideal for people with joint pain or arthritis who still want to exercise regularly but find it difficult to do so because of their physical condition.
The key with swimming laps (and any aerobic activity) is the progression: Start out slowly at first, then build up over time until you’re doing high-intensity workouts that give you an intense cardio workout without putting undue pressure on your body.
Final Words
Exercise is a great way to reduce cholesterol. It can also help you avoid some of the most common health problems that people with high levels of LDL, such as heart disease and stroke.
If you’re looking at ways to improve your health by reducing your cholesterol levels, adding more exercise into your daily routine can make all the difference!