Cholesterol and Exercise

In our last post, we discussed cholesterol, what it is and what levels should be checked by your health practitioner.  Now that you have a basic understanding of cholesterol, let's look at how to improve your numbers to put you at a lower risk for developing heart disease.  Click HERE if you need to review the previous blog, "Cholesterol 101".

It is widely known in the medical field that exercise can improve HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or "good" cholesterol levels.  Some research even shows the size of HDL increases as well as the availability in the blood.  As we learned in "Cholesterol 101", HDL helps to remove excess cholesterol from the blood by transporting it back to the liver for disposal.  By increasing the size and/or availability of HDL, more cholesterol can be removed from the blood.  For every 1mg/dl increase in HDL, the risk of developing heart disease drops by 2-3%!  That's a significant improvement!

So now that you know exercise can improve HDL levels, what should you do?  Unfortunately research has been unable to pinpoint what type of exercise and the duration of exercise sessions result in the most significant improvements.  Some research has shown that moderate to intense exercise is a key component, while other research shows cardiovascular exercise (i.e., jogging, walking, cycling, etc.) is more beneficial than strength training.

Until we can get definitive answers from researchers, it is important to follow the guidelines of the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in regards to exercise intensity, frequency and duration.  Both AHA and ACSM recommend 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, a minimum of 5 days a week.  Moderate-intensity is defined as 60-90% of  your maximum heart rate.  This is calculated as follows:

Heart Rate Max = 220 - age

Example for a 40 year old person:

220-40 = 180
180*.60 = 108
180*.90 = 162

This person should exercise with a heart rate between 108 and 162.

(PS...if this confuses you, refer back to our blog entry "Intensity...How Hard Are You Working Out?").

So the moral of the story is, GET MOVING!!  There are many benefits to exercising on a regular basis.  An important one discussed here is the improvement in HDL levels.  Cardiovascular disease is nothing to mess with so come in and talk with a fitness professional at PROMATx Health Club and learn how you can reduce your risk.  Don't wait, come in today!!