How to Plan an Exercise Routine to Lower Cholesterol

Physical activity helps lower cholesterol levels whether it involves everyday activities like vacuuming, stair climbing, lawn mowing or gardening or a structured exercise routine. Exercise helps lower cholesterol levels by increasing the amount of HDL cholesterol (the good kind) in your blood while reducing the amount of LDL cholesterol (the bad, artery-clogging kind). Exercise also promotes weight loss and tones up your body's circulation, helping it destroy clots in the blood vessels and making the heart a stronger and more efficient pump.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Proper footwear
• Comfortable clothing

Plan an Exercise Routine to Lower Cholesterol

1. Consult with your doctor before starting any exercise regime, especially if you are a man over 40 years of age or a woman over 50 or if you have risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure, diabetes or any other chronic illness.
2. Determine how much exercise you have been getting. Think back on the last 5 days and jot down the approximate length of time you spent being physically active. Plan to gradually increase the time you spend exercising by adding a few minutes a day each week.
3. Find a convenient time and place to exercise so that it becomes part of your daily routine.
4. Ask yourself what kind of exercise is right for you and then check out your local gyms. Besides weight lifting and treadmills, many fitness centers offer fun group classes ranging from spinning to belly dancing.
5. Check your heart rate every so often when exercising by counting your pulse at the neck or wrist. Count your heartbeats for 10 seconds, then multiply by 6 to get the beats per minute. Try to keep your heart rate within 65 percent to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, which is 220 minus your age.
6. Plan for a 5-minute warm-up and cool-down period of light stretching before and after exercising to warm up your muscles and avoid injury and stiffness.

Tips & Warnings

• The best activities for your heart are those that use the large muscles in your body, especially those in your legs. It makes them demand more oxygen to function. Examples of good aerobic activities include walking, running, bicycling, swimming and skating.
• Try listening to music or watching a video while working out to make it more interesting and enjoyable.
• If you experience any of these warning signs while exercising, stop immediately and check with your doctor: light-headedness or dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath, cold sweat or pain or pressure in your chest, neck, shoulders or arms.

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