You might have often heard that exercises help you keep your cholesterol low. However, do all kinds of exercises contribute to cholesterol lowering? How often should these exercises be done to get the maximum benefits on our cholesterol level? In fact, proper exercises do contribute to your entire health, including lower cholesterol level. A combination of some exercises which is done properly has a significant contribution that can possibly reduce your high cholesterol level.

Effective exercises for lowering cholesterol

To stay fit and have your cholesterol level lowered, you may want to rely on series of exercises. These exercises should be able to keep your body healthy without making your heart rates upside down. Many experts and research have found out that any kinds of exercises which are done regularly in moderation will be beneficial for your heart and entire health. These will be beneficial even more if combined with balanced diets, which are fat-free, low in cholesterol, and vitamin-loaded. Consistent exercises is going to help controlling cholesterol level by either lowering triglycerides level or raising the HDL—the good cholesterol level. Doing consistent exercises will decrease triglycerides by 30 to 40% and boost the HDL. However, lowering the entire body cholesterol level also means decreasing the level of LDL—the bad cholesterol inside the blood. This is possible if the exercises you are performing have an ability of making you lose some weight. Strength training is one of the exercises which is considered effective in doing so, although many research still collide on this topic.

Strength training and cholesterol lowering

All exercises are good and beneficial if done in moderation. This includes the strength training. Although considered as a harmful kind of exercise in the past time, strength training has been used widely nowadays as one of the alternatives for cholesterol controlling plan. However, excessive strength training should be avoided to prevent having the benefits turn into the negative effects. Many health practitioners agree that to be effective in controlling cholesterol level and heart health, a combination of exercises is required. Three most common forms of exercises include aerobics—to get your heart rate up before doing harder exercises; strength training—to build your muscles and body mass; and stretching—to keep you limber.

Strength training itself gives some advantages for the body that help keeping cholesterol level low:

• Strength training—also referred as weight training decreases the blood pressure, which prevents the risk of cardiovascular diseases induced by high blood pressure.
• As sufficient strength training is lowering triglycerides, it helps you to improve diabetes. Combined with balanced diets, static cycling or weight lifting can be effective in combating the lifelong illness.
• Some strength training machines provide sufficient exercise to your muscles, raising its maximum capacity, which contributes to lower heart rates and lower blood pressure.
• Efficient strength training helps your body burning the fat instead of storing it. Burnt fat prevents cholesterol build up on the blood vessel walls, which can increase the risk of heart attack.

Effective strength training

Although can be beneficial in controlling your cholesterol level, strength training should not be done too excessively and intensively. You also do not need to be sweating as much as the others do. Therefore, do the exercises moderately and effectively without harming your heart. An effective strength training should be:

• Done after a light cardio exercise. Hence, beginning your strength training with small walking or jogging is recommended, rather than going directly to the strength training instrument. This initial cardio exercise is essential in getting your heart rate up, so that it is going to be stabile instead of going upside down while you are doing stretch trainings.
• Done after focused-muscle stretches. Work on the muscles you are going to be focusing on the day before going to the machine. This way, you will loosen the muscles and prepare your heart better.
• Done in moderate intensity. Hence, it is better to do strength trainings in moderation for 30 to 45 minutes, instead of pushing your body to do it in the initial 10 to 15 minutes.

Can strength training be harmful to the heart?

• Strength training which is done in extreme ways and for a long period increases the pressure to the cardiovascular system. This can result in thicker heart walls, scarring of the heart, and heart rhythm disorder.
• Lifting weights heavier than half your body weight can torn the heart’s main aorta, with symptoms similar to a stroke. Observing initial symptoms, such as severe lightheaded, sharp and stabbing pain, and nausea can be useful in preventing future heart illness.
• Strength training is not recommended for middle-aged and older adults, since the possibility of injuries is greater. Young adults with excessive obsession of weight lifting is also prone to these injuries.