Managing Cholesterol with Exercise

Site Navigation:

In this Section:

Nutrawize Lifestyle Nutrition Services, LLC

Managing Cholesterol with Exercise

by Ralph La Forge, M.S.

Approximately 38 percent of Americans have excessively high blood cholesterol levels. The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) states that a sound diet, weight loss and physical activity are the cornerstones of therapy for many individuals with cholesterol disorders. Cholesterol-lowering drug therapy is reserved for those who have the very highest lipid levels or for those who have diabetes or coronary disease.

Atherosclerosis is a costly and fatal disease. Although there is no known cure, new evidence suggests that intensive lowering of serum total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol may retard the progression of coronary artery disease. The box at left contains the NCEP cholesterol guidelines authored in 1993 by a panel of physicians and lipid experts.

Reducing cholesterol through exercise, particularly LDL cholesterol, can be quite labor intensive. When individuals accumulate a sufficient weekly volume of exercise they can lower both total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol and increase HDL-cholesterol (the ³good² cholesterol). Exercise itself does not ³burn off² cholesterol like it can with fat tissue. However, when exercise is of sufficient volume, for example, an adequate weekly frequency and duration, it can significantly reduce triglycerides and stimulate several metabolic enzyme systems in the muscles and liver to convert some of the cholesterol to a more favorable form, such as HDL-cholesterol.

For many people with cholesterol disorders the first choice of therapy is dietary modification. If LDL cholesterol (the ³bad² cholesterol) is high enough, dietary therapy is often supplemented with cholesterol-lowering drug therapy. Exercise is of tremendous benefit when used in combination with either of these two forms of therapy. For those who maintain a frequent and sufficient level of exercise, it is possible that their physician will reduce their cholesterol-lowering medication and in some cases stop it altogether.

Here are guidelines that outline a systematic approach for favorably altering cholesterol levels with regular exercise:

	If you do have a less-than-desirable cholesterol level, or your doctor has told you have a cholesterol disorder, have your physician establish your cardiovascular health status before engaging in a vigorous exercise program. This may mean that your physician will elect to perform a graded exercise test with an ECG (treadmill stress test) on you first.
	Choose dynamic forms of exercise such as aerobics, recreational, and/or utilitarian activities that tend to last at least 20 to 30 minutes and are performed at moderate intensities. Moderate exercise intensities would be an approximate effort of four to seven, on a scale of one to ten with ten being near maximal exercise.
	In general, for exercise to significantly lower cholesterol levels, a relatively high volume of exercise is recommended (e.g. 1,200 to 1,500 kcal or more per week). In 12 to 16 weeks this volume of exercise can reduce total cholesterol by 1020 percent. Fifteen hundred calories expended during exercise is equivalent to about six hours per week for the average unfit person performing moderate intensity walking, swimming, walk-jogging or cycling. This volume of weekly exercise is approximately the same volume of physical activity required to lose weight. As a result, fat weight loss tends to be associated with reductions in cholesterol levels, especially fat lost around the waist and abdomen.

A sample program would be to start with walking 20 minutes per day, four days a week. Over six to eight weeks graduate this program to one hour, six to seven days a week of walking over hilly (variable) terrain or walk-jogging over relatively flat ground. An alternative would be to walk 50 to 60 minutes three days a week and take an aerobics class three days a week and perhaps two to three sets of singles tennis on the seventh day. It is important to know that lower volumes of weekly exercise can still glean many other benefits, such as improved fitness and overall health, reduced blood pressure, and increased psychological well being. An ACE-certified Clinical Exercise Specialist can help you make the connection safely and effectively.

Good news for seniors
Part of the prescription for a healthier, better retirement is exercise. That simple? Yes, it is! Physical exercise has been proven to discourage declines in health and fitness. Join the growing number of seniors who are actively demonstrating that exercise helps keep a body strong and on the go.

The best retirement is a healthy one
Did you know that moderate physical activity can help you live longer? That it can actually reduce health hazards? It's true.

So is the fact that regular exercise helps control blood pressure, body weight and cholesterol levels, and reduces the risks of hardening of the arteries, heart attack and stroke.

A well-balanced fitness program holds other benefits for you, too. It conditions muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones to help fight osteoporosis, keep your body more limber and stabilize your joints, lowering the risk of everyday injury. Regular physical activity can even help you maintain your independence.

Physical exercise is probably the best all-natural laxative you'll find. It not only improves digestion, but exercise is also good for managing lower back pain, arthritis and diabetes. And recently, there's been more indication that an active lifestyle helps lower the risk for certain types of cancer.

But maybe the best reason for incorporating regular exercise into your life is that you'll feel better and enjoy life more. Exercise helps you sleep better, manage stress better, and gives you more endurance to enjoy work and play.

Fitness is golden
A good senior fitness program is one that includes aerobics, muscular conditioning, along with exercises to stretch your body and promote good posture. Start with a light regime and work your way up slowly.

The best aerobics for seniors are non-jarring ones, like walking, swimming, cycling and low-impact aerobic dance.

If you haven't been doing muscular conditioning, begin with the calisthenics you probably remember. As you get used to these exercises, add some gentle resistance, such as light hand weights or low-tension rubber exercise tubing. As your conditioning improves, you could incorporate variable-resistance exercise machinery, but be sure you do so under qualified supervision. Heavy-resistance routines are not recommended for seniors. The key to safe and effective exercise for seniors is moderation.

Don't ignore the other elements that contribute to good senior health, including eating a well-balanced diet, not smoking and seeing your doctor whenever you need to.

Discover the exercise you like best There are plenty of choices out there for you. Favorites among seniors are aqua aerobics, yoga, Tai Chi, line dancing, square dancing, ballroom dancing, even taking your dog for a walk. There are also many group exercise classes you might enjoy that offer social benefits as well. When you're deciding on the class or program that suits you best, we recommend you select one with an instructor certified by an internationally recognized professional organization, such as the American Council on Exercise. Also, check to be sure the instructor has completed specialty training in senior health and fitness.

Look at your retirement or senior years as an opportunity to do things you never did before. Enjoy yourself!

This ACE Fit Fact is taken from ACE FitnessMatters® magazine. Want more information like this delivered directly to your home? ACE FitnessMatters, the bi-monthly magazine from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), is the source for the most accurate, up-to-date fitness information you need to live a healthy, active life. Subscribe to ACE FitnessMatters Magazine directly from ACE at http://www.acefitness.org/fitnessmatters/ or call 1-800-825-3636.

The American Council on Exercise® of San Diego, California (ACE®) does not endorse or promote the companies, products or services that reside on this Web site. ACE does not receive revenue generated from any organizations that advertise on this Web site. Copyright 2003 American Council on Exercise. All Rights Reserved.

New at Nutrawize^SM!

MedGem™

Measure your
Resting Metabolic Rate for more accurate diet and weight loss planning!

Beeline Shopper™

Pantry Evaluations
Let us analyze your food purchasing habits.