Cholesterol is a fatty substance circulating in the blood. If you have too much, it can stick to the inside walls of your arteries, narrowing them and increasing risk of cardiovascular disease, according to Healthline.
Gerald Ruzindana, a nutritionist and wellness expert at Amazon Nutrition Cabinet Gasabo, says high levels of cholesterol in blood are one of the many risk factors for serious future health problems which may include; risk of developing heart diseases (heart attack) and stroke.
He says that normal cholesterol levels range between total cholesterol: 165 to 200 milligram (mg) per deciliter (DL), a unit of measurement of capacity or volume. Low-density lipoprotein-LDL below 130mg per DL and high-density lipoproteins-HDL: 50mg per DL or slightly higher.
Ruzindana explains that cholesterol is not bad at all; however, our bodies require it in moderation for proper function of cells, nerves and hormones.
He says that bad cholesterol is associated with people who are overweight or obesity. Research is not yet clear on ways how cholesterol is affected by exercise, however, there are few suggestions by medical researchers and publishing journals which have identified a close relationship between cholesterol and exercise.
The wellness expert says that exercise promotes weight loss by burning extra calories which eventually affects low density lipoproteins LDC’s (bad cholesterol).
He adds that exercise can lower triglycerides levels and rise good cholesterols levels, there by promoting balanced total cholesterols.
Ruzindana points out that a few studies have shown that eight to twelve weeks of endurance exercise may slightly reduce the absorption of cholesterol from the small intestine into the blood stream. Cholesterol transportation is affected by exercise, this is done when cholesterol is enhanced from the blood stream to the liver where it is filtered.
He also indicates that exercising regularly can increase your HDL cholesterol by between three to six per cent and moderate exercises reduce LDL cholesterol by up to 10 per cent as studies show.
Ruzindana stresses that that moderate exercises can have an effect on cholesterol, the type of exercises here may include; bliss walking, and aerobics. 30 to 40 minutes of exercise in a day can offer a great solution and if you can’t make it due to your busy schedule, don’t worry, divide your time into 10 to 15 minutes interval to achieve your total recommended amount of exercise.
Some research has indicated that it may be that "how much” you exercise is more important than what kind of exercise you do. That means it’s worth it to include more activity into your day. For instance, take a walk during your lunch hour, choose the stairs, stand up to take phone calls, and so forth.
In addition, health experts advise to blend at least 30 minutes of structured exercise into each day. Any exercise is better than none, for example it can be jogging, cycling, and swimming.
Ruzindana notes that on the other side, exercise alone cannot manage reducing cholesterol levels, you need dietary disciplines and lifestyle to be able to get good results. Understanding what, how and where to eat is key in maintaining an ideal body cholesterol level.
One could wonder about how much exercise it takes to lower the cholesterol levels, but a 2002 study by researchers at Duke University Medical Center, found that more intense exercise is actually better than moderate exercise for lowering cholesterol. In a study of overweight, sedentary people who did not change their diet, the researchers found that those who got moderate exercise (the equivalent of 12 miles of walking or jogging per week) did lower their LDL level somewhat. But the people who did more vigorous exercise (the equivalent of 20 miles of jogging a week) lowered it even more.
‘The people who exercised vigorously also raised their levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)—the "good” kind of lipoprotein that actually helps clear cholesterol from the blood.’