Exercise is known to improve cholesterol and triglycerides levels, as it requires your body to obtain energy. Triglycerides are lipids that store unused calories, so you can see why activity that’s demanding for your body can help you lower your The three best natural smoothie recipes for lowering cholesterol and triglycerides and cholesterol levels. Additionally, exercise is also beneficial because it actually raises your “good” 4 mistakes to avoid if you are looking to reduce your triglycerides and cholesterol, Mayo Clinic explains.
Before continuing, it’s important to know that although this follows official sources and guidance by trustworthy institutions, it does not constitute any form of medical advice and you should not rely on it as a substitute for your doctor’s indications. While exercise is beneficial to anyone, it also entails a risk of injuries, so always check with your doctor or trained coach to discuss what activity and intensity is best for you.
How much should you exercise? What activities are best?
The official recommendations by the American Heart Association (AHA) say adults should exercise for a minimum of 150 minutes (or 2,5 hours) a week with regards to heart-pumping activity. This is for “moderate-intensity” aerobic activity, but you can also step up and do more intense activity. In that case, 75 minutes a week would suffice. Aerobics aside, the AHA recommends doing moderate to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity at least two days a week. These are the minimum standards but, generally, any amount of time moving will be better than no exercise at all, so you can start slow and then gradually increase your intensity or frequency.
For those who are not familiar with exercise routines or haven’t exercised much, the wording can be confusing. What exactly is aerobic activity? According to the AHA, aerobic or “cardio” exercise is any activity that boosts your heart rate and make breathing harder for you. Simply put it, moderate-intensity means that you will still be able to talk while exercising, where as vigorous-intensity activities are likely to raise your body temperature and thus make you sweat, limiting your ability to speak.
Ideally, you should be able to combine these two intensity levels, incorporating a mix of exercises into your routine, as the AHA recommends spreading them throughout the week rather than limiting them to one day.
5 activities that will raise your heart rate and help you lower your triglycerides levels
Following these recommendations, we round up some different types of physical activities:
Brisk walking
Small steps can get you a long way. You don’t have to sweat it out on the treadmill or defeat an olympic athlete. Brisk walks are a great way of including physical activity in your routine for a number of reasons: they are the perfect route for those who are starting out, you can make them a part of your commute or errand, and they can be more impactful than you may think at first.
Because it’s an outdoor activity, you can easily be distracted by focusing on what’s around you — and see it as an opportunity for self-reflection or mindfulness —, even if you choose to play some music or listen to a podcast. You can also add a social element to it, like having weekly walks with your friends to catch-up. There’s no need to walk great distances, you can start by simply taking a walk around your block. Over time, you will get better at it, explore new surroundings or even start jogging.
Cycling
At the right pace, cycling can be just as intense as running, but it does hove some exclusive benefits. Because you’re not actually hitting the ground, it’s much more gentle on your knees and joints.
Much like walking or running, though, you can integrate it easily by using your bicycle instead of taking the bus, so leave the car at home and hop on it. You can easily adapt the intensity to your needs. If you don’t find the idea of arriving at the office covered in sweat very enticing, you can simply stroll and then go harder during the weekends.
Water aerobics
This fun activity will get your heart pumping before you even realise it, while protecting your joints and building strength, because trying to move in the water activates your muscles without pressure from gravity. This makes water aerobics an ideal activity for seniors.
It can also be an option if you get bored easily at the gym or hate running, because there’s often a playful element to this activity, since it’s usually done in groups and dancing to some music.
Tennis
The AHA lists tennis — the singles version— as an example of a vigorous-intensity activity. Playing tennis is guaranteed to raise your heart rate as you try to beat your opponent. And because of this competition, it will also improve your agility, flexibility and balance. No one likes losing, so even when you feel like giving up, you will gather stamina to keep the ball going.
Weightlifting
The AHA also recommends including muscle-strengthening activity, and lifting weights is an obvious choice. It’s a good way of building muscles and burn body fat effectively, which of course is good for you. As always, common sense calls for moderation in the case of the uninitiated: start slow with light weight that you can lift several times easily and look for guidance from professional coaches so you can have a routine.
As you can see, as long as you don’t overdo it and take precautions, any amount of exercise will be better than none of it. If you are limited by a health condition talk to your healthcare provider, as there are always alternatives or specific sets of activities that adapt to most circumstances.
