Reduces Chances Of Dementia And Alzheimers
Shutterstock
Daily walking can help reduce the chances of dementia and Alzheimers Disease. It keeps that brain functioning better, increases the oxygen that is circulating through your body, including your brain.
Being sedentary for a long period of time can cause brain fog that can lead to reduced functioning of the brain.
The brain will actually shrink in sedentary people. Exercise increases the size of the hippocampus, which supports thinking.
Many find it hard to believe that the brain can recover from a sedentary lifestyle however, it can and there are many cases to prove it. By rejuvenating your brain activity, you can reduce the chances that you will develop dementia or Alzheimers Disease.
Bike To Work Or Just For Fun
Cycling expends about the same energy as jogging, but its easier on your joints. Thats an important thing for many people as they age. Hips and knees are vulnerable to arthritis, and we all do need to watch out for them. If youre starting to feel some pain in these joints, it may be best to choose cycling over running.
If its possible to bike to work, try it. Studies have shown some positive benefits. Scientists reported in the that people who biked to work were less likely to develop high cholesterol than those who didnt.
A second study published in found that cycling reduces risk of heart disease. A group of adults between the ages of 5065 who regularly spent time biking had 1118 fewer heart attacks over the period of 20 years than those who didnt.
What Are The Best Types Of Exercise
You don’t have to run marathons to benefit from exercise – even modest increases in your level of physical activity can help lower your cholesterol levels.
|
Need To Know: Experts recommend that all adults accumulate at least 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. If you can’t devote a full 30 minutes all at once, several shorter periods of physical activity throughout the day can add up to 30-minute recommendation. |
Vigorous activities like walking, jogging, biking, and swimming are called aerobic activities, and they are especially good at conditioning the heart and improving circulation. If you choose one of these activities, be sure to start slowly and build up gradually to avoid strain and injury.
Recommended Reading: Hdl And Alcohol
Manage High Blood Pressure
Shutterstock
It has been reported that walking daily can lower blood pressure naturally. Many people claim they dont have time to do a 30 or 45 minute walk each day.
Good news! New studies show that several 10 minute brisk walks can be as helpful as one longer walk.
Walk in the morning for 10 minutes. Take a 10-minute stroll at lunchtime and then again after work.
How Much Exercise Does It Take To Lower Cholesterol
Exactly how much exercise is needed to lower cholesterol has been a matter of some debate. In general, most public health organizations recommend, at a minimum, 30 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous exercise , such as walking, jogging, biking, or gardening.
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 did lower their LDL level somewhat. But the people who did more vigorous exercise lowered it even more.
The people who exercised vigorously also raised their levels of high-density lipoprotein — the “good” kind of lipoprotein that actually helps clear cholesterol from the blood. “We found it requires a good amount of high intensity exercise to significantly change HDL,” saysWilliam Kraus, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Duke and the lead author on the study. “Just walking is not enough.”
According to Kraus’s findings, however, even though moderate exercise was not as effective in reducing LDL or increasing HDL, it did keep cholesterol levels from rising.
Bottom line? Some exercise is better than none more exercise is better than some.
Also Check: Mussels Cholesterol
Are You Serious About Reducing Cholesterol
If making healthy changes on your own has been a challenge, it may be time to bring in the professionals! Our team of physicians, nutritionists, exercise experts, psychologists, and chefs – specialize in helping people just like you reduce medication and take contol of their health. A vacation at Pritikin will change your life!
Daily Walking Increases Energy
Research from the University of Georgia found that when sedentary people started 20-30 minutes of low-impact exercise, several times a week, that they had more energy and less fatigue.
Walking will increase the blood flow to their muscles and their brain, increasing their energy levels and help them feel better.
Exercise increases adenosine triphosphate a chemical produced by the body, that increases blood flow.
If you are feeling tired and run down, it could be to lack of exercise. Taking a brisk walk will wake up your brain and your body. You will lose the fatigue feeling and feel more vibrant.
You May Like: Tuna Fish And Cholesterol
Your Creative Juices Start To Flow
Shutterstock
When you walk daily, your creativity increases. It not only gets your body moving, it wakes your brain up. The old saying that you should sleep on it before making a major decision, may not be the best advice.
Taking a walk may produce better results. Walking opens the flow of ideas, therefore increasing creative thinking.
Walking and other types of mild exercise stimulate neural connectivity and plasticity in the hippocampus in the brain.
Philosophers and other writers have found that there is an intuitive connection between walking, thinking and writing. Because walking does not take much thought, our attention is free to wander and think. This is the mental state that is linked to innovative ideas and insight.
How To Lower Your Cholesterol With Exercise
High cholesterol is an important risk factor for heart disease. Since high cholesterol doesnt have any symptoms, the only way to know your cholesterol levels is to have a cholesterol screening, also called a lipid panel. Understanding cholesterolincluding your bad LDL, good HDL, triglyceride, and total cholesterol levelsis the first step to taking control of your cholesterol. The second step is to make lifestyle changes that can lower your cholesterol so that you dont need to go on cholesterol medication.
The most important lifestyle changes for lowering your cholesterol are eating a heart-healthy diet, reducing your stress, and starting an exercise regimen. Cardiovascular exercise, also known as aerobic exercise, increases good HDL cholesterol and improves your total cholesterol levels. Higher-intensity cardio exercise lowers bad LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Strength training, also known as resistance training, or lifting weights, improves muscle strength and body composition. Heres a look at the basics around lowering your cholesterol through exercise, including how it works, how much you need, and how you can get more of it.
Also Check: Vldl Cholesterol Low Levels
Can Help Reduce Acid Reflux
Shutterstock
If you suffer from acid reflux, you know how important getting relief is. You run to take antacids at the first sign of an attack.
Well, walking can help reduce the symptoms of acid reflux and reduce the occurrence of the attacks. Some forms of exercise can increase the chances of acid reflux, especially those that require you to lay flat on your back or put a lot of strain on your chest.
A doctors study of 1,875 people with acid reflux found that those who took a walk after dinner and eat 3 hours before bedtime were able to reduce their episodes of GERD.
Why Exercise Is Effective At Lowering Cholesterol
Cholesterol is one of the fatty substances we have circulating in our blood. If we have too much, it can stick to the inside walls of our arteries, narrowing them and increasing risk of cardiovascular disease.
Its not only the amount of cholesterol in the blood that affects our risk, though. Other factors play a part. One of these is the type of protein that carries the cholesterol through the body. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is more likely to cause problems. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol protects the body from cholesterol buildup.
Exercise helps increase levels of HDL good cholesterol. Researchers reported on this in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology found similar results. In men with belly fat, regular endurance exercise increased HDL good cholesterol levels.
Exercise may even change the nature of our cholesterol. In 2002, researchers from Duke University Medical Center found that exercise improved the number and size of the particles carrying cholesterol through the body. Those who exercised more had larger, fluffier particles that were less likely to clog arteries.
Exercise can help you lower cholesterol numbers even if youre overweight. In the Journal of Obesity, researchers reported that overweight and obese adults who walked, jogged, and cycled while eating a cholesterol-lowering diet improved total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
Also Check: Is Canned Tuna Good For High Cholesterol
Health Benefits Of Walking Every Day
We could all benefit from being a little healthier, but many of us arent quite sure where to begin. Fortunately, something as simple as walking every day can greatly improve your health, help you lose weight, and get you feeling more confident about yourself and your body.
There are dozens of reasons how walking every day can help you improve your lifestyle, but weve compiled this list of the 15 major benefits to every day walking.
Managing Cholesterol With Exercise
So, does exercise lower cholesterol? Research shows that exercise and cholesterol are related, but again, the biggest factor in making a dent in triglycerides is being more conscious with food choices.
Make sure your exercise efforts are being complemented by a diet high in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats to enhance the effects of exercise to lower cholesterol naturally.
Also Read:
Don’t Miss: Cholesterol Level In Shrimp
How Does Exercise Affect Cholesterol Levels
There are many things which make it difficult to assess how exercise alone affects cholesterol levels. Total cholesterol levels are lower in persons with high aerobic fitness but it is not conclusively demonstrated that exercise training is the sole reason for total cholesterol reduction. Activities that are more vigorous in nature, such as running programs seem to have more benefit. There are studies that show high intensity training increases HDL levels, which are responsible for taking bad cholesterol away from cells. The most important though is that exercise can reduce body fat and a decrease of body fat is a contributing factor for lowering triglycerides.
Cholesterol has both good cholesterol, HDL, and bad cholesterol, LDL. Exercise, particularly walking, has been shown to help decrease your LDL, and increase your HDL. That result is very promising and with the ease and convenience of walking, you are sure to benefit and achieve results you want.
Cholesterol Level For Children
For children, the total cholesterol level should be under 170 mg/dL. A value between 170 to 199 mg/dL is considered to be borderline high, whereas anything over 200 mg/dL is too high.
The LDL levels should be strictly kept under 110 mg/dL. Any value over 130 mg/dL should be considered to be too high, while a value between 110 to 129 mg/dL should be considered borderline high.
Source:
You May Like: Is Tuna Good For Lowering Cholesterol
Alternatives To Breakfast Cereals
I tend to alternate between different breakfasts, rather than eating the same thing every day, as it stops me getting bored and also gives me a wider range of nutrients. Although breakfast cereals are really convenient, there are plenty of cholesterol-friendly alternatives that dont take too long to prepare. Here are my favourites:-
Effective Exercises To Lower Cholesterol
Exercise is an important component of a healthy lifestyle and is a major player in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack.
Using exercise to lower cholesterol will be most effective if youre doing it frequentlybetween 30 and 60 minutes almost dailyhaving fun, being safe, and eating a healthy diet.
The kind of exercise or activity youre doing isnt as important, as long as youre breaking a sweat and putting in some effort.
Boosting your non-exercise daily activity is also a great way to get more bang for your buck.
A 2002 study from Duke University found that exercise can improve the particles that carry cholesterol through the body. It makes the cholesterol larger and fluffier, floating through the bloodstream with no harmful effect.
The dangerous form of LDL cholesterol is made of dense pieces that accumulate along arterial walls.
To enhance the quality of the particles, research supports activities like:
Don’t Miss: Snow Crab Cholesterol
Gradually Work Up To Longer Walking Distances For Best Results
This study shows you dont need to push yourself very hard in terms of your walking or running intensity or speed in order to benefit. For lowering cholesterol naturally and reducing your risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease, walking cant be beat. As with all types of exercise, if youre not in shape, start slow! Work up to longer distances slowly and gradually to avoid injury.
In addition to walking and other forms of exercise, foods, supplements, and integrative therapies work for lowering cholesterol naturally. The key is knowing which ones are safe and well-researched, and exactly how to best utilize them for optimal effectiveness. To find out, browse our Cholesterol Control section or view our comprehensive guide, Natural Cholesterol Control: Achieve Healthy Cholesterol Levels Without Drugs.
Reduce Your Risk Of Cancer
Shutterstock
Research shows that physical activity is linked to a reduced risk of cancer. Reports show that active people have a 24 percent lower chance of getting colon cancer.
Active women are less likely to get breast cancer. There are reports showing that other cancers are reduced with moderate physical activity as well. Esophageal cancer, liver cancer and others are reported to be reduced by exercise. Exercise lowers that level of some hormones like estrogen, insulin and certain growth factors that increase cancer risk.
It helps food digest faster, lowering stomach and GI tract cancers. It has been said that where there is oxygen, cancer cannot grow. Walking will greatly increase the amount of oxygen flowing through your body.
Recommended Reading: Does Mayonnaise Raise Cholesterol
Improves Your Sex Life
Shutterstock
Daily walking will basically improve your lifestyle. It improves muscles strength, mind-body coordination and other physical activities. It can also improve the sex drive in both men and women.
Exercise showed a significant increase in the sex drive of men. It has shown to have the effect of increasing the physiological and sexual arousal of women as well. It increases body awareness which also increased sexual arousal.
The increased self-esteem that comes with exercising also has a huge impact on sex drive for both men and women.
It Gives You Time To Think
Walking gets you outside and gives you time to think. You can mute your cell phone, and get away from TVs, computers and other distractions. You have time to think through the activities of the day, issues you needed solutions for, and more.
Many people take a walk just to get away from everything so they can think and chill out. When you are walking, your mind can get quiet, so answers to problems have a chance to come into view.
Also Check: Optilipid
How To Lower Your Cholesterol With Cardio
Research shows that moderate-intensity exercise increases good HDL cholesterol, which helps remove the bad LDL cholesterol from your body. But it doesnt have much of a direct effect on LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. However, high-intensity cardio exercise lowers LDL and triglyceride levels.
How To Lower Cholesterol Naturally In 28 Simple Steps
There are tons of natural remedies out there for how to lower cholesterol levels, often promising quick results with next to no effort required on your part. But while its true that there are tons of options to keep cholesterol levels in check, it can actually be as simple as swapping out a few foods in your diet for healthier options, switching up your workout routine or adding a supplement or two into the mix.
Ready to get started? Lets take a look at 28 simple methods for how to lower cholesterol and how it can impact your health.
You May Like: Shrimp Has High Cholesterol
How Does Exercise Improve Cholesterol Levels
Exercise works to eliminate the dangerous, fatty LDL cholesterol by increasing HDL cholesterol. Losing weight also increases HDL.
According to the American Heart Association, high cholesterol is caused by two lifestyle elements that happen to go hand-in-hand: lack of exercise and being overweight .
So, by natural deduction, its easy to see why exercise would be the no-brainer solution to improving cholesterol levels.