Cholesterol Management Using Exercise

Regular aerobic exercise helps prevent high blood pressure and raises your HDL (the good) cholesterol level. At least 30 minutes a day is the minimum suggested by the Surgeon General and most heart health organizations. The bottom line on exercise is that more is probably better, but some is still better than none.

How much exercise? 

Walking 2 miles in 30 minutes 3 times a week constitutes a moderate level of aerobic exercise. That may be enough to raise your HDL cholesterol from 1 to 3 points (higher is better). Exercising more vigorously may not raise your HDL any more, but will likely lower your LDL cholesterol (lower is better).

If you can't get in a 30-minute block of exercise all at once, do a few minutes of exercise here and there throughout the day (climb the stairs at work, walk around the block on your lunch break, park and walk). The more physical activity you engage in, the better it will be for your blood pressure too.

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Cholesterol Management - Changes in Your Lifestyle

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