Walking to Lower Cholesterol

Walking

Walking is a simple exercise that involves large muscles of the body. Running and swimming are two other excellent exercise methods. However, runners are more prone to injuries and swimmers need continuous access to pools. If you like running and/or swimming and can do it regularly by all means continue. The key to it all is regularity.

Exercise and Heart Health

It is well known that exercise strengthens the heart. Heart doctors recommend exercise for their patients, even for those who have had heart attacks.

Some of the benefits of exercise:

(1) cuts the risks of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) and may slash the risk of dying from it in half,

(2) prevents or reverses high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol (the ‘bad’ cholesterol), or low HDL (the ‘good’ cholesterol), obesity, and stress,

(3) improves heart’s pumping ability, and

(4) even benefits you if you already have CHD. But remember before starting an exercise plan always consult with your doctor.

HDL and LDL Cholesterol

HDL cholesterol is like a vacuum cleaner going through the arteries, sucking up cholesterol, and transporting it back to the liver for excretion. LDL cholesterol is used to transport cholesterol from the liver to the cells for use and storage.

In a healthy-heart system, the blood levels of HDL and LDL are in balance; there is no free cholesterol in the blood to penetrate the artery walls and do further damage. But when a person has a sedentary lifestyle like sitting on the couch watching TV coupled with eating a lot of saturated fat, the supply of LDL cholesterol can exceed the amount removed by the HDL particles. In this case, surplus cholesterol roams in the bloodstream and is available to burrow into artery-cell walls and promote CHD and atherosclerosis.

Consistent moderate exercise lowers blood LDL levels and at the same time raises HDL levels removing damaging cholesterol from the bloodstream.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise, which employs large muscle groups in a rhythmic, repetitive fashion for prolonged periods of time, has long been considered the best type of exercise for the heart.

Running, swimming, and walking utilize these muscles. Walking is an easy exercise to perform because you don’t need any special clothes or equipment, and it can be done almost anywhere.

Start with short walks and always walk at a pace that is comfortable for you. Many people use the ‘talk test’ – if you can walk and maintain a conversation while you walk, you are walking at an appropriate pace. As your conditioning improves you will notice that you can walk faster and further.

One of the benefits of walking is that many people use walking to lose weight.

Some tips:

In inclement weather, many walkers go to the enclosed shopping malls before the stores open. There they can proceed at their own pace in a safe, climate-controlled environment.

Do research and invest in the best walking shoes for you.

Consider choosing a partner to walk with.

Wear lighter clothes than normal – exercise will warm you up.

Buy a good book on walking it will prove helpful.

Stretch before you walk.

And develop a good walking technique – a book should help you in this respect.