How much exercise do I need to do to be effective?

Moderate aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week is recommended.

Can I quit taking medication just by exercising?

Mildly elevated cholesterol may improve with lifestyle changes, but consult your clinician before discontinuing medication.

Is high-intensity exercise more effective?

Consistently engaging in moderate intensity exercise is better than intermittently engaging in high intensity exercise.

Exercise Guide for People With High Cholesterol

Raise HDL and lower triglycerides through aerobic exercise

Before reading this article

When you are diagnosed with high cholesterol, it is easy to focus only on diet, but exercise is equally important. It can be especially helpful for raising HDL and lowering triglycerides.

Summary of key concepts

How exercise can help manage high cholesterol:

**Increased HDL**: Good cholesterol rises
**Lower triglycerides**: Aerobic exercise can be especially helpful.
**Weight loss**: Losing excess weight may help lower LDL.
**Improved insulin sensitivity**: Supports metabolic health

Tips that actually help

Recommended Exercises

**Aerobic exercise** (5 times a week, 30 minutes or more)

walking fast
Jogging
Bicycle riding
swimming
Climb stairs

**Strength training** (2-3 times a week)

Squat
Push-ups
Dumbbell exercise

Exercise intensity check

Criteria for moderate exercise:

Can talk, but cannot sing
Heart rate: 50-70% of maximum heart rate

(maximum heart rate = 220 - age)

Example: 50 years old → maximum heart rate 170 → target heart rate 85~119

Tips for starting exercise

**Start slowly**: If 30 minutes is difficult from the beginning, divide it into 3 times of 10 minutes each.
**Regularly**: Make it a habit at the same time and on the same day of the week
**Have fun**: Choose an exercise you like to last for a long time.
**Record**: Stay motivated with an exercise diary

Common mistakes beginners make

**Starting too hard**: If you overdo it from the beginning, it will lead to injury and giving up.
**Irregular exercise**: Less effective if done only on weekends
**Overeating after exercise**: If you overeat after exercising, you will fail to lose weight.
**Omit warm-up**: Increased risk of injury

Key Summary

Aerobic exercise for more than 30 minutes, 5 times a week
Brisk walking, jogging, cycling, etc.
Consistently at moderate intensity
Combined with diet

Checklist

[ ] Do you exercise more than 5 days a week?
[ ] Does it last for more than 30 minutes at a time?
[ ] Is it at a moderate intensity that allows conversation?
[ ] Do you do warm-up and cool-down exercises?
[ ] Do you keep an exercise diary?

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This article is for general health information purposes only and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or prescription.