Lowering
Cholesterol Walking
Exercise
strengthens the heart. Heart doctors recommend exercise for their
patients,
even 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 cholesterol is like a
vacuum cleaner going about the
circulatory system 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, these two
are in
balance. 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 be
larger than the amount removed by the HDL particles. In this case,
surplus cholesterol
is roams in the bloodstream and is available to damage artery walls and
promote
CHD and atherosclerosis.
Consistent
moderate exercise lowers
blood LDL levels and at the same time raises blood HDL levels removing
damaging
cholesterol from the bloodstream.
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. 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 you are walking at an appropriate speed. As your
conditioning
improves you will notice that you can walk faster and further.
In
inclement weather, many walkers go to the enclosed shopping malls
before store
opening hours. Here they can proceed at their own pace in a
climate-controlled
atmosphere.
Here are
some pointers:
Invest in a good
pair of shoes.
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 good book should help you in this respect.
Consistent
walking will make you feel better and sleep better; it will promote
your heart health.
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