Cholesterol ***Interesting***

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 organisations recommend, at a minimum, 30 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous exercise, such as walking, jogging, cycling 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 (the equivalent of 12 miles of walking or jogging per week) did lower their LDL level somewhat. But the people who did more vigorous exercise (the equivalent of 20 miles of jogging a week) lowered it even more.

The people who exercised vigorously also raised their levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) -- the "good" kind of lipoprotein that actually helps clear cholesterol from the blood. Researchers found it requires a good amount of high intensity exercise to significantly change HDL and walking is not enough.

According to the findings, however, even though moderate exercise was not as effective in reducing LDL or increasing HDL, it did keep cholesterol levels from rising.

Therefore, some exercise is better than none; more exercise is better than some.