Physical activity is one of the key factors in staying healthy. In addition to helping maintain a healthy weight, it contributes to reducing the risk of developing some diseases, it has benefits for heart health, for the mind, it contributes to the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes, it reduces the symptoms of depression and anxiety and improves reasoning, learning and judgment skills.
Exercising has positive effects on regulating cholesterol and triglycerides. “Regular physical activity can help you control your weight and thus lower LDL cholesterol. It can also help raise HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, and improve the condition of your heart and lungs. In addition, it helps reduce blood pressure and the risk of diabetes ”, explains the website of the Familial Hypercholesterolemia Foundation.
Some people consider that to carry out physical activity it is necessary to go to a gym or a sports center. However, this is not necessary. The World Health Organization explains that physical exercise refers to all movement, even that which is done during free time, such as walking or moving to certain places (from home to work).
According to data from that body, 5 million deaths a year could be avoided if there were a higher level of physical activity in the world. Studies show that people who have insufficient levels of exercise have a 20% to 30% higher risk of death than those who have sufficient levels.
How to exercise?
For some people, being physically active can be a difficult task to accomplish. For them, Runtastic points out the weekly exercise recommendations to obtain the health benefits:
- “Cardio (minimum activity): at least 150 minutes of moderate cardio per week. It can be substituted for a minimum of 75 minutes of intense cardio per week, or a combination of both.
- Strength training (highly recommended): exercises that include a major muscle group, two or more days per week.
- Additional health benefits: the minimum cardio should be increased by an additional 300 minutes (moderate) or 150 minutes (intense) per week, or a combination of both.”
Cholesterol
A poor diet can lead to increased cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. This is detrimental to health. This explains it Medline Plus, US National Library of Medicine website. “If you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can combine with other substances in your blood to form plaque.. Plaque sticks to the walls of your blood vessels. This buildup is called atherosclerosis. It can cause coronary artery disease, which can narrow or even block them.”
Healthy blood cholesterol ranges
For those 19 years of age or younger
- Total cholesterol: less than 170 mg/dl
- Non-HDL: less than 120 mg/dl
- LDL: less than 100 mg/dl
- HDL: more than 45 mg/dl
Men 20 years or older
Women 20 years or older
- Colesterol total: 125 a 200 mg/dl
- Non-HDL: less than 130 mg/dl
- LDL: menos del 100 mg/dl
- HDL: 50 mg/dl o mayor
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in the body. In addition to the excessive consumption of some specific foods, there are other factors that can contribute to an increase in its level in the blood:
- Frequently eating more calories than are burned.
- Being overweight or obese.
- Smoking cigarettes.
- Excessive use of alcohol.
- Certain medications.
- Some genetic disorders.
- Thyroid diseases.
- Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes.
- liver or kidney disease