Lower Your Cholesterol With Exercise

Beyond Weight

If you start exercising often and don't lose weight right away, don't get discouraged. Consistency is key when building exercise routines. The number on the scale isn't the only thing that matters. You'll notice benefits long before the weight comes off.

More Movement, More Family Connection

Exercise is a great way to spend time with your family. If high cholesterol or heart disease runs in your family, exercising together is even more important.

There's a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic disorder that raises your chance of getting heart disease at a younger age than usual.

Even if each family member has a different routine, moving together multiplies the benefits for everyone, regardless of age or your family's health.

"High cholesterol can appear early, especially during adolescence. It's more common in people with obesity and a genetic predisposition. In general, it's more frequent after 40 and increases with age," Cabrer says.

Adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week, while children and teens should get one hour of exercise daily.

Fun family activities include:

• Dancing salsa or playing a dance video game
• Doing Zumba
• Playing soccer in the backyard
• Going bowling or skating
• Jumping rope
• Bouncing on a backyard trampoline

A Race Against Time

If you can't start with 30-minute daily routines right away, begin with at least 10 minutes and add 10 more each week until you reach your goal.

If your schedule is very tight, you can switch up your exercises.

Instead of walking every day, alternate walks with stretching, weights, yoga, or Pilates at home. There are free or paid digital platforms that can help you meet your goal without going to a gym.

You can also add strength training twice a week. Include activities like lifting weights, doing squats or pushups, or even daily tasks like going shopping and carrying groceries.

A fitness tracker can also motivate you: It shows exactly how many steps you take per day and encourages you to reach your daily goal.

When Lifestyle Isn't Enough

The best defense against high cholesterol always starts with eating healthy, exercising regularly, and losing extra weight. But sometimes, that combination isn't enough.

More than half of people with high cholesterol – around 54% – need medication to manage it.

In the Hispanic community, 9.3% of men and 10% of women have high cholesterol.

"High cholesterol among Latinos is quite common due to genetic factors, diet, inactive lifestyles, and diabetes, which are more frequent in our population," Cabrer says.

Exercise + Statins: A Powerful Duo

Combining exercise with medications, such as statins and certain biological therapies, helps lower LDL cholesterol and the chances of heart disease.

Statins are a group of medications that lower LDL cholesterol. They work by blocking HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme the liver needs to make cholesterol.

PCSK9 inhibitors are newer medications that help the liver remove more LDL cholesterol from the blood. There are other biological treatments that affect the production of PCSK9 and also help lower LDL cholesterol levels.

Keep in mind that exercise type and intensity matter. A study showed that when you're taking statins, exercise should be moderate, because the medication can raise the chance of muscle injuries.

This happens because while statins work in the liver to lower cholesterol, they can also affect muscle metabolism. This can cause pain, weakness, or inflammation in some people.

The good news is that the same study confirmed that combining moderate exercise with statins not only protects the heart but also improves muscle performance and lowers the chance of heart disease.

Myth: "If I exercise, I don't need cholesterol medication."

Fact: Exercise helps, but many people with high cholesterol – especially if it's genetic – need medications like statins to lower their chance of heart disease.

Myth: "Intense exercise is always better for lowering cholesterol."

Fact: Exercising too much or too intensely can cause injuries or worsen side effects for people taking statins. Moderate exercise is the safest and most effective choice.

Myth: "I can control my cholesterol just by walking a little."

Fact: Walking helps, but experts recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week plus strength training.

Myth: "I can't do anything about my high cholesterol."

Fact: High cholesterol is a health condition that has a big impact on your daily choices. Eating balanced meals and exercising at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week, can help lower high cholesterol and protect your heart.

Myth: "Young, thin people don't have high cholesterol."

Fact: Age and weight raise the odds of having high levels of "bad" cholesterol, but they're not the only factors. Diet, genetics, and lack of exercise matter at any age or size. An inactive lifestyle can raise cholesterol levels, even in people who have a thin body.