exactly how much exercise is needed to lower cholesterol has been a matter of some debate. in general most public health organizations recommend at a minimum 30 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous exercise such as walking jogging biking 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. people who exercised vigorously also raised their levels of hdl -- the "good" kind of lipoprotein that helps clear cholesterol from the blood. "we found it requires a good amount of high intensity exercise to significantly change hdl " says william kraus md an assistant professor of medicine at duke and lead author on the study. even though moderate exercise was not as effective in reducing ldl -- the "bad" cholesterol -- or increasing hdl it did keep cholesterol levels from rising.
how much exercise does it take to lower cholesterol?