Exercising Options to Control Your Cholesterol
In This Chapter
� How working out works cholesterol numbers down
� Evaluating specific exercises
� Counting your heartbeat
� Getting with the right program
Regular exercise is such an important part of a heart-healthy lifestyle that the authors of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 (U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services) put “Physical Activity” right before the info on every single type of food a healthy diet is likely to include.
According to the American Heart Association, exercise can alter your cholesterol levels, pushing up your HDLs (the “good” cholesterol) and pushing down the LDLs (the “bad” cholesterol). In other words, moving your bod is good for your heart.
This chapter presents tips on how to use exercise to help with controlling your cholesterol. Hey, isn’t that the title of this book? You bet.
Sweating the Definition: Exercise
Do you know what exercise is? That isn’t a trick question — really. When many people hear the word exercise, they think of things such as professional-level sports, a 10-mile run, or a hop-’til-you-drop celebrity work- out. But in reality, exercise is nothing more than simple movement.
If you’re not training for the Olympics, your favorite sport — golf, tennis, or even ping-pong — is good exercise. No, dusting the house is not good exercise, but if you get down on your knees and really scrub the floor or, as the American Heart Association (AHA) suggests, “vacuum vigorously,” that counts. (You can even clean to music to get a good rhythm going.)
Walking is also good exercise. No, let me revise that: Walking is a great exercise that moves virtually every part of your body. (Swing those arms! Shift those eyes from right to left! Turn that head!)
Of course, you may prefer riding a stationary bike in front of the TV, jogging a mile before or after work, dancing, mowing the lawn, or raking leaves — all of which come with the AHA seal of approval (as long as your doctor gives the green light).
You can estimate how effective an exercise is in two ways:
� By counting the calories you use up
� By counting your heartbeats while you’re doing the exercise
Counting calories
The more calories an exercise consumes, the harder you’re working. Table 8-1 classifies very light, light, moderate, and heavy activity by calorie count. Table 8-2 tells you approximately how many calories you burn by engaging in some specific activities for either 15 minutes or one hour.
The numbers in the first chart come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I found the numbers in the second chart in Fitness For Dummies, 3rd Edition, by Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent (Wiley), a terrific book for recover- ing couch potatoes who can’t tell a rowing machine from a washing machine.
Counting heartbeats
Aerobic, as in “aerobic exercise,” means “with air.” An aerobic exercise is an exercise that forces you to use oxygen, challenging your heart to beat faster and your lungs to breathe more deeply.
Exercises that use your big muscles — the ones in your legs, back, and chest — are the ones most likely to be aerobic. Walking, running, swimming, bicycling, and climbing up (not down) stairs are all aerobic exercises. When you do these exercises, your heartbeat begins to speed up. That’s good.
How fast should your heart be beating during exercise? Grab a piece of paper and a pencil and follow these three steps to find your “target range” for how fast your heart should beat while you’re exercising:
1. Subtract your age from 220.
The number you get is your estimated maximum heart rate. For example, Ellen is 27 years old. 220 – 27 = 193 (which means 193 beats per minute).
2. Divide that number by 2.
The number you get is the low point for your “target range.” In Ellen’s case, 193÷2 = 96.5. Oh, call it 97. The low point for Ellen’s target range is 97 beats per minute. If her heart is thumping out 97 beats per minute, she knows she’s not exerting herself to her fullest potential.
3. Multiply the original number by 0.85.
The number you get is the top boundary for your “target rate.” In Ellen’s case, 193 × 0.85 = 165. If her heartbeat hits 165 beats per minute while she’s working out, man, she knows she’s working out! If it goes higher than 165, she needs to slow it down.
To burn fat and receive heart-healthy benefits from exercising, you must reach — and hold — your personal target heartbeat range for at least 30 minutes, at least three times a week. (But only after checking in with your doctor.)
Pairing Exercise and . . .
Everybody knows that exercise makes your heart healthy. But here’s a fact to make it beat a bit faster: Regular exercise — even as little as a brisk 30-minute walk several times a week — also improves your cholesterol profile.
How about that? The same exercise regimen that strengthens your heart will
� Lower your total cholesterol
� Lower your low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) — the “bad” fat-and-protein particles that ferry cholesterol into your arteries
� Raise your high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) — the “good” fat-and-protein particles that carry cholesterol out of your body
How does exercise do all this good stuff? Nobody knows for sure. It may have something to do with exercise enabling your heart to pump extra oxygen- toting blood out into your body. Or it may not.
Either way, why look a gift horse — carrying lower total cholesterol, lower LDLs, and higher HDLs — in the mouth? Especially when he’s packing even more good stuff in his saddlebags (and getting rid of yours), such as the possibility that exercise may change your arteries so that they’re less susceptible to cholesterol damage.
CRP
C- reactive protein (CRP) — discussed in detail in Chapter 3 — is a compound in your blood that medical folks regard as an indicator of otherwise-invisible arterial inflammation.
Inflamed arteries have rough interior surfaces with many little nooks and crannies that may snag cholesterol particles as they float by. If that happens, the snagged cholesterol attracts other particles, eventually building the kind of plaque that blocks the artery and leads to a heart attack.
In 2002, data from a six-year study of 128 males in Finland ages 50 to 60 showed that those who engaged in even mild exercise, such as walking, reduced their CRP levels by 16 percent, suggesting that their arteries were healthier than before they began exercising.
By the way, the change even occurred in men who have a gene that increases their risk of blood clots.
Blood pressure
Blood pressure is the term used to describe the force exerted by your heart when it pushes blood out into your arteries. If your arteries are narrowed in any way, your heart must work harder to get blood out.
Exercise relaxes and dilates your blood vessels, lowering your risk of high blood pressure. Some research has suggested that exercise also widens blood vessels enough to allow a stray piece of cholesterol gunk to float on through rather than block the artery. Only a suggestion, but sure sounds good!
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are the most common fats found in food and the most common fats circulating through your blood. Having high triglyceride levels raises your risk of heart attack. Exercise lowers triglycerides, thus lowering your risk of heart attack. To find out more about triglycerides, check out Chapter 2.
Weight control
If you’re overweight, losing weight makes you look and feel better. It also lowers your total cholesterol and raises your HDLs.
Regular exercise is such an efficient weight loss technique that the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (the group of fine folks who treat weight disorders) considers a regular exercise plan the number one predictor for long- term weight stability.
In other words, you can lose weight by cutting calories, but according to the bariatric docs, you’ll lose pounds faster and keep them off longer if you exercise.
Exercise can also change your body shape — and not just by making your muscles bulge. For example, exercise can transform a person’s “fruit” shape from the round-in-the middle “apple” shape known to carry a higher risk of heart attack to a slimmer, trimmer . . . banana? Carrot? No, wait. That’s a vegetable. Well, you get the idea.
Your body
If you need a refresher course on the whole-body health benefits of exercise, stick around for the next few paragraphs. The short version is
� Exercise builds muscle.
� Your heart is a muscle.
� Exercise strengthens your heart.
When you exercise, your heart pumps out more blood. More blood means more oxygen to every part of your body. More oxygen means healthier body tissues. Keep exercising. Your heart is only one of the organs and systems that benefits from regular exercise.
Exercise also strengthens bones, revs up your brain, keeps your digestive system moving along, sharpens your immune system, and improves your mood.
To save time (yours) and space (the publisher’s), I’ve put all this good stuff into Table 8-3, which lists the various ways in which a regular exercise pro- gram tunes up your body and mind.
Riding the Stationary Bike into the Sunset
Did you wake up this morning and decide it’s time to exercise? Well, don’t just do something. Sit there! Yes, you heard me right. Untie your running shoes. Unzip your warm-up jacket. Brew yourself a cup of tea, coffee, or whatever, and relax in your favorite armchair while you carefully consider how to put together an exercise program that fits your individual needs.
Just keep in mind that you want to choose an exercise (or exercises) that works your muscles. Yoga, for example, is a wonderful relaxation technique, but — sorry about this — it won’t jump-start your heart or raise your HDLs.
The Web is totally jam-packed with special sites that offer balanced advice on exercise and its billions of benefits — well maybe not that many — for your body. To save you hours of surfing time, expand your universe by typing exercise sites into the search box of any search engine. Doing this often brings up one site with links to many other sites. How handy!
Table 8-4 shows several useful exercise and health sites. Wait! Did I mention you should always check with your own doctor before starting an exercise program? I think I did, but now I’m sure. It never hurts to be sure.
Checking with your medical mechanic
You wouldn’t take your car out for a 3,000-mile trip without a tune-up would you? For your body, starting a new exercise program is the equivalent of that multi-mile trip.
The first step on the way to a healthful exercise regimen should be an appointment with your doctor so he can run a basic body check. He may even want to do a stress test.
This caution clearly applies to anyone who’s already had a heart attack. But it’s also recommended for people who’ve never had even the slightest hint of heart trouble. Even if you are (or think you are) a healthy young person, this is one time when it’s definitely better to be safe than sorry.
Exercise is hard work, and you want to be sure your body can handle it with- out folding on you. Call your doctor first. No exceptions!
If you skipped this all-important step and headed straight for a health club or gym, turn right around and walk out of any facility that lets you sign up for an exercise program without first checking your vital signs.
Setting yourself up for success
An exercise program should make you feel good about the program and about yourself. If you choose a regimen that’s too strenuous, you’re apt to quit in the middle. Bummer.
Your exercise goal is to rev up your body and lower your cholesterol, not wear yourself to a frazzle in an unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the Olympic couch-potato-turned-pro-athlete team.
In other words, it’s A-okay to settle for the warm and fuzzy sense of well- being you get by stretching your muscles while walking a mile, riding a stationary bike, or once in a while picking up the pace to jog (if you really want to that is).
Here are a few helpful hints:
� Have realistic expectations. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and that new, fabulously healthy, lower-cholesterol body of yours won’t be either.
• Start small: If you’ve been sedentary for the last 15 years, you shouldn’t expect to sprint 3 miles a day out of the gate. Walk first and work up to a run; start with 1 mile and work your way up to the 3-mile plan.
• Give yourself time: Positive changes in your body won’t pop up overnight. Give yourself at least six months of effort to see notice- able change.
� Exercise some days, not every day. You intend to wake up every morn- ing at 5 a.m. and jog? Who — I mean whom — are you kidding? Set a more realistic goal of a jog every other day, and you’re more likely to stick to the schedule. By the way, the three-times-a-week rule comes from the American Heart Association. For the AHA — and you — three times can be the charm.
� Reward yourself. But not with a huge stack of pancakes drizzled in syrup when you get back from your morning run. Try other rewards like a new article of clothing, a plant, or a CD. If you prefer to indulge in food rewards, do so less often.
Choosing something you like
As the AHA puts it, choose “activities that are fun, not exhausting.” If you hate football, loathe jogging, despise aerobics, and can’t stand to get your hair wet in a pool, you won’t make it past the first week with an exercise regimen that includes these activities.
In other words, your aim is to find some kind of movement you actually enjoy — or at least one that fits into your normal daily routine. No one can tell you exactly what that exercise is — you know what you enjoy. What I can share with you is the assurance that anything that moves your muscles benefits your body.
If everything else fails to pass your “I like that” test, there’s always walking (briskly, that is).
Here are a few ideas to set the wheels in motion:
� Biking (streets, parks, hills, or flats)
� Hiking (meadows or mountains, doesn’t matter)
� Working out along with a TV fitness guru — start slow, work up
Sticking to a schedule
To get the most from your exercise, follow a consistent regimen of moderately intense movement for at least 30 minutes a day five days a week, if possible.
Okay, okay, three days a week. As I said before, the AHA says three days is okay, and even a recovering couch potato can remember Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Try it: Monday — Wednesday — Friday. See?
Did you know that you don’t have to do all your exercise at once? You can break it up into two or three sessions during the day. For example, suppose you drive to work or take public transportation. Instead of driving all the way to the front door, park your car 15 minutes away from work and walk. Or get off the bus or train at a stop 15 minutes before your final destination and, yes, walk. Doing that twice a day equals (can you believe it?) 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise.
Don’t ya just love it when things work out the way they’re supposed to?
No pain, no gain? No way
“No pain, no gain” is an out-of-date, never-was-right slogan that deserves a decent burial once and for all. Pain means injury. Injury is bad for the body. Yes, the pros play with problems — after all, they’re playing for millions (dollars, not fans) — but that’s why so many of them end up hobbling around at a really tender age.
Avoid anything that requires you to twist yourself into a pretzel or perform activities that feel uncomfortable. True, stretching muscles that haven’t moved in heaven knows how long can leave you with some soreness, but if your exercise leaves you hobbling, you’re doing something wrong. This book is Controlling Cholesterol For Dummies, not Fitness For Dummies, so my best advice is that you seek guidance from a professional trainer or check out Fitness For Dummies, 3rd Edition, by Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent (Wiley), which also lays out rules for finding a trainer. Think of it as a two-fer bargain — and safe, sane, and sensible besides.
Rating an exercise program or gym
How can you tell if a fitness program or plan or video is right for you? That’s easy. The program fits your needs, which means
� It fits into your schedule (rather than forcing you to shift your life around to accommodate it).
� You’re comfortable with the exercise expertise required.
� The price is right.
Here are some examples of what can work for you:
� Group programs, such as an exercise class at the local YMCA/YWCA, are great for people with no talent as self-starters. They’re not so great for people who hate to play follow the leader.
� Individual trainers are great for folks who hate to leave the house (and can afford the trainer). They’re not so great for people who enjoy work- ing out in the company of others.
� Videotapes are a delight! You get to sit and watch someone else work up a sweat on TV. No, wait, that’s not how it’s supposed to work. If that’s what you’re doing, join a group or get a trainer. Of course, using a tape properly gives you the freedom to exercise at your own speed and on your own schedule.
If you go the videotape route, remember that being a TV sitcom star may not be the best training in the world for handling other people’s bodies. Any videotape you choose should have guides to exercise and skill levels printed on the box. A credit for an expert adviser is also good.
As for gyms and health clubs: No matter what type of program you choose, be sure to check out the instructor by taking in the diplomas on the wall. Preferably, your exercise guru should have a four-year college degree in exercise science or a related field.
Certification from a recognized group for fitness professionals such as these is also a really, really good recommendation:
� American Council on Exercise (ACE)
� American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
� National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
� National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
Then, after you have your ducks in a row, start your engines. You may be mixing metaphors, but you’ll also be benefiting your heart — and optimizing your cholesterol. Pretty good, all around.
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