How to Lower Cholesterol Fast
Start exercising., Improve your health immediately by stopping smoking., Manage your weight., Cut down on alcohol.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start exercising.
Exercise improves how your body handles fat and cholesterol.
But it is important that you start slowly and don’t do more than your body can handle.
Consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise program to make sure that you will be able to handle it.
Then increase the intensity slowly over time working up to between 30 minutes to an hour per day.
Activities to try include:
Walking Jogging Swimming Biking Joining a community sports team, like basketball, volleyball, or tennis -
Step 2: Improve your health immediately by stopping smoking.
Quitting smoking can improve your cholesterol levels, decrease your blood pressure, and reduce your risk of developing heart disease, strokes, cancers, and lung disease.
You may find it helpful to:
Get social support from family, friends, local support groups, online forums, and hotlines.
Consult your physician.
Use nicotine replacement therapy Go to an addictions counselor.
Many even specialize in helping people stop smoking.
Consider residential treatment , Keeping your weight under control will help you to keep your cholesterol down.
If you are too heavy, losing just five percent of your weight can reduce your cholesterol.
Your doctor may suggest you lose weight if:
You are a woman with a waist circumference of 35 or more inches or a man with a waist circumference of 40 or more inches.
You have a body mass index over
29. , Alcohol is high in calories and low in nutrients.
This means that drinking a lot of it increases your risk of obesity.
The Mayo Clinic recommends a limit of:
One drink per day for women and one to two drinks per day for men.
A beer, glass of wine, or shot of hard alcohol qualifies as a drink. -
Step 3: Manage your weight.
-
Step 4: Cut down on alcohol.
Detailed Guide
Exercise improves how your body handles fat and cholesterol.
But it is important that you start slowly and don’t do more than your body can handle.
Consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise program to make sure that you will be able to handle it.
Then increase the intensity slowly over time working up to between 30 minutes to an hour per day.
Activities to try include:
Walking Jogging Swimming Biking Joining a community sports team, like basketball, volleyball, or tennis
Quitting smoking can improve your cholesterol levels, decrease your blood pressure, and reduce your risk of developing heart disease, strokes, cancers, and lung disease.
You may find it helpful to:
Get social support from family, friends, local support groups, online forums, and hotlines.
Consult your physician.
Use nicotine replacement therapy Go to an addictions counselor.
Many even specialize in helping people stop smoking.
Consider residential treatment , Keeping your weight under control will help you to keep your cholesterol down.
If you are too heavy, losing just five percent of your weight can reduce your cholesterol.
Your doctor may suggest you lose weight if:
You are a woman with a waist circumference of 35 or more inches or a man with a waist circumference of 40 or more inches.
You have a body mass index over
29. , Alcohol is high in calories and low in nutrients.
This means that drinking a lot of it increases your risk of obesity.
The Mayo Clinic recommends a limit of:
One drink per day for women and one to two drinks per day for men.
A beer, glass of wine, or shot of hard alcohol qualifies as a drink.
About the Author
Jennifer Kim
Experienced content creator specializing in cooking guides and tutorials.
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