Along with diet, regular exercise is an essential ingredient for improving an unhealthy cholesterol profile. Exercise can lower “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides, and raise levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) – the “good” cholesterol. Plus, exercise is a crucial element in any weight-control program, and the National Cholesterol Education Program’s (NCEP) guidelines for therapeutic lifestyle changes emphasize weight control as an important component of treatment.

Almost as important, exercise can overcome the unfortunate tendency of a low-fat, lower-calorie diet to reduce levels of HDL, particularly in women. In one classic study, called the Stanford Weight Control Project, women on a low-fat diet saw their HDL levels drop 7% during a year of dieting. But women who combined diet and exercise — about eight miles of brisk walking or jogging a week — increased their HDL levels in addition to losing weight and lowering their levels of total and LDL cholesterol. For men, a low-fat diet alone didn’t change HDL levels, but diet plus exercise substantially increased them.

Even if you’re already somewhat active, the more exercise you get, the better. A landmark study of 17,000 Harvard alumni suggested that men who burn an extra 700 or so calories a week by walking, playing sports, or doing some other form of exercise live longer than those who aren’t active. The health benefits continue to increase up to about 2,000 calories a week, and then seem to level off from there. Information from a long-term study of female nurses shows similar trends for women.

The list below shows you activities that will burn 150 calories. If you undertake any of these activities five times a week, you’ll burn 750 calories, enough to start realizing health benefits. If you do two of these activities every day of the week, you’ll burn a little over 2,000 calories per week and reap a health bonanza. (These figures are based on a body weight of 150 pounds. If you weigh less than 150 pounds, it’ll take you longer to burn the same amount of calories. The opposite is true if you weigh more than 150 pounds.)

Biking, 6 mph (38 minutes)
Biking, 12 mph (22 minutes)
Jogging, 5.5 mph (12 minutes)
Running, 10 mph (7 minutes)
Walking, 2 mph (38 minutes)
Walking, 4.5 mph (20 minutes)
Tennis, singles (23 minutes)
Gardening (30–45 minutes)
Washing windows or floors (60 minutes)
Water aerobics (35 minutes)
Swimming, 25 yards/minute (33 minutes)
Raking leaves (35 minutes)
Shooting baskets (35 minutes)
For more information on how to manage your cholesterol, order our special health report, What To Do About High Cholesterol. www.health.harvard.edu/HC.