High cholesterol is no laughing matter. In fact, high cholesterol levels are one of the major contributing factors to heart disease. And, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are often no noticeable symptoms. Do you smoke? Do you live a sedentary lifestyle? Do you eat fast food more than you like to admit? Does high cholesterol run in your family? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, consider yourself at risk. Yowzahs!
Instead of wallowing in despair, or continuing with a high fat diet, take the reins back of your own life, and your body. Make a list of all the reasons you deserve to live well beyond your life expectancy. Who do you live for? Who lives for you? And start by becoming informed and educated about cholesterol by getting a cholesterol test, because unfortunately, you could already be at a risk for high cholesterol – and not even know it.
Your Health is #1, So Get Tested
Just as you would get a sexually transmitted disease test to determine whether you are at risk (or your partner is at risk for contracting one to you), a cholesterol test can determine whether or not your levels are where they should be, or much higher than is safe for a long and strong body. A test is the number one way to keep you informed, and luckily, it’s all in your control.
Have a higher than ideal cholesterol level? Don’t fret. There are a number of ways you can regain the control, and take flight with a lifestyle that will lower it, while getting you to the point of being fit, trim and happier than ever.
Exercise Raises Those Good Cholesterol Levels and Lowers Your Bad Ones
What’s in a number? As it turns out, when it’s about your cholesterol, it’s could mean the difference between living a healthy, long life, or a shorter one than you could have ever expected.
You already know that exercise has the power to immediately trigger feelings of elated happiness (and that’s just after thirty minutes of running or dancing to your favorite tunes!) It has the power to turn a bad day into a day free of troubles and worries. It has the power to transform chronic fatigue into restful sleep, and conquer your biggest career dilemmas – all by sweating, lunging, or downward dogging it, thirty minutes a day, three times a week, as recommended by the American Heart Association.
Turn Off the Tube, and Speed Up the Walk
Exercise has the power to turn your high cholesterol risk into a low one. Are you used to stressing at your desk over your pending deadline? Instead, take your stress to the treadmill, kickboxing class or interval training session, and as a result, don’t just knock off the anxiety from your mind, or extra love handles from your waist. Knock off the high cholesterol from your life once and for all.
Do whatever it takes to add some activity into your life – run in your first marathon, ride your bike to the grocery store instead of driving; start a walking group with your colleagues and get some exercise daily during your lunch hour, or try a cardio class that you’ve always been interested in, but until now, didn’t have the guts to try.
Whatever you can to bring the health back into your life, do it. What time do you have to waste? There isn’t anything exercise can’t help you improve, achieve, and build upon positively in your life. So, while you grunt, lift, and step your way to a fitter frame, you’ll also lower your chances for health disease. Now that’s what you call killing two birds with one stone!
