Changing your diet is not always enough.People with high cholesterol levels can increase the good HDL cholesterol through regular endurance sport. Exercise also has a positive effect on blood pressure and improves the cells' insulin sensitivity. In this way the heart is protected and the vessels remain elastic.

Anyone who suffers from a high cholesterol level is usually familiar with the problems: The bad cholesterol LDL threatens to clog the blood vessels. This in turn can cause diseases such as arteriosclerosis, coronary artery disease , pulmonary embolism , thrombosis and even heart attacks and strokes.

With the help of cholesterol-lowering medication and a consistent diet that avoids high-cholesterol foods such as eggs, seafood, dairy products and meat, a better ratio between good and bad cholesterol can be achieved.

The good HDL cholesterol protects the blood vessels and ensures that excess cholesterol is broken down by the liver. That means, the higher the HDL levels and the lower the LDL levels in the body, the better.

Studies have shown that regular endurance exercise helps increase the good HDL cholesterol. A short walk is not enough. Only those who regularly and consistently do about 30 minutes of sport at least three times a week will achieve long-term.

If you have high cholesterol and blood sugar levels, you should choose sports that involve regular movement and keep your pulse and breathing at a constant level. These includes:

Jogging
Nordic walking
Biking
Swimming
Hiking
Dancing
Rowing

Endurance exercise, on the other hand, not only makes the pounds drop faster, but also has a positive effect on fat metabolism, as numerous studies confirm. If you do 30 minutes of sport a day, you can increase your HDL value by up to ten percent, which protects your heart and blood vessels. On the other hand, if there is insufficient exercise, the LDL cholesterol levels rise and thus the health risk.