A doctor has revealed that a simple two-minute habit could help “bring down cholesterol”. This could therefore also lower your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
High cholesterol, also known as hypercholesterolemia, is a significant concern in the UK, with approximately two in five adults thought to be living with the condition – many possibly unaware. It happens when there’s too much cholesterol – a fatty, waxy substance – in your bloodstream.
Doctor Suraj Kukadia explained that even just two minutes of exercise at a time is beneficial. Speaking on social media platform TikTok, the medic said: “Exercise also helps to bring down cholesterol levels, with high intensity interval training [HIIT] having the highest burden of evidence behind it.”
Dr Kukadia, who is better known as Dr Sooj, continued: “However, I know that this isn’t for everyone. Therefore, even just taking two minutes at regular intervals during your day and just doing star jumps or press-ups or even just walking up and down the stairs 20 times can really help to improve your exercise tolerance, increase your activity, and therefore bring down your cholesterol levels.”
Exercise is a key part of the NHS recommendations to help lower cholesterol. On its website, the health body says you should aim to do “at least” 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week.
Some “good things” to try when starting out include:
- Walking – try to walk fast enough so your heart starts beating faster
- Swimming
- Cycling
The NHS added: “Try a few different exercises to find something you like doing. You’re more likely to keep doing it if you enjoy it.”
Research on exercise and cholesterol
This guidance is supported by scientific studies, including a review published in the Journal of Heart and Circulatory Physiology, which demonstrated that regular physical activity lowers levels of ” cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) levels. Researchers said it does this by stimulating the body to move bad cholesterol to your liver so it can be removed from the body.
And a separate study funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) from 2024 found that the more active you are the more saturated fat your muscles use for energy. The BHF said: “This means there is less saturated fat circulating in the body, which lowers your non-HDL cholesterol levels.
“Scientists think exercise can increase the heart muscle’s ability to breakdown lipids too. All these processes help prevent fatty plaques from forming on artery walls, reducing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.”
Generally, healthy total cholesterol levels are considered to be below 5mmol/L, with non-HDL cholesterol levels ideally below 4mmol/L. If you have concerns about your cholesterol levels, it is recommended that you consult with your doctor.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
