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How you can put high cholesterol to sleep by hitting the gym.

Cholesterol is produced naturally by the body and gets fed to your body through all sorts of food. While a certain level of cholesterol is necessary to keep your body functioning properly, too much can be dangerous, and if it leads to a heart attack, excessive cholesterol can be deadly.

Want to know about one of the best ways to fend off high cholesterol? You’ll need to put on your exercise outfit and head directly to the gym. Keep reading to learn why your lower cholesterol levels may depend on exercise and what you’ll need to do in the gym to keep your levels low.

Lower, Higher

Through the exercise process, your body does two amazing things. It reduces the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in your body and increases the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in your body. Why does this matter, and why do you want more of any kind of cholesterol?

Getting rid of LDL is obviously a good thing, especially if you consider all cholesterol to be bad cholesterol. But in the eyes of your physician, LDL truly is bad cholesterol, since it is responsible for the artery-clogging affects cholesterol is known for. HDL, on the other hand, is actually beneficial to your body. Though researchers are unsure exactly what makes HDL so helpful, it is thought that this kind of cholesterol pushes excess cholesterol out of the arteries, into the liver, and out of the body. Regardless of what makes HDL work, it has been proven to reduce your likelihood of heart attack.

But It Takes Lots

While exercise increases your HDL while lowering your LDL and helping you get better control over your overall cholesterol, it takes a good bit of exercise to really kill off cholesterol in the gym. So if you’re accustomed to stopping by the gym when the mood hits you or when your schedule allows, you’re going to have to change.

Instead of maintaining a rather lax exercise schedule, you’re going to need to spend some time in the gym four or five days a week. Any kind of exercise is good, but spreading your exercise wings is best for fighting cholesterol. Therefore, spend time stretching out, getting plenty of aerobic exercise, and don’t forget strength training. By going to the gym and working out most days of the week, your body will begin to get rid of unwanted cholesterol and create more of the good, heart-friendly cholesterol.

Better With Food

By itself, exercise will definitely have a positive impact on your cholesterol levels. But as great as exercise may be on improving your cholesterol levels, exercise alone will never be enough. For maximum cholesterol-killing ability, you’re going to have to change how you eat.

An easy first step is to look at the labels on the foods you’re eating. If there is a lot of cholesterol, toss it and grab something else. Prefer to not pay attention to food labels? There’s an even better solution. Up your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and start making your own food instead of buying prepackaged goods that are more likely to be loaded with fat and cholesterol. You’ll not only help your cholesterol levels, but you’ll be better able to maintain your weight and will enjoy a sudden boost in energy that prepackaged foods simply can’t offer.

Should you get moving when the weather outside is frightening?

Oh Man! Brrr....

When the weather outside starts to get cold and foreboding, you may be tempted to stay inside by the fire with a warm cup of tea and some comfort food in your lap. However, you should know that heading out the door for some cold-weather workouts will reap great rewards if you take care to stay warm and safe.

Read on to learn how to pump up when the wind is biting and your nose is bright red.

Dress Right.

Running and playing in the cold requires you to be very thoughtful about your wardrobe. Obviously, you can’t take off in a t-shirt and shorts. Instead, you’ll want to wear layers of clothing. As you begin to sweat, remove a layer to keep your sweat from causing you to get cold later. Then put your outermost layers back on when you begin to grow cold. For best warmth, the layer against your body should be polypropylene or another synthetic material, followed by fleece and then something waterproof and breathable on top.

In addition to staying warm, you should remember to stay safe. As it is often darker during the cold months, take precaution to remain visible to oncoming traffic. Wearing clothing with reflective surfaces will help others see you, even from a distance. You should also make sure your shoes have good enough traction to keep you on your feet as you run across various surfaces. And if you’re participating in skiing, snowboarding, or other winter sports, wear appropriate safety gear to avoid hurting your head, knees, and other body parts.

Work the Wind.

Blowing, freezing wind is one of the hardest parts to overcome if you’re trying to force yourself to work out in the cold. Keep the wind beneath your wings by facing the blowing breeze during the beginning of your run or bicycle ride. This way, you’ll be running with the wind on your way back home, making the return trip much more pleasant and making you more likely to want to do it again the next day.

Think Hot.

While you’ll need to plan your wardrobe and your wind sprints with the weather in mind, you’ll need to change your mindset to a warmer climate to ensure your overall good health during a winter workout. Wearing sunscreen in the cold may seem senseless, but the sun still has the power to burn your exposed skin during the winter. Actually, you may be at increased risk for sunburn if you’re working out at a high altitude or in an area with a lot of snow. So be sure to lather up before you head out for your cold routine.

You’ll also need to think hot weather with regards to your hydration. Becoming dehydrated may seem to be a concern only valid during the hot summer months, but you need plenty of liquids in your system year round to keep your system well watered. To avoid dehydration, drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout – even if you don’t feel thirsty yet. Because once you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated.

For the folks that missed getting directions to the new gym before we closed for the holidays, here is a map showing you from the old gym to the new one. Please call if you have trouble!

Follow Me!

Remember there are no morning classes this week. We will see all the morning crew at evening boot camp! Next week we will have all normal hours again…

Happy New Year everyone! Party responsibly with both food and drink and we will see you in the new gym on Monday!

Welcome Gabriel (Tank) Hays to the Mat Ratz!

Welcome Kyle Nixon to the Mat Ratz!

Welcome Kate Marcus to our fitness family!

Welcome Robert Graham to our BJJ program!

The last Women’s Self Defense seminar made the Home Front Special Edition of the Killeen Daily Herald.

Click the picture to check it out…