Can exercise help lower cholesterol?

When it comes to lowering cholesterol, many people will think of the need to have a diet low in saturated fats. For others, medicines like statins, prescribed to help lower cholesterol (a type of fat), will come to mind. But exercise can help too.

A review of the research in the journal of Heart and Circulatory Physiology shows regular physical exercise decreases ‘bad’ cholesterol (non-HDL cholesterol) levels in the blood and increases ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) levels. It does this by stimulating the body to move ‘bad’ cholesterol to your liver so it can be removed from the body.

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A BHF-funded study from 2024 also suggests that the more active you are the more saturated fat your muscles use for energy. 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.

So, if you’re exercising to lose excess weight, or as part of a healthy lifestyle, the good news is you’re lowering your cholesterol levels too.

It’s still not clear what exercise is most beneficial. But scientists are looking into this. For example, a University of Bath study is investigating whether eating before or after exercise is best for lowering cholesterol. However, what we do know is that any amount of exercise is beneficial for overall health.