Exercise, Heart Health, and FH

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disorder that causes abnormally high levels of cholesterol. This elevation significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and strokes.¹

Most people who have FH will need medication to manage the condition and decrease their risk of cardiovascular events, but that doesn’t mean that lifestyle factors won’t help, too. In addition to a heart-healthy diet, exercise can play a big role in improving heart health.²

I fell in love with group fitness classes

When I was first diagnosed with FH, I was 18 years old. I was always petite, but never an athlete, besides being on my middle school kickline. Exercise was not fun for me. Gym class wasn’t my favorite, and I was always in the bleachers watching sports games, never on the field.

Until I had to be.

My doctor talked about the benefits of exercise for people with high cholesterol, and in an effort to manage my condition totally naturally, I thought I’d give it a try. I started going to the gym and going to group fitness classes, and I fell in love.

Becoming a wellness professional

Shortly after, I got certified as a group fitness instructor, person trainer, and yoga teacher, and here I am 13 years later, owning a gym and yoga studio!

Although I was unable to fully manage my cholesterol levels with lifestyle factors alone, I know that exercise plays a big role in keeping my heart and body healthy. As a professional in the field and as a patient, I’d like to share some of my knowledge and advice about exercise and heart health.

Choose an aerobic exercise that you enjoy

Aerobic exercises, a.k.a. cardio, are proven to lower LDL cholesterol. Some people think of LDL as "bad cholesterol" — it’s the type of cholesterol that gets built up in the arteries and can lead to blockages.^2,3

For people with the goal of improving their heart health, the goal is to get at least 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 to 7 times per week. It’s important to find a type of cardio that you enjoy — walking, running, spinning, swimming, dancing — and there are so many options to choose from. Exercise can feel fun!^3,4

Exercise strengthens the heart and improves its function as well. When we do cardio, we are training the heart to respond to our demands. In turn, our resting heart rates and blood pressure often drop, which means the heart is beating more efficiently.⁴

Strength or resistance training

Strength training — sometimes referred to as 'resistance training' — is also beneficial for people who value their heart health. It is one of the most effective ways of maintaining a healthy body weight. A combination of aerobic exercise and strength training can also help raise HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.⁴

Stress management for heart health

In addition to cardio and strength training, stress management is also crucial to keeping our hearts healthy.

While cardio and strength training improve mental health, I also believe deeply in the importance of mindfulness practices like yoga, meditation, and breath work. Yoga includes many strategies that improve mental well-being and feelings of calm, safety, and security, which keeps our bodies in the parasympathetic state — all of which benefit the function of the heart.⁵

Exercise helps us live better, longer

Exercise is super effective in improving heart health, from lowering LDL and raising HDL to improving heart efficiency and helping us manage stress and our weight. For those of us living with FH or cardiovascular disease, committing to regular exercise allows us to live better, longer.

Remember, exercise can be fun! Now go find a type of exercise that makes you happy!