Heart disease is a deadly health condition that can quickly affect both the quality and length of your life. Unfortunately, heart disease is also the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many cases of heart disease start with problems with cholesterol plaque, which can partially be combated through aerobic exercises like running.
Cholesterol Plaque
Cholesterol is a necessary part of the health of your body. However, too much of the bad form of cholesterol, called low-density lipoprotien or LDL cholesterol, can increase your risks for cholesterol plaque. As LDL cholesterol builds up in the bloodstream, the excess cholesterol can calcify on the walls of your arteries, narrowing the blood vessel and creating a condition known as atherosclerosis. Over time this plaque can start to block the arteries, increasing how hard your heart has to work to pump blood through the vessels. This increases your blood pressure, or the amount of pressure being placed on the walls of your blood vessels. Too much pressure results in vessel damage, which develops into heart diseases.
HDL Cholesterol
One of the primary ways that running can help you combat cholesterol plaque and keep your arteries clear is through increasing your HDL cholesterol. As your HDL cholesterol increases, your LDL "bad" cholesterol levels go down. This is because your HDL cholesterol is responsible for transporting LDL cholesterol out of the bloodstream. Regular aerobic exercise can increase your HDL cholesterol levels by about 5 percent, suggests MayoClinic.com.
Recommendations
In order to see the full benefits of running on your arteries, it's important to get at least the amount of weekly exercise recommended by professional organizations like the American College of Sports Medicine. The ACSM suggests that all American adults strive to include 30 minutes of exercise at least five days a week. This 150 minutes can be met completely by running, or through running and a mix of other aerobic activities such as hiking, swimming, biking or exercise classes like stationary cycling or Zumba.
Other Factors
Running alone will not clear out your arteries. To fully protect the health of your cardiovascular system, it's important to also attack the introduction of LDL cholesterol into your bloodstream, which occurs through your diet. To further keep your arteries clean, it's important to limit your intake of LDL cholesterol. This form of cholesterol is commonly found in meats high in saturated fat content as well as other foods high in saturated or trans fats, such as certain fried foods and baked goods. Limiting your cholesterol intake reduces the risks of cholesterol plaque and improves the overall health of your cardiovascular system.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Heart Disease Facts
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity Guidelines
- American Heart Association: Cholesterol
- MayoClinic.com: HDL Cholesterol -- How to Boost Your "Good" Cholesterol.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity and Health
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: What Is Atherosclerosis?
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