Hi, thank you for your question. Yes, exercise and healthy diet can help to keep high cholesterol under cholesterol. These lifestyle changes are the first line of treatment when you are first diagnosed with high cholesterol.

Moderate exercise can help to control your cholesterol level by increasing the HDL {“good”) cholesterol and maintaining a healthy weight. Therefore, you should do moderate-intensity exercise at least 30 minutes 5 times a week or vigorous aerobic exercise for 20 minutes 3 times a week.

Some examples of moderate-intensity exercises includes brisk walking, swimming and cycling. You can also try to incorporate more physical activities into your daily acitivities, such as taking the stairs instead of the lift or parking further away from your office.
Making wise food choices also helps to combat high cholesterol.

Try to limit your intake of food high in saturated fats such as full-fat dairy products and red meat. Instead, opt for low-fat dairy products. This will reduce your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Reduce consumption of trans fat because it increases your overall cholesterol level. Food rich in trans fat include bakery products and margarine.

Take a high-fibre diet which contains more wholegrains, fruits and vegetables. A high-fibre diet helps to decrease the absorption of cholesterol in the body and thus lower your cholesterol level. Consume food rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as tuna, mackerel and salmon. Avoid deep-fried food.

Use healthy cooking oils like vegetable oils.
However, if your cholesterol level remains high despite these efforts, you may still need to start taking medications to keep high cholesterol under control and to prevent other health conditions.

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