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To pump up your "good" cholesterol, put in the time. While shorter bursts of exercise help your heart in many ways -- keeping triglycerides, blood pressure and weight under control -- Japanese researchers found significant increases in HDL cholesterol only when exercise lasted longer than 30 minutes.
The large-scale analysis looked at over 1,400 people of all ages, whose workout activities ranged from biking and brisk walking to swimming and skiing. Amazingly, while frequency and intensity did not impact HDL cholesterol, every extra 10 minutes spent exercising yielded an increase in HDL cholesterol, enough to reduce heart attack risk by roughly 3%.
If longer exercise seems onerous, try mixing things up: One day, split exercise up into 10-minute bursts, other days make exercise social -- hiking, surfing or even dancing with friends. Team sports, like soccer and volleyball, make longer workouts fun. Remember that even vigorous endurance sports like biking won't protect you against osteoporosis so incorporate high-impact exercise or strength training. Such variety also offers added benefits, such as reduced risk of dementia.
Bonus: For a delicious, dietary way to boost HDL cholesterol, grab some grapes on your next grocery trip.
