Table 2.

Evidence-based exercise recommendations for maintaining/improving cholesterol levels in different patient groups

Patient group	Cholesterol targets	Exercise recommendations
Healthy	Maintain low LDL cholesterol and triglycerides; increase HDL cholesterol	Increase physical activity to >30 min/day 5 times weekly [16, 17]; prolonged moderate-intensity aerobic exercise at 70–80 % HRreserve [43], combined with low-intensity resistance training at 50 % 1 RM [23]
Elevated cholesterol (dyslipidaemia)	Reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides; increase HDL cholesterol	Increase physical activity to >30 min/day 5 times weekly [16, 17]; prolonged moderate-intensity aerobic exercise at 70–80 % HRreserve [43], progressing to 85 % HRmax [35, 36], combined with moderate- to high-intensity resistance training at 75–85 % 1 RM [23, 40]
Elevated cholesterol (dyslipidaemia) and limited mobility (disabled, elderly populations, etc.)	Reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides; increase HDL cholesterol	Increase physical activity as much as is feasible [16, 17]; resistance training progressing from 50 to 75 % in major muscle groups [23], can be incorporated into circuit sessions and maintained at moderate intensity [43]

HDL high-density lipoprotein, HR _max maximal heart rate, HR _reserve heart rate reserve, LDL low-density lipoprotein, RM repetition maximum