Triglycerides are a type of fat that circulates in the blood. A high triglyceride level is a risk factor not only for heart disease, but also for strokes and pancreatitis. The amount of this fat in the blood can be affected by diet, but what about exercise? Research has shown that regular exercise can significantly lower triglyceride levels. An elliptical trainer provides a convenient workout that can help you maintain healthy levels of this blood fat.

Triglycerides are the end product of the digestion and breakdown of fats in meals. Some of these fats are made in the body from other sources of energy, such as carbohydrates. Its level is measured by a common test called a lipid panel. It is the same blood test that controls LDL and HDL cholesterol levels. The American Heart Association recommends that everyone over the age of 20 should have a lipid panel to measure cholesterol and triglycerides at least every five years.

Since triglycerides are fats in the bloodstream, you can lower these levels when you exercise because burning stored fat in your body reduces blood fat levels. Normal levels are less than 150 mg / dl, high limit levels are 150-199 mg / dl, high levels are 200-499 mg / dl, and very high levels are 500 mg / dl and more.

Exercise is effective in lowering triglyceride levels as long as you do it consistently. These are fats that circulate in the blood attached to particles called lipoproteins that also carry cholesterol. As they circulate, the tissues pick up some of these triglycerides to use for energy or store them to use as fuel later.

Long-term, moderate intensity aerobic exercise will burn fat in your bloodstream for fuel. Therefore, a low intensity, high duration workout is effective in reducing these fat levels as you use them for energy. Resistance training has also been shown to lower triglyceride levels. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1984 showed that women and men had a significant decrease in triglycerides after regular weight training.

You can design an exercise routine that is effective in lowering triglycerides by incorporating both long-duration, low-intensity aerobic exercise, and the anaerobic exercise involved in weight training, using an elliptical trainer. One way to do this is to start with a low intensity exercise with low steps per minute at a moderate resistance level. After exercising at this level for about 30 minutes, you might switch to a high-intensity interval training routine, rotating between high-intensity one-minute sessions with long strides per minute and high resistance, with low-resistance 2-minute sessions and low strides per minute. to recover. Engaging your mobile arms heavily during high intensity sessions will enhance your workout. This high intensity interval training can last from 10 to 15 minutes, with a 10 minute “cool down” session. This would make your entire workout last between 50 and 55 minutes.

Maintaining healthy triglyceride levels is important if you want to avoid heart disease, stroke, or pancreatitis. You can design a workout that is effective in keeping these levels in the healthy range with a new or refurbished elliptical.