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 stroke 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 digesting and breaking down fats in foods. Some of these fats are made in the body from other sources of energy, such as carbohydrates. Your level is measured using a common test called a lipid panel. It is the same blood test that checks LDL and HDL cholesterol levels. The American Heart Association recommends that everyone age 20 and older 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 lowers blood fat levels. Normal levels are less than 150 mg/dl, borderline high levels are 150-199 mg/dl, high levels are 200-499 mg/dl, and very high levels are 500 mg/dl and above.

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 for use as fuel later.

Long duration, moderate intensity aerobic exercise will burn fat in the bloodstream for fuel. Therefore, low-intensity, high-duration training is effective in reducing these levels of fat, as it uses 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 drop 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 anaerobic exercise that involves 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 could switch to a high-intensity interval training routine, rotating between high-intensity 1-minute sessions with high steps per minute and high resistance, with 2-minute sessions of low resistance. and low steps per minute. to recover. Engaging the moving arms tightly during high-intensity sessions will enhance your workout. This high-intensity interval training could last 10-15 minutes, with a 10-minute “cool down” session. This would make your entire workout last 50-55 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.