Exercise is one of the most effective ways to boost "good" HDL cholesterol. In one review of 37 studies on exercise and HDL, the researchers found that exercising three times a week for just 30 minutes could increase good cholesterol by as much as 18 percent.
Staying active also reduces blood pressure and triglycerides, the blood fats that are linked to diabetes and increased risk of heart trouble. Lowering blood pressure is another reward.
500 men and women who were regularly active even if they just golfed or gardened a couple of days a week-were far more likely to have arteries free of plaque and, as a result, lower blood pressure than people who were sedentary.
On average, exercise can drop both your systolic and diastolic blood pressure numbers by 5 to 10 points, enough to allow people with borderline hypertension to go off medication.