Simply by running regularly you’re already boosting your heart health. So why worry about stats such as high cholesterol levels—which are associated with cardiovascular disease and heart attacks—when you’re protecting yourself simply by moving?Well, for starters, cholesterol levels can creep up without you even realizing it. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly two in five people in the U.S. have high cholesterol.
It’s “bad,” because it transports cholesterol to the heart and tissues and causing plaque buildup in the arteries, which ups your risk for heart disease. What are normal cholesterol levels?While you should be able to spout off your cholesterol stats, right along with your average pace, many people have never had their levels checked—even though the CDC recommends people over 21 get it done every four to six years if cardiac risk is low .