For many older adults, their cholesterol may need a bit of work. And because so many health issues can put your life at risk when your cholesterol is out of control, it’s wise to start now with making changes for the better so you don’t wind up in an assisted living facility before it’s really necessary.

To help you see how you can make some smart changes that will benefit your health, here are three easy ways to help you start to lower your cholesterol. 

Exercise For More “Good” Cholesterol

Not all cholesterol is bad. In fact, your goal should be to reduce the cholesterol that is considered bad and to increase the cholesterol that is considered to be good. 

One way you can improve the amount of  good cholesterol that you have in your body is to exercise more. It’s been proven that if a person gets a moderate amount of physical exercise on a regular basis, they can raise the amount of good cholesterol, or HDL, that they have in their body. 

To get this type of exercise, consider getting moderate physical activity for 30 minutes about five times a week or doing strenuous exercise for about 20 minutes at least three times a week. But if you’re going to be going from doing no exercise, taking small steps like taking a daily walk, going for short bike rides, or participating more in your favorite sport can help to get you on the right track, too. 

Switch Up Parts Of Your Diet

The food that you eat plays a big role in your health. Despite how much exercise you’re getting, if you’re only feeding your body unhealthy foods, you’re not going to see much if any benefit from your physical efforts. So to get the maximum benefit for your cholesterol levels, you’ll likely want to switch up some parts of your diet as well. 

Ideally, you should try to avoid saturated fats and trans fats whenever you can. Unsaturated fats, like those found in fish and nuts, are actually very healthy for you and should be eaten much more often than any other kind of fats. Along with this change, you should also try to eat more soluble fiber, which can be found in things like fruits. 

Start Taking The Right Supplements

For many people, eating or cutting back on the right foods can only go so far. In addition to this, what can be very helpful is to start taking the right supplements as well. So if you’re not already taking things like fish oil, psyllium, or coenzyme Q10, you might want to speak with your doctor about starting these supplements to improve your cholesterol levels. 

If you want to be healthy enough to live to see a ripe old age, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you get your cholesterol to a healthy level.