Two major taboos for exercise in patients with hyperlipidemia: random exercise and strenuous exercise in the morning.

Avoid Random Exercise: Life lies in movement. While regular exercise is beneficial, it should not be done blindly. Patients with hyperlipidemia should undergo a comprehensive physical examination before starting any exercise program to rule out any possible comorbidities or complications, and to determine their appropriate exercise intensity.

In fact, general physical exercise is only suitable for healthy individuals, hyperlipidemia patients without serious comorbidities, and patients with low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Patients with mild hypertension, diabetes, asymptomatic coronary heart disease, or obesity must engage in appropriate exercise under the guidance of a doctor.

Exercise is contraindicated for patients with hyperlipidemia who also have the following conditions:

Congestive heart failure;
Acute phase of acute myocardial infarction;
Severe ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias;
Unstable angina;
Severe diabetes;
Liver or kidney dysfunction;
Severe hypertension.

Patients with hyperlipidemia should minimize exercise and exercise only under medical supervision if they have the following conditions: frequent premature ventricular contractions and atrial fibrillation; ventricular aneurysm; hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, and significant cardiac hypertrophy; uncontrolled diabetes; liver and kidney dysfunction; hyperthyroidism.

Patients with hyperlipidemia who also have complete atrioventricular block, left bundle branch block, fixed-frequency pacemaker implantation, severe anemia, exertional angina, severe obesity, or are using digitalis or beta-blockers must exercise with extreme caution.

Avoid strenuous exercise in the morning: Morning exercise is beneficial, but should not be too strenuous. Early morning is a high-risk time for cardiovascular diseases because the body's sympathetic nervous system is more active in the morning. Sympathetic nerve activity causes vasoconstriction, leading to increased blood pressure and, in severe cases, myocardial ischemia. Furthermore, blood viscosity is higher in the morning, increasing the risk of thrombosis. If the exercise is too strenuous at this time, it will accelerate the process of the above-mentioned events, thereby promoting the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications such as coronary heart disease. Therefore, it is important to exercise at a moderate level.