Stopping this common habit can do wonders for your heart health.
Reviewed by Dietitian Casey Wing, RD, CD
Key Points
- Prolonged sitting can harm heart health by reducing circulation and increasing inflammation over time.
- Breaking up sitting with frequent, brief movement supports blood sugar control and vascular function.
- Simple strategies like standing during calls or walking after meals can reduce sitting time effectively.
We all know that smoking, high blood pressure and unhealthy eating habits can affect heart health. But according to cardiologists, one daily habit often flies under the radar: spending too much time sitting.
Prolonged sitting may contribute to several conditions that raise your risk of heart disease, including poor circulation, insulin resistance, high blood pressure and weight gain. “Sitting for more than eight hours per day has been associated with various health risks, including cardiovascular issues such as blood clots in the legs, obesity and musculoskeletal problems,” says cardiologist Bradley Server, MD “Prolonged sitting has been coined the ‘new smoking’ because of all the negative consequences it has on your health.”
The good news is this habit doesn’t have to be permanent. We spoke with cardiologists to learn why breaking this habit is essential for heart health and what you can do instead to help protect your heart.
Why Cardiologists Are Concerned About Prolonged Sitting
Whether it’s working, commuting, traveling or relaxing at home, sitting has become engrained in our daily lives. But when sitting takes up most of your waking hours, it can impact your cardiovascular health in several ways.
“Prolonged sitting is often overlooked because it doesn’t feel unhealthy at the moment,” says cardiologist Jayne Morgan, M.D. “But from a cardiovascular standpoint, it may be one of the most consequential habits people engage in every day.”
That doesn’t mean sitting is as harmful as smoking, or that sitting for one long day will cause heart disease. But as a daily habit, prolonged sitting may contribute to the kinds of cardiovascular and metabolic changes that can increase your risk of cardiovascular issues in the long run. Here’s how.
It Can Affect Circulation
Sitting for too long means you’re not moving your body enough, which can lead to poor circulation. “[Prolonged sitting] promotes fluid pooling and venous congestion,” explains Morgan. “When you sit for long periods, especially without moving your legs, blood and fluid tend to pool in the lower extremities.”
Your calf muscles help move blood from your legs back toward your heart. Morgan describes them as a “second heart,” helping pump blood back toward the chest. When those muscles stay inactive for long periods, circulation can become less efficient, leading to overall decreased cardiac function.
It May Worsen Metabolic Health
Prolonged sitting is also linked with metabolic issues that can increase your risk of heart disease and heart failure. These include insulin resistance, increased visceral fat, elevated triglycerides, poor blood sugar control and increased inflammation. According to Morgan, these factors are “major contributors to the development of heart failure, particularly HFpEF (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, a particularly challenging type of heart failure).”
Why does this matter? Because heart failure is often connected to your overall cardiometabolic health. Metabolic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and vascular dysfunction can strain your heart health if not addressed.
It’s Easy to Overlook
Unlike smoking or an elevated blood pressure reading, prolonged sitting has no immediate warning signs. “If you sit for 8 to 10 hours, nothing hurts. You don’t feel sick. There is no immediate consequence,” explains Morgan. “The damage accumulates quietly over years through worsening blood pressure, insulin resistance, visceral fat, inflammation and vascular dysfunction.”
Modern life also normalizes sitting. Things like desk jobs, conferences, computer work, air travel and binge-watching your favorite Netflix series all encourage long periods of being sedentary. “The body was designed for frequent movement, not a single workout followed by 10 hours in a chair,” says Morgan.
Small Changes That Can Help Reduce Risk
The good news is that reducing your sitting time doesn’t require a dramatic lifestyle overhaul. Cardiologists recommend breaking up long periods of sitting with short, frequent movement breaks.
“The key is to make movement frequent, brief and tied to things you’re already doing,” says Morgan. “Interrupting sitting every 30 to 60 minutes, even with one to two minutes of movement, may help support blood sugar control, vascular function and circulation.”
Serwer recommends using technology as a tool to help you sit less and move more. “Smart watches which track movement, steps, flights of stairs, heart rate and heart rate variability have been a valuable tool,” he says. “Not only do they track your statistics, they also can serve as a reminder when you are sedentary for too long.”
Here are some practical ways to sit less throughout the day:
- Stand during phone calls. If you take calls for work or personal errands, use that time as a built-in standing break.
- Walk during meetings. If you don’t need to be on camera or in person, pace around your house or get outside for a walk during meetings.
- Move your office supplies farther away. Keep your printer or trash can in another room so you have to stand up more often.
- Try “movement snacks.” Set a timer and do a quick set of calf raises, squats, stair climbing or stretching every hour.
- Walk after meals. Morgan recommends trying to walk for 10 minutes or so after every meal.
Our Expert Take
Cardiologists say prolonged sitting is the No. 1 daily habit linked to heart disesase. Spending an extended amount of time sitting every day may affect your circulation, blood pressure, blood sugar, inflammation and cardiovascular health. Strategies to reduce your sitting time include standing during phone calls, walking after meals, taking the stairs whenever possible and having short “movement snacks” every hour. It’s important to remember that your heart health is determined by several factors, including age, genetics, high blood pressure, diabetes and lifestyle habits. As always, speak with your health care provider if you have any questions or concerns regarding your heart health.