Is Sitting the New Smoking? A Sedentary Lifestyle and Your Heart

About 10 years ago, the American Heart Association released a science advisory: sitting too long may increase your risk for heart attack and stroke, even if you exercise regularly.

It turns out meeting the physical activity guidelines for moderate or vigorous exercise isn’t enough by itself. You also need to avoid long periods of daytime inactivity.

“When it comes to heart health, many healthcare providers tend to focus on smoking cessation, exercise and diet,” says Dr. Paul Slota, an interventional cardiologist who sees patients at Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists. “But also contributing to our cardiovascular health is sitting all day, which is something many of us have to do as part of our jobs.” 

An inactive lifestyle can creep up on you, but knowing simple changes you need to make and how to adopt more active habits can help you break up your sitting patterns and show your heart some love.

What Is a ‘Sedentary Lifestyle,’ Anyway?

Sedentary doesn’t mean you’re lazy. It just means that, for prolonged periods of time, you aren’t moving much. You can be sedentary while reclining on the sofa or sitting at your desk at work.

The Department of Health and Human Services defines sedentary behavior as being awake but using very little energy, less than or equal to 1.5 METs. A MET, or "metabolic equivalent of task," measures the energy we use during different activities. 

For example, sitting completely still uses 1 MET, while walking slowly around your home uses about 2 METs. Light-intensity activities, which are not sedentary, require less than 3 METs. This includes things like walking slowly, cooking or doing light chores around the house.

Sitting: How Long Is Too Long?

In the United States, people spend an average of 7.7 waking hours each day sitting or lying. Research finds that the threshold where sitting starts to cause significant problems for your cardiovascular system — including higher risk of heart failure and death — is roughly 10.5 hours. The danger rises incrementally. 

That is, the more hours you spend being sedentary, the higher your risk.

How does it work? Some experts speculate that time spent sitting means your large muscles aren’t burning enough glucose (sugar). In turn, your blood sugar rises, leading to insulin resistance, inflammation and fatty plaque buildup in your arteries.

Try timing yourself during the day. How much time do you spend exercising? How much time do you spend moving but not exercising, like sweeping the floor? And how much time do you spend sitting, reclining or lying down?

How Does Sitting Too Much Affect Your Heart?

Too much sitting can increase your risk of developing:

• Coronary artery disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Weight gain and obesity

These problems, in turn, can raise your risk for serious cardiovascular issues, such as:

• Atrial fibrillation
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Stroke

Similarly, smoking also increases your risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

Learn About Your Heart Disease Risk: Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring

Beyond Your Heart: Other Risks of Being Sedentary

Sedentary habits have other dangers, too. They can contribute to:

• Anxiety and depression
• Metabolic syndrome
• Osteoporosis
• Type 2 diabetes
• Weight gain and obesity

Diabetes and obesity also increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Life in Motion: Simple Ways to Move More

To break up sedentary behavior, you don’t necessarily need to add more hours to your exercise routine.

“If you’re currently getting 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, you’re doing pretty well,” Dr. Slota says. “You may want to focus on breaking up periods of inactivity.”

What if you spend hours sitting and don’t get regular exercise?

“For people who spend the most time sitting, every little bit of activity helps,” Dr. Slota says. “For those folks, simple changes can make a big difference.”

At Work

Does your job keep you tied to a chair all day? Look for wiggle room — small ways to stay well at work.

• Park far away and take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Set an hourly timer to stand up and stretch or do a few minutes of chair yoga.
• Walk over to a colleague’s desk rather than sending a text.
• Work from home? Take hourly breaks to stretch, play with your pet or do some jumping jacks. (Marching in place works too.)

At Home

When you’re through with the workday, you may be ready to flop down on the recliner. Try these tips instead:

• Flop on the floor. Stretch while watching TV or binging your favorite show online.
• Don’t skip the ads. Depending on the length, do a 30-second or 1-minute chore during each ad spot. Brush your teeth. Let the dog out (or let them in!). It all adds up.
• Silly dance. Seated. Standing. Holding your spouse. Twirling your toddler. It’s never the wrong time for a silly dance.
• Talk and walk. While you chat with a friend or loved one, stroll around the house to do some light chores.
• Work and listen. Play a podcast while you iron, bake a pie or do a minor home repair.

As the saying goes, “move it or lose it.” And at home, you can move it in your pajamas.

Read More: Unleash Your Inner Athlete Safely, No Olympic Torch Required

Key Takeaways: Small Changes Add Up for Heart Health

Even if you get regular daily exercise, hours spent sitting can raise your risk for heart attack, heart failure and stroke. Fortunately, this is a problem with simple solutions.

1. Move around frequently during the day.
2. Start with small bursts of simple activity and go from there.
3. Ask your heart care provider about other ways to lower your heart disease risk, starting with a Cardiovascular Screening Package.

Whether you’re concerned about your activity level or other heart disease risk factors, Beaufort Memorial heart and vascular specialists can help you understand your risk and take steps toward a healthier heart.