Many people believe that if an activity doesn’t involve intense physical exertion, it must be safe for the heart. However, several seemingly harmless activities can actually pose risks to cardiovascular health. It’s important to be aware of these potential dangers and take steps to mitigate them.
Here is a list of activities and why they are damaging to the heart.
| Activity | Why It’s Damaging |
|---|---|
| Prolonged Sitting | Increases risk of heart disease, poor circulation, and metabolic syndrome. |
| Excessive Alcohol Consumption | Can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure, and irregular heartbeats. |
| Chronic Stress | Elevates blood pressure and heart rate, increasing risk of heart attack and stroke. |
| Poor Sleep Habits | Disrupts heart rhythm, raises blood pressure, and increases inflammation. |
| Overeating | Can cause weight gain, high cholesterol, and increased risk of type 2 diabetes. |
More About Habits That Hurt the Heart
Prolonged Sitting
Sitting for hours has been called “the new smoking” by cardiologists and for good reason. When we sit for long periods, blood flow throughout our body becomes sluggish, especially in our lower extremities. This reduced circulation triggers a chain reaction of metabolic changes: our muscles use less glucose, fat metabolism slows way down and inflammatory markers increase.
The body can no longer regulate blood sugar within one hour of sitting, as muscles (especially leg muscles) stop taking up glucose from the bloodstream. Over time, this contributes to insulin resistance which damages blood vessels. Sitting also reduces the activity of lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fats in the bloodstream.
Studies show that people who sit for more than 8 hours a day with minimal physical activity have a cardiovascular mortality risk similar to that of obesity or smoking. Even more scary, research shows that these effects aren’t fully reversed by regular exercise—so a morning workout doesn’t “cancel out” the damage from sitting all day at a desk job.
Excessive Drinking
While moderate drinking (especially red wine) has been shown to have some cardiovascular benefits in some studies, excessive drinking definitely harms the heart. Regular heavy drinking damages heart muscle cells directly through a condition called alcoholic cardiomyopathy, where the heart becomes enlarged and weak and can’t pump effectively.
Drinking’s impact goes beyond the heart muscle itself. It raises blood pressure by increasing the release of stress hormones and disrupting the balance of calcium in vascular smooth muscle cells. This activity causes the blood vessels to constrict. Chronic excessive drinking also disrupts normal electrical signaling in the heart and increases the risk of arrhythmias—especially atrial fibrillation which increases stroke risk by 5 times.
Also, drinks are often high in calories and can contribute to obesity and high triglycerides – both big risk factors for heart disease. The inflammatory effects of excessive drinking can accelerate atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of arteries) and increase cardiovascular risk.
Chronic Stress
Our body’s stress response was designed to be a short-term survival mechanism—not a long term state of being. When stress becomes chronic, the constant elevation of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline takes a big toll on cardiovascular health. These hormones increase the heart rate and blood pressure, adding extra strain on the heart and blood vessels.
Chronic stress promotes inflammation throughout the body including in the coronary arteries. This inflammation accelerates atherosclerosis and increases the risk of plaque rupture that can trigger a heart attack. Stress also affects blood clotting mechanisms and makes dangerous clot formations more likely.
Beyond these direct physiological effects, stress often leads to harmful behavioral changes that damage heart health: stress eating (typically of unhealthy comfort foods), increased alcohol consumption, disrupted sleep patterns and reduced physical activity. Stress can also exacerbate symptoms in those already diagnosed with heart disease.
Research has linked specific types of psychological stress—like workplace stress, social isolation, depression and anxiety—with significantly increased risk of cardiovascular events. A landmark study found that the risk of heart attack almost tripled in the two hours following an episode of intense anger.
One of the best ways to overcome some of these poor habits is to sign up for CPR training. CPR classes, when conducted onsite, will make you more aware of being good to your heart and its care.
Poor Sleep Habits
Sleep is not a luxury but a biological necessity for heart health. During normal sleep cycles blood pressure drops by about 10-20%—a phenomenon called “nocturnal dipping” that gives the cardiovascular system time to recover. People who don’t experience this nighttime blood pressure decrease have a much higher risk of heart disease.
Sleep deprivation and disrupted sleep increase inflammatory markers and stress hormones and decrease glucose tolerance. Even a single night of poor sleep can temporarily increase blood pressure and impair vascular function the next day. Chronic sleep problems are associated with higher calcium buildup in the coronary arteries—a marker of developing heart disease.
Sleep apnea—a common sleep disorder characterized by repeated breathing interruptions—is particularly bad for heart health. Each breathing pause triggers a stress response that spikes blood pressure and heart rate. Over time, this contributes to hypertension, arrhythmias, heart failure and increased risk of sudden cardiac death. Unfortunately, many people with sleep apnea go undiagnosed.
Even the disruption of our circadian rhythm—our body’s internal clock—can impact heart health. Shift workers who work nights have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, as do people who experience social jet lag (marking a big difference between weekday and weekend sleep schedules).
Overeating
The connection between overeating and heart health goes beyond the obvious link to obesity. Eating large meals puts immediate stress on the cardiovascular system. After eating, blood is diverted to the digestive system and the heart has to work harder.
With large portions, this extra workload becomes significant.Studies have shown that very large meals can temporarily increase the risk of heart attack—especially in people with existing coronary artery disease. This is why heart attacks spike during holidays when we feast.
Chronic overeating leads to weight gain, especially visceral fat around abdominal organs. This type of fat isn’t just storage tissue; it functions as an endocrine organ releasing inflammatory compounds and hormones that promote insulin resistance, high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.
Furthermore, regularly stretching the stomach with large meals makes it harder to recognize fullness signals and creates a cycle of overeating. The foods we eat during overeating episodes are usually high in refined carbs, unhealthy fats and sodium, which compounds the damage to the heart.
Conclusion
Make sure you adapt a healthy lifestyle to support the health of your heart. What you do for yourself will help you understand the importance of truly living well.
Author Bio: Donna Ryan is a health writer from Tucson, AZ. Contact her at donnar668@gmail.com for writing and editing services.
