Heart health is often associated with major lifestyle choices such as smoking, diet and exercise.
But some of the habits that influence cardiovascular health are far more ordinary.
How much you move during the day, what you routinely eat, how well you sleep and whether you keep track of important health numbers can all play a role in the long-term health of your heart.
Heart disease remains a major health concern in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking as key risk factors, while physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet, excess alcohol consumption, diabetes and excess weight can also increase risk.
The encouraging part is that many cardiovascular risk factors can be influenced by everyday choices. Here are several common habits worth paying attention to.
1. Sitting for Long Periods Without Moving
You may exercise regularly and still spend much of the rest of your day sitting.
Long stretches at a desk, in front of the television or behind the wheel can make it surprisingly easy to live a largely sedentary lifestyle.
Physical activity helps with several factors connected to cardiovascular health, including blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and weight. The American Heart Association recommends that adults aim for about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week.
That doesn’t necessarily mean spending hours at a gym.
Walking, gardening, cycling and other forms of movement can contribute to an active lifestyle. If you spend much of the day sitting, consider periodically getting up and moving around rather than remaining in the same position for hours.
2. Eating More Sodium Than You Realize
Many people associate excessive salt with the salt shaker. But a substantial amount of sodium can come from packaged, prepared and restaurant foods.
The CDC notes that consuming too much sodium can raise blood pressure, and high blood pressure is itself a major risk factor for heart disease.
The American Heart Association recommends choosing foods lower in sodium and preparing meals with little or no added salt when possible. Checking Nutrition Facts labels can help you compare products and identify foods containing unexpectedly large amounts of sodium.
Small changes can add up. Cooking more meals at home, comparing labels and relying on herbs and spices for flavor may help reduce sodium intake without making meals bland.
3. Treating Sleep as Optional
Sleep isn’t simply downtime for your body.
The American Heart Association considers healthy sleep one of its Life’s Essential 8, a collection of behaviors and health factors associated with cardiovascular health. Most adults should aim for approximately seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
Poor sleep is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors including high blood pressure, abnormal blood sugar, obesity and unfavorable cholesterol levels.
A regular bedtime and wake-up time, a relaxing nighttime routine and reducing screen exposure around bedtime may help improve sleep habits.
Persistent sleep problems deserve attention, too. People who regularly struggle to sleep or who suspect a condition such as sleep apnea should consider discussing the problem with a health care professional.
4. Relying Too Heavily on Highly Processed Foods
Convenience foods can make life easier, but relying heavily on highly processed foods may make maintaining a heart-healthy eating pattern more difficult.
The American Heart Association recommends emphasizing vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy protein sources and minimally processed foods while limiting added sugars, sodium and saturated fat.
You don’t have to completely overhaul your kitchen overnight.
Simple substitutions can help. Fruit instead of a sugary dessert, unsalted nuts instead of certain processed snacks, whole grains instead of refined grains, and home-cooked meals instead of frequent fast food can gradually shift your overall eating pattern.
The key is the pattern of your diet over time rather than any single meal.
5. Assuming a Little Too Much Alcohol Doesn’t Matter
Alcohol can easily become part of an evening routine—a drink with dinner, another while watching television and perhaps more on the weekend.
Over time, those drinks can add up.
The CDC reports that excessive alcohol consumption can increase blood pressure and triglyceride levels, both of which are relevant to cardiovascular health.
The American Heart Association advises people who don’t drink alcohol not to start and recommends limiting consumption for those who do drink.
If drinking has quietly become an everyday habit, reducing consumption may be worth discussing with your health care provider.
6. Smoking — Even If It’s Only Occasionally
There is no good reason to think occasional smoking is harmless to the cardiovascular system.
Smoking damages the heart and blood vessels and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack. Nicotine can raise blood pressure, while carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke reduces the amount of oxygen the blood can carry. Secondhand smoke can also increase cardiovascular risk.
The benefits of quitting aren’t reserved for young people or those who recently started smoking. The CDC says stopping smoking can lower the risk of serious health problems, including heart disease, even among longtime smokers.
If quitting has been difficult, a doctor or other health professional can help identify evidence-based strategies and treatments.
7. Ignoring Your Blood Pressure Because You Feel Fine
High blood pressure can be particularly concerning because a person may not necessarily recognize it based on how they feel.
Blood pressure is one of the American Heart Association’s eight major measures of cardiovascular health, alongside diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep, weight, cholesterol and blood sugar.
Knowing your numbers becomes increasingly important as you get older or develop additional cardiovascular risk factors.
Regular medical checkups can help identify changes before they become more serious. Depending on your personal risk factors, your health care provider may also monitor cholesterol and blood sugar.
8. Assuming Exercise Has to Be Intense to Count
Some people avoid exercise because they imagine heart-healthy activity requires running, heavy workouts or an expensive gym membership.
It doesn’t.
Brisk walking is one example of moderate-intensity physical activity. The CDC recommends that adults get about 2½ hours of moderate-intensity exercise each week and notes that regular activity can help lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
For someone who has been inactive, gradually becoming more active may be more realistic than trying to transform into an athlete overnight.
People with heart disease, significant medical conditions or concerns about starting an exercise program should ask their health care professional what level of activity is appropriate.
9. Waiting Until Something Feels Wrong to Think About Heart Health
One potentially costly habit is treating heart health as something to worry about only after symptoms develop.
Preventive care gives you an opportunity to identify risk factors such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or abnormal blood sugar before cardiovascular problems become more advanced.
The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 offers a useful framework: eat better, be more active, avoid nicotine, get healthy sleep, manage weight, control cholesterol, manage blood sugar and manage blood pressure.
You don’t need perfect scores in every category before making progress.
Improving one or two habits today may make it easier to tackle others later.
Small Changes Can Have a Meaningful Impact
Protecting your heart doesn’t necessarily require dramatic lifestyle changes.
Taking more walks, improving sleep, eating more whole foods, reducing sodium, avoiding tobacco and keeping up with routine medical care are practical steps that can support cardiovascular health.
Perhaps most importantly, don’t assume that feeling healthy automatically means every cardiovascular risk factor is under control.
Knowing your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar—and discussing your individual risk factors with a qualified health professional—can give you a clearer picture of where you stand.
Bottom line: The habits that affect your heart aren’t limited to obvious unhealthy behaviors. Everyday decisions involving food, movement, sleep, tobacco, alcohol and preventive care can influence cardiovascular health over time. The sooner healthier habits become part of your normal routine, the easier they may be to maintain.
This article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Individual health needs vary. Consult a qualified health care professional about questions concerning your cardiovascular health or before making significant changes to your diet, exercise routine or treatment plan.
