Spending hours on your phone, watching television or working at a computer may seem harmless, but too much screen time can become a heart-health concern when it also means spending long periods sitting and moving very little.
Research has found an association between high levels of sedentary time and cardiovascular disease. Screen time is often used as one measure of sedentary behaviour, although not every type of screen use has the same effect. Heart.org
How screen time can affect heart health
The bigger concern may not be the screen itself, but what happens while you are using it.
Long periods of sitting can reduce the amount of physical activity you get throughout the day. Studies have linked higher sedentary time with cardiovascular disease and related health risks.
A large systematic review found that adults with the highest levels of sedentary time had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those with the lowest levels.
Spending several hours sitting in front of a screen can also make it easier to lose track of time. A workday can turn into an evening of scrolling, streaming or gaming without much movement in between.
There may be other habits around screen use too. For example, long periods of television viewing can overlap with eating, staying up late or replacing time that could have been spent being active. However, research on these specific links is mixed, so screen use itself should not be treated as the sole cause of poor heart health.
Does exercise cancel out too much screen time?
Being physically active is still important, but it does not necessarily make prolonged sitting irrelevant.
Research suggests that both physical activity and sedentary behaviour matter for cardiovascular health. Some evidence indicates that reducing sitting time and increasing movement can work together as part of a healthier lifestyle.
You do not have to stop watching your favourite shows or avoid your phone. Instead, look for easy ways to break up long periods of sitting. Heart disease
Try to:
- Stand up and walk around during screen breaks.
- Take short walks during the day.
Stretch between episodes or work sessions. - Walk while taking phone calls when possible.
- Add regular physical activity to your week.
The bottom line
Too much screen time may be harmful to heart health when it contributes to prolonged sedentary behaviour and replaces physical activity. The evidence shows an association between high sedentary time and cardiovascular disease, but screen time alone does not determine a person’s heart health.
Small movement breaks throughout the day, combined with regular exercise and other healthy habits, can help reduce the amount of time you spend sitting.
