This week we’re learning about HRV and the habits we can adopt to improve it.
This is the final issue of the three-part series looking at downregulating our sympathetic nervous system and learning how to manipulate our parasympathetic nervous system in order to control chronic stress and help us fight everything that comes along with it.
Importance
HRV stands for heart rate variability. This is the amount of time between heartbeats. While our heart rate may seem constant, there are actually tiny variations between each beat. This is a good thing - this variation indicates there is a good balance between the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems - something we’ve been talking about a lot recently. It means the branches of your nervous system are working together to respond to various inputs - such as breathing, temperature, and stress. We want our HRV to be high.
When our HRV is low - meaning there is little variation between beats, it signals that our parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems aren’t working well together to respond to the physiological information produced by our bodies.
Our HRV tends to decrease during times of chronic stress, under-recovery from exercise, and during illness and injury. This is why HRV can be a great indicator of whole-body health; it is an accurate portrayal of what’s going on in your body.
So while our focus lies on improving the score, what we’re actually looking to do is improve the balance between the branches of our nervous system and help our bodies deal with stress.
Implementation
I must first note that there is no “ideal” HRV for everyone. Like a lot of things, what is “right” is highly individual, and comparing your HRV to someone else’s is meaningless. It tends to be higher in younger people and very high in elite athletes, especially endurance athletes. Genetics, health, and environment can also impact it, so it’s really hard to determine what a “good” score is. What is important is that you compare your HRV to your HRV last week, and last month.
Furthermore, while there are various technologies out there that will measure your HRV (Oura ring, Apple Watch, Whoop strap), you don’t actually need to know your HRV to adopt the following habits and take care of your nervous systems.
Rather than focusing on improving your number, focus on learning how to better modulate both branches of your autonomic nervous system. Modulating your nervous system is a skill that can be learned.
The key idea behind improving our HRV is to signal to our body that we are safe. This makes sense, as generally a low HRV score or downward trend will result from stress, illness, and injury - all signals to our body that we are not safe and not okay.
So, building on the last 2 weeks, breathwork is an excellent way to improve our HRV. Keep working on nasal breathing and implementing the various breathing techniques we have learned about.
The following are further methods to improve HRV:
Make sure you’re getting enough rest — from both training and life. Strenuous activity (physical and mental) is taxing on the body and increases systemic stress.
Stay hydrated. Dehydration is stressful for the body.
Limit alcohol. Alcohol is also a stressor on the body, so don’t go overboard. Alcohol can lower your HRV for up to 5 days.
Eat nutritious foods. Nutrition supports all functions of the body. If these are not able to operate properly, your body will experience stress and inflammation.
Eat enough food. While nutrition is very important, eating enough is just as important. Being hungry is stressful for the body and induces a stress response, therefore activating your fight or flight system.
Get good quality sleep. Sleep helps with mental and physical recovery. Without it, your body is going to be stressed.
Cold exposure. Whether cold showers, ice baths, or cold plunges, cold exposure reduces inflammation and enhances recovery.
Adaptogens. An adaptogen is a natural substance that helps your body adapt to stress and return to, or maintain, baseline physiological levels. Essentially, they help you deal with stress, which we now know is very important for HRV.
Meditation and yoga. These are powerful techniques for downregulating the sympathetic nervous system.
Grounding. Placing your bare feet on the earth allows the negative ions produced by cellular metabolism in your body to be absorbed by the earth, as a result of the earth’s magnetic field. This reduces inflammation in the body.
Before you go
Here are some free links to articles published this week:
This Simple Method Will Exponentially Increase the Likelihood of Reaching Your Goals
The Ideal Time to Drink Coffee, According to Science
Here’s Why You Should Set Goals You’ll Never Achieve
Cut Your Risk of Death in Half with This One Simple Practice
How often/long should I practice "grounding"?