What Is HRV and 7 Hacks To Improve It

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a popular subject discussed currently in the wellness industry.

Of course, the concept of HRV has been around for a long time, but it’s only really just being monitored in order to improve health and wellbeing.

In this article, I’m going to be telling you everything you need to know about HRV, how you can measure it, and how you can improve it. So, let’s get straight to it.

How Can You Measure HRV?

HRV can be measured in a medical professional's office, but it can also be measured at home!

In fact, HRV is often measured with wearable devices, both by athletes, fitness professionals, and those who want to track their fitness and wellbeing levels.

I personally track my HRV with the Oura Ring, a smart ring that not only measures HRV, but respiratory rate, body temperature, activity, and movement, sleep latency, and the different stages of sleep (Light, REM and Deep).

There are many different types of wearables out there, but from personal experience, the Oura is incredible!

What Is A Good HRV?

Everyone’s HRV is completely individual and changes over time, and therefore there’s technically no “good” HRV. HRV can range from anywhere between 20 to over 200 milliseconds.

Therefore, there’s no point trying to compare your HRV with others – everything affects your individual HRV rating, from your lifestyle choices to your genetics.

Research from Whoop, a wearable technology brand, states that their average 20-25-year-old wearer’s HRV is 55-105 and their average 60-65-year-old wearers is 25-45.

This is typically normal statistics due to the fact that HRV does decrease the older that you get.

Why Do You Want High HRV And What Affects It?

There are health benefits associated with having a high HRV, hence the reason why we should all try to improve it.

Although there are many factors that affect HRV, the most influential factors that determine whether you have a high or low HRV depend on the health of the cardiovascular system, as well as the parasympathetic and sympathetic divisions of the nervous system.

These two parts of the nervous system have opposite functions – the parasympathetic nervous system manages the rest and digestion of the body, whilst the sympathetic nervous system manages the fight or flight response.

If both of these two parts of the nervous system are balanced, the body will be in a more optimal state of wellbeing and therefore, you will have a high HRV.

If one part of the nervous system is more highly functioning than the other, HRV will be lower.

To promote balance in the central nervous system, as well as promote healthy factors that increase HRV, there are certain things that you can do – take a look at the 7 hacks to improve HRV below!

7 Hacks To Improve HRV

If you want to improve your HRV and better your health and fitness in the process, follow these 7 hacks below!

1Stay Hydrated

Hydration is absolutely essential for good health, and it’s certainly something you should focus on, especially seeing as in the US, 75% of adults suffer chronic dehydration, drinking only 2 and a half cups of water per day on average.

Dehydration can affect the volume of blood and make it harder for your blood to circulate and deliver nutrients around the body.

It can also reduce energy levels, impact immunity, worsen the function of the organs, and reduce physical endurance and performance.

Therefore, you need to prioritize hydration!

You should be consuming 3.7 liters of water per day if you’re a man, and 2.7 liters if you’re a woman.

2Practice Exercise Daily and Improve Endurance

Exercising daily not only helps to reduce the risk of certain diseases and illnesses, but it also promotes adaptation within the body as it becomes stronger, healthier, and endurance is improved.

Research has shown that when you exercise regularly and your physical performance and endurance improve, the adaptation that occurs within the body over time leads to an increased HRV.

Although light exercise such as walking and running can improve your endurance over time, the best way to improve your performance and endurance quickly is by pushing yourself by doing things such as weight lifting and HIIT.

3Have A Healthy Diet With Little Alcohol Intake

Although there isn’t one specific diet that suits everyone, you need to prioritize having a healthy diet. This means that you need to meet your essential micronutrient intake, eat a balanced diet that contains vegetables, fruit, and protein.

If you’re not consuming enough nutrients through your diet, you may need to start supplementing!

A super greens powder, such as my powder, SuperGreen TONIK, can provide essential micronutrients to you, as well as provide a variety of health benefits.

In addition to having a diet rich in micronutrients, an anti-inflammatory diet is essential if you want to increase your HRV.

To achieve an anti-inflammatory diet, you should reduce your intake of sugars, trans fats, and omega 6 fatty acids.

If you consume too much of these substances, your body will succumb to inflammation and chronic inflammation may occur.

Chronic inflammation has incredibly harmful effects on the body – it can damage cells, tissues, DNA, and organs too.

As well as ensuring you have a healthy, balanced diet, you should also try to lower your alcohol intake. Alcohol significantly lowers your HRV due to the fact that it impacts both parts of the central nervous system negatively.

4Soak Up The Sunlight and Regulate The Circadian Rhythm

Exposing yourself to sunlight, as long as you don’t expose yourself to too much, provides the body with regulates the circadian rhythm, as well as promotes the production of essential vitamins.

The circadian rhythm is what regulates your sleep-wake schedule, and you have to support it in order for it to properly work.

One of the easiest ways to support your circadian rhythm is by exposing yourself to sunlight.

When you expose yourself to sunlight in the morning, it lets your body know that you’re awake and this makes the body suppress melatonin production – melatonin is the hormone that promotes sleep.

In addition, exposing yourself to sunlight in the morning promotes the production of cortisol, which in small amounts, energizes the body.

Therefore, the body is much more likely to feel awake after you expose your body to sunlight in the morning.

In the evening, exposing yourself to the change in sunlight at sunset helps your body to sync up with the changes in light, therefore promoting a more regulated circadian rhythm.

As it gets dark, your body then promotes the release of melatonin, promoting the feeling of sleepiness and relaxation.

Syncing up your body with the natural changes in sunlight regulates your circadian rhythm, will support natural hormone production and chemical processes, therefore improving HRV.

5Prioritise Sleep

Sleep is a vital part of good health – proper, deep, and adequate sleep is essential if you want to support an optimal level of health and wellbeing in both your body and mind.

Both overall health and wellbeing, and HRV specifically, are heavily influenced by sleep – both the quality and quantity of it.

Having a regulated circadian rhythm is essential in supporting good sleep. However, there’s more to it than that!

You really need to prioritize your sleep, and this means getting between 6-8 hours of sleep per night (although the specific time you need to sleep depends on your individual needs), and you need to reduce the likelihood of insomnia, snoring, and issues such as sleep apnea.

You can do this by not exposing yourself to blue light in the evening, by using nootropic supplements to promote sleep, by getting into bed at a reasonable time, and by sleeping at a good temperature (the recommended temperature for sleep is between 15.6 to 19.4ºC).

If you struggle with getting consistent and quality sleep then nootropics could help.

6Reduce Your Stress Levels

HRV increases when you feel relaxed and at ease, and decreases when you’re stressed.

This is due to the fact that when you’re stressed, cortisol is released, your heart beats faster, and your body becomes more inflamed.

If all of these occurrences happen in the body, it’s not the only HRV that decreases, but your immunity, mood, gut health, and libido take a hit.

In addition, your blood pressure increases.

There are a few ways that you can reduce your stress levels, both physical and mental.

To reduce physical stress, make sure that you support yourself with a healthy, balanced diet, reduce your alcohol intake, and exercise!

To reduce mental stress, you should focus on practicing mindfulness, by doing things such as meditation, breathwork, spending time in nature, and journaling.

7Try Intermittent Fasting

Research has shown that fasting significantly increases HRV due to the fact that during a fast.

Although there are many different types of fasting, the most effective and sustainable type of fast is intermittent fasting.

I’ve been intermittent fasting for a while and I’ve definitely experienced the benefits associated with it, and due to the fact that HRV increases during fasting, I’d say it’s a great concept to try out.

Although you can do intermittent fasting in a way that suits you, the most commonly done types of intermittent fasting are the 16/8 fast and the 14/10 fast.

The 16/8 intermittent fasting method means that you don’t eat for 16 hours and then eat within an 8 hour period, and the 14/10 fast is exactly the same, but with a different time frame.

The reason that intermittent fasting improves HRV is due to the fact that when you fast, your body preserves the energy you have, and autophagy, the clearing out of damaged cells, occurs.

This causes the parasympathetic part of the nervous system (the part that manages the rest and digestion of the body), to function more, improving HRV.

However, if you are doing an intense and long-term fast, such as OMAD, you may actually cause the parasympathetic part of the nervous system to function too actively, and therefore you could cause unbalance in the nervous system, therefore reducing HRV.

So, if you’re going to fast, do intermittent fasting!

FAQ’s About HRV

Is There A Specific HRV You Should Aim For?

As I briefly covered at the beginning of this article, HRV cannot be compared person to person. HRV is very personal and therefore what’s a suitable HRV for someone may not be suitable for someone else.

HRV can range from 20-200 milliseconds.

However, generally, research by Whoop has found that their average 20-25-year-old wearer’s HRV is 55-105 and their average 60-65-year-old wearer is 25-45.

Why Does HRV Get Lower As You Get Older?

HRV lowers significantly when you age and research has shown that this is due to the fact that there is lower parasympathetic activity and higher sympathetic activity – the nervous system is unbalanced and the higher sympathetic activity is associated with increased heart rate and blood pressure.

Which HRV Trackers Are Good?

There are a number of good quality HRV trackers on the market, but I would personally recommend just two – the Oura Ring and The Whoop tracker.

The Oura Ring is a smart ring that measures HRV, respiratory rate, body temperature, activity and movement, sleep latency, and the different stages of sleep (Light, REM, and Deep).

The Whoop tracker is worn around the wrist and monitors sleep, HRV, resting heart rate, and respiratory rate.

The Bottom Line

Measuring your HRV can help you to measure your overall health and fitness levels, and improving your HRV with the hacks I’ve mentioned in this article can bring you to new heights of health and wellbeing.

Just remember, the aim is to be completely balanced within the body and to keep pushing your physical and mental endurance and performance!