10 ways to improve heart rate variability | What is HRV

Have you heard of heart rate variability, or have you been trying to improve your heart rate variability (HRV)?

HRV measures your autonomic nervous system and is one of the best objective metrics of training performance, readiness to perform and recovery state.

HRV gives you a baseline to work on and monitor, both for work and training.

In this video, I talk about

What is HRV?
What affects HRV?
How do we effectively measure it?
Ten ways to increase and improve it?

There might be several points here that have you thinking, "do they really have any effect?"

We need to understand that it is a whole process.

Training, eating and sleeping are critical for heart rate variability. However, there are lots of other things that we can build into your day to help.

I use HRV to assess the senior leaders I work with; it helps us start the discussion and develop a performance plan.

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Progress over perfection

Lee

Director and Founder

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[chih]

Front loading heavier meals to earlier in the day and eating a lighter dinner has resulted in lower resting heart rate an higher HRV overnight for me. Going to bed with a lower body temperature (not ramped up by a heavy dinner) has made all the difference in my Oura readings.

[HighwayStarGR]

Thank you Obi-Wan. That was very helpful 😄

[bishbish]

Wim breathing and cold showers increase my HRV from 20-30 to 50-60.

[wnmd]

I started to really panic when seeing my HRV on my Apple Watch and reading that it means your health is bad if it’s not above 50. I’m seeing a lot of the comments say they are below 50 too so that makes me feel less nervous.

[joeptummers]

My iwatch(es) have been recording a low HRV since I first started recording it in 2016. Usually around 25-35 ms. But I feel fit, I exercise daily, do not get energy dips, gym is working as long as I'm consistent.

[janiceg]

My hrv was 16 per Oura ring! Ugh! I thought I was dying I swear. Thank you for your video.

[sweetbon]

I don't listen too much on Huberman, but he explained HRV well. When you inhale your heart beats faster, on exhale slower. The difference is HRV. It's not like your heart beats on random.

[arcticdesertlife]

Thanks for the clear tips. Definitely gotta get my sheep schedule more consistent. Crazy that alcohol takes a big hit but a few days.

[jps]

I have done 365 HRV breathing. Three times certain times a day, 6 brreaths per minute for 5 minutes and it was all I needed. I am always cool, calm and collected. I just wonder when some writer said do two times a day 20-30 minutes and you open your spirtual side..

[etralindream]

I swear eating one meal a day is the healthiest diet. Never felt better.

[alexmqn]

Can you recommend a good gadget with accurate for HVR?

[robbogart]

Any suggestions or even just a list of straps and apps?

[brazilianfernie]

My HRV is around 40s and 50s thanks to consistent exercise

[editradnoti]

Thank you, this video is very useful.

[shawnashkenasy]

Been watching my HRV for many years. Any correlation between Omega3 and HRV? I ask because I have noticed that any time I eat raw salmon (Sashimi) I see a neat spike in the HRV 20 to 40 points?

[steconnor]

I am coming from an athlete point and my HRV is always low after a big day of training and it effects my recovery massively. My sleep is fine but my HRV is low

[JonnyHavens]

How does measuring your HRV just once a day for say, 5 minutes, make any sense? How many times is your body going to be switching between "fight or flight" and a relaxed state during that time?

[Hiroshouse]

Thank you. Really helpful. I’ve had Oura for a few years and my hrv is constantly below 50. Pregnancy, grief, lots of stress then lack of sleep and exercise renders me scoring low. I also have mild ebsteins anomaly which prob has something to do with it. Im looking to find time for a workout routine. Im slim. Eat well. What sort of exercise would you recommend for someone with this score and lack of fitness? I need to get back to meditating too… gosh and find a way to sleep more 🥵

[andrewr]

Nice info. Is *autonomic nervous system not atomic