IS HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) YOUR body’s Morse code of health, silently sending messages about your wellness?...CONTINUE READING
It’s not just about how fast your heart beats; it’s the rhythm and variation that matters.
This unassuming metric holds a wealth of information about your well-being, and understanding it can be a valuable tool for improving your health and quality of life.
About one in five Americans use a smartwatch or fitness tracker. Many of these devices measure heart rate variability.
Should you track heart rate variability? Is it a good measure of health? Today, we define HRV, explore lifestyle factors that impact it, and how much attention you should give it.
I will also share how I plan to use the metric.
What is Heart Rate Variability?
The Harvard Health Blog offers this definition:
Heart rate variability (HRV) measures the variation in time between each heartbeat.
Heart rate variation reflects the sympathetic versus parasympathetic “battle.” HRV is the variance in the timing between each heartbeat.
Let’s say your heart rate is 60 beats per minute. But look more closely, and you will find that your heart is not beating at exactly one-second intervals all the time. One beat may be 0.9 and another 1.1 seconds.
These fluctuations are not detectable except with specialized devices.
The Autonomic Nervous System
The autonomic nervous system (ANS), a primitive part of the nervous system, regulates heart rate variation.
A black bear, seen slose up, stares at us. Our autonomic nervous system is a behind-the-scenes actor, automatically regulating our heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and digestion. We can conveniently divide the autonomic nervous system into two parts:
Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash
Our autonomic nervous system is a behind-the-scenes actor, automatically regulating our heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and digestion. We can conveniently divide the autonomic nervous system into two parts:
Sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight). This system is your fight-or-flight…
