What the heck is HRV and should I care about it?

All about HRV or Heart Rate Variability ... More Science for our Favorite Geeks.

Heart rate variability is the amount of time between successive beats of the heart. If your heart is beating at 60 BPM, it's literally not beating exactly every second. It may beat at 1.2 seconds, .8 seconds, .7 seconds, 1.3 seconds etc. That difference in time in successive beats of the heart is a GOOD thing.

HRV is looking at your autonomic nervous system which consists of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity.

• Sympathetic activity means activation (increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, increased respiration, increased stress).

• Parasympathetic activity is the opposite (decreased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, decreased respiration).

• When you inhale heart rate goes up (sympathetic) and when you exhale heart rate goes down (parasympathetic).

The more balanced your sympathetic and parasympathetic activity are, the higher your HRV. A higher HRV in comparison to your baseline HRV is an indication that your body is in a state of rest or in balance. When it's out of balance it's a sign your body may be rundown or under stress.

If you are able to follow this metric everyday, you can get a real sense of the state of your body. Whether you are peaking physically, if you're rundown, or even if you're getting sick. This is why we have seen such a spike in popularity of wearable devices (WHOOP, Oara Ring,

How can you improve your HRV?

• Take care of your body. Regular exercise and a healthy diet improve your overall health (especially the condition of your heart), and this can help improve your variability.

• Take care of your mind. Your mental health is a vital part of your heart rate variability. Reducing and managing your stress level can improve your heart rate variability. If you have mental health concerns like anxiety or depression, managing these can make a difference.

We have EVEN more community events coming up!!!

Bladder Health Webinar September 29, 2025 @ 6:00 PM Dr. Madison Barany, Pelvic Health Specialist $50 for 1 hour interactive online workshop Email Justin [at] capeconciergept.com to sign up.

Bowel Dysfunction Webinar October 27, 2025 @ 6:00 PM Dr. Madison Barany, Pelvic Health Specialist $50 for 1 hour interactive online workshop Email Justin [at] capeconciergept.com to sign up.

Telemedicine with Dr. Elizabeth Speed OB/GYN Menopause Society Certified Practitioner Telemedicine Appointments for Pharmacological Intervention To Schedule: https://www.capeconciergept.com/contact

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With gratitude and excitement, Your Cape Concierge PT Team

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