So many researchers are now speaking about Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and it’s use as a predictor of overall health.
Quite simply HRV is the variation in time between each heart beat which is controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is also responsible for regulating heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and digestion, among other key tasks.
If we are regularly subjected to stressors such as work/home stress, poor sleep, poor diet, dysfunctional relationships, isolation or solitude, and lack of exercise, our ANS balance can be thrown way out of sync, triggering “Fight or Flight” response on a daily basis.
This in turn can have a negative affect upon HRV leading to lower scores. In general, lower HRV is considered a sign of current or future health problems because it shows your body is less resilient and struggles to handle changing situations.
How Do We Measure HRV?
The Gold standard will always be a full Electrocardiogram (ECG), however some heart rate monitors used for exercise now have HRV features. However, as Heart Math trained professionals, we now offer HRV testing at our studio in the centre of Guildford.
What To Do To Positively Affect HRV
Firstly, if your HRV score is low…don’t panic. Like any health or fitness tool, it is not the absolute “Be all” if used in complete isolation. Similarly, don’t become complacent if your HRV score is high.
At M.A.S.K. we have recently become Heart Math certified practitioners. This enables us to measure HRV and other areas of heart rhythm patterns which provide an objective measurement of physiological coherence – a term that describes a state of performance characterized by harmony in the body’s oscillatory systems.
We are also trained in administering intervention techniques and strategies that help to promote improved coherence and overall wellness. Click the link below to read more about Heart Math and the vast body of science in support of this incredible organisation.
If you have undergone more stress than usual, feel more run down, tired, simply not yourself despite what you believe to be living a healthy lifestyle, looking at your HRV may well provide you with specific clues as to your body’s state of resilience.
Making simple changes and adopting very easy to follow strategies may well be a complete game changer in your quest for overall health, fitness and wellness.
If we can be of any help, as always…reach out!
Stay awesome!
Speak soon,
Vanessa
