Heart Rate Variability: What It Really Means for Your Health
You’ve probably heard of heart rate… but have you ever heard of heart rate variability?
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is one of the most powerful, non-invasive markers of your body’s health and resilience, especially when it comes to stress, recovery, sleep, and long-term wellbeing.
I love HRV as an assessment tool because it provides real-time insight into how your nervous system is coping. And the best part? You can measure and improve it from home.
What Is Heart Rate Variability (HRV)?
Heart rate variability refers to the variation in time between each heartbeat. While your heart rate might average 60 beats per minute, it doesn’t beat exactly once every second. Instead, the intervals between beats fluctuate slightly and that’s a good thing.
Higher variability = greater adaptability and nervous system flexibility.
Lower variability = stress overload or poor recovery.
HRV and Your Nervous System
HRV is controlled by your autonomic nervous system (ANS), which has two key branches:
Sympathetic ("fight or flight") – gets you ready for action and stress.
Parasympathetic ("rest and digest") – calms you down and supports healing.
A healthy HRV reflects a balanced nervous system that can shift easily between action and recovery. Low HRV suggests your system may be “stuck” in fight-or-flight mode, common in chronic stress, burnout, fatigue, and even digestive or hormonal issues.
How Do You Measure HRV?
The great news is you don’t need fancy lab equipment. HRV can be measured using:
Wearable devices (e.g. Oura Ring, WHOOP, Apple Watch, Garmin)
Chest straps paired with apps like Elite HRV or HRV4Training
Smartphone-based PPG (photo-based) apps for quick snapshots
Look for a consistent morning HRV reading taken upon waking, before caffeine or movement. This gives you a reliable baseline of your recovery and nervous system function.
Why You Should Care About HRV
Your HRV is one of the most reliable indicators of resilience, stress adaptation, and long-term health. Research shows that low HRV is associated with:
Poor sleep quality
Anxiety, depression, and burnout
Blood sugar imbalances
Chronic pain and inflammation
Poor cardiovascular fitness
Hormonal imbalance and reduced fertility
I love to view HRV as a daily health dashboard. A low HRV may show up before you feel unwell—giving us the opportunity to intervene early and prevent more serious issues.
How to Optimise Your HRV (Backed by Science)
The beauty of HRV is that it's dynamic—it can improve! Here’s how to support your nervous system and raise your HRV naturally:
1. Prioritise Quality Sleep
Aim for 7–9 hours of restorative sleep in a dark, cool, quiet room
Stick to a regular sleep-wake schedule
Avoid screens and blue light at least 1 hour before bed
2. Practice Breathwork or Meditation
Try 5–10 minutes of slow, diaphragmatic breathing daily (e.g. inhale 4, exhale 6)
Use apps like Insight Timer or Headspace to support relaxation
Even a few minutes a day helps shift you into parasympathetic mode
3. Move Your Body Gently and Consistently
Regular movement (especially walking, yoga, or light cardio) improves HRV
Avoid overtraining or excessive high-intensity exercise, which can lower HRV temporarily
4. Nourish with Anti-inflammatory Foods
Eat plenty of whole foods, healthy fats, and antioxidants
Avoid excessive sugar, alcohol, and processed foods that strain the nervous system
Hydrate well—dehydration can reduce HRV
5. Address Underlying Health Imbalances
If you're dealing with:
Hormone imbalances
Thyroid dysfunction
Gut health issues
Nutrient deficiencies
...these can all impair HRV. I use functional testing and personalised nutrition to identify and treat these root causes as needed.
6. Use Cold Exposure or Sauna (if tolerated)
Brief, safe use of cold showers or infrared saunas may improve HRV by training your stress response. Please note that ice baths may stress female bodies too much and may decrease HRV.
7. Create Buffer Time for Recovery
Build pauses into your day: sit outside, breathe, journal, stretch
Take breaks from technology to allow your nervous system to reset
What I See in Clinic
Many of my clients come in feeling overwhelmed, foggy, tired but wired, or stuck in a cycle of stress and burnout. Once we begin supporting their nervous system and tracking HRV, we see clearer sleep patterns, better mood stability, improved focus, and reduced inflammation.
For those that have devices that measure HRV, I love to use HRV to assess and monitor improvements especially with our Metabolic Balance® Program.
Ready to Reclaim Your Resilience?
If you feel like you’re always “on edge,” recovering poorly, or not feeling like yourself, tracking your HRV could help us understand which changes are worth investing time in for you.
Got questions? Book a free discovery call with me and let’s create a personalised plan to restore your energy, calm, and clarity.
🍏 Emily 🍏
Clinical Nutritionist and Metabolic Balance Practitioner
