Stress is a completely normal part of life. However, chronic stress is becoming a huge problem in our modern society. Luckily, there are various ways you can gain insight regarding whether your body is under stress or not. In turn, you can find ways to tackle the problem and find balance once again.
HRV (Heart Rate Variability) is an easy metric that can help determine how stressed your body is. So, let’s dig a little deeper. Should you track HRV? Why?
What is HRV?
HRV measures the variation between each heartbeat. HRV is impacted by the two branches of your autonomic nervous system; your parasympathetic nervous system (your “rest-and-digest” system) and your sympathetic nervous system (your “fight-or-flight” system). So, how do these two branches affect HRV exactly?
When your parasympathetic nervous system is switched on, your body signals various components to relax. This includes telling your heart to slow down. As a result, there is space for change between each heartbeat, which leads to higher variation or a higher HRV.
When your sympathetic nervous system turns on, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode. It tells your heart to speed up, which actually reduces variation between each beat and causes a lower HRV.
Why Track HRV?
Many wearable devices, such as the Fitbit, help you track this data point day-to-day. By keeping track of your HRV, you can determine:
1. How Well Your Autonomic Nervous System is Functioning
HRV may help identify any autonomic nervous system dysfunctions or imbalances. When your body is in fight-or-flight mode, your HRV should be low. When you’re relaxed, you’re HRV should be high. Keeping track of this metric can help you gain insight regarding how your body is reacting to your emotions and environment.
2. Whether You’re Under Stress or Not
Most importantly, HRV data can tell you if you’re experiencing increased stress or not. In turn, this can help you determine if it’s a good time to take on that challenging work project or tackle that tough workout—or whether you should give yourself some space to relax and recover.
3. What Lifestyle Habits You May Need to Change
Knowing your stress levels and how your autonomic nervous system functions can provide you with information regarding what you may need to change in your lifestyle. For example, maybe you notice your HRV drop after drinking a certain amount or when you don’t get enough sleep—or perhaps you notice it go up when you eat primarily whole foods. This one metric can help you hone in on your lifestyle choices, improving your overall health.
Other Factors That May Impact HRV
At the same time, simple everyday stress isn’t the only thing that impacts HRV. Other factors impacting this data point include certain diseases or conditions like heart disease, lung disease, renal diseases, and anxiety disorders. Even specific environmental factors, such as living in a warmer environment, can impact HRV.
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