What is HRV and how do you increase it?

An important indicator

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a powerful indicator of your overall health, recovery capacity, and stress resilience. A high HRV is seen as a sign of a strong and resilient body. After I (Joep) regularly shared my sky-high scores on Instagram, I often got the question: how do you measure this and what does it mean?

In this blog, we'll cover everything you need to know about HRV: what it is, how to measure it, and how to optimize your HRV.

What is Heart Rate Variability (HRV)?

Heart Rate Variability, or HRV for short, is a measure of the variation in time between successive heartbeats. It's important to understand that your heart doesn't function like a perfectly regular clock. On the contrary, the time between two heartbeats constantly varies, and this variation is precisely a sign of a healthy, flexible, and adaptive body. When your body is able to smoothly adapt to different circumstances, that is reflected in a (relatively) high HRV.

A high HRV is seen as a strong indication of your overall health and your ability to recover from stress and exertion. It means that your autonomic nervous system, which consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, is functioning well and can effectively switch between different states. This ability to switch is also called homeostasis: the body's ability to maintain a stable internal environment despite external changes.

On the other hand, a low HRV is often associated with chronic stress, fatigue, overtraining, or even health problems. Measuring HRV therefore offers a unique insight into how well your body is functioning and to what extent you are able to recover from physical and mental strain.

The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

To properly understand HRV, it is essential to understand the autonomic nervous system. If you have already read my book , you will recognize this part. The autonomic nervous system regulates all unconscious processes in your body, such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and even your immune system. This system works automatically, without you having to consciously think about it, and plays a central role in how your body responds to stress and relaxation. The main function of this system is to ensure that you (and your species) survive.

The autonomic nervous system consists of two main components: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system, also known as the 'fight or flight' system, is activated when your body faces a challenge or threat. It causes your heart rate to accelerate, your blood pressure to rise, and your body to be ready to take action.

The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, is often referred to as the 'rest and digest' system. It is responsible for recovery, relaxation, and regeneration of the body. When the parasympathetic nervous system is active, your heart rate slows down, your blood pressure drops, and energy is directed to processes such as digestion and recovery.

HRV provides a direct measure of the balance between these two systems. A high HRV means that your body can flexibly switch between action and relaxation, while a low HRV suggests that you may be stuck in a state of chronic stress or insufficient recovery.

Measuring HRV

There are several devices on the market that can measure HRV, such as the WHOOP band, Apple Watch, and even apps that work with smartphone cameras. I myself chose Oura Ring. In my opinion, one of the most reliable and accurate methods for measuring HRV, and for several reasons.

The Oura Ring is designed to measure HRV throughout your sleep. Unlike devices that only measure HRV at specific moments, such as during a breathing exercise or a rest period, the Oura Ring offers continuous measurement during a longer period of deep rest. This provides a much more reliable and representative picture of your overall HRV status.

In addition, the ring shape of the Oura Ring is an important advantage. Because the device is worn on the finger, a place where arteries are close to the skin, it can perform very accurate measurements without being disturbed by movement. This is in contrast to wrist-based devices that are more susceptible to artifacts caused by movement. Apart from all this, the Oura Ring can be set to airplane mode. This means that the ring does not continuously emit radiation. WINNING!

How to improve HRV after measuring?

I don't want to share exact good or bad scores, as there is much disagreement on their value. It's mainly about an individual's absolute numbers. Suppose your normal average is 70 ms, and suddenly it drops to an average of 40 ms, then there is room for progress. Personally, I think it's interesting to measure your baseline (e.g., with an Oura ring – that's the one I use because it can be in flight mode) and from there, see how you can improve it.

Summary of maximum improvements?

• Step 1: without a doubt, biorhythm & sleep. Go to bed at the same time every day, spend a lot of time outside during the day, and NO screens in the last 2 hours of your day. Yes, I know, very difficult, but absolutely worth it. Instead, ensure triple benefits by journaling in the evening. Simply write down everything you did during the day and reflect on it.
• Step 2: Avoid overeating, avoid processed junk, and ensure enough omega-3 fatty acids (from fish), gut health (with bone broth), and electrolytes (due to their impact on the nervous system).
• Step 3: Box breathing. Box breathing (4 sec in, 4 sec hold, 4 sec out, and 4 sec hold on the exhale) is a breathing method that directly impacts HRV during the night.
• Step 4: Exercise, but not too much. I still find this hard to accept myself, but unfortunately, it's true. Overtraining is a killer for your HRV, and undertraining (and overweight) is just as bad. Exercise, but listen to your body and also take enough rest.
• Step 5: start again at step 1 and make sure you actually implement all these steps. Don't just read my newsletter, but get to work. You can do it!

You can find the detailed improvement points below.

Physical health forms the foundation of optimal HRV. One of the most important aspects to improve your HRV is optimizing your sleep quality. Sleep is when your body recovers, restructures, and recharges both physically and mentally. Deep and uninterrupted sleep ensures that your body can fully regenerate and that the parasympathetic nervous system becomes active, which is crucial for a high HRV.

In addition, nutrition plays a significant role. A balanced diet rich in healthy fats, proteins, and complex carbohydrates helps reduce inflammation and provides the body with essential nutrients. Avoiding ultra-processed foods and sugars contributes to stable energy levels and a better-functioning nervous system. Supplementing essential minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and sodium can also have a positive impact on your HRV.

Regular physical activity can also significantly improve your HRV. Moderate exercise, such as walking, yoga, or strength training, stimulates your cardiovascular health and activates the parasympathetic nervous system. However, overtraining should be avoided – as I mentioned above – as it over-activates the sympathetic nervous system and can lower your HRV. Cold and heat therapy, such as cold showers, ice baths, or saunas, can also contribute to an improved HRV.

Mental health

However, HRV goes beyond just physical health. Mental health also plays a role in optimizing your HRV. Reducing mental stress and developing resilience to challenges directly contribute to a higher HRV. Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system and leads to a lowered HRV. It is therefore important to structurally make time for relaxation and mental recovery.

Techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation, and mindfulness are powerful tools to increase your HRV. By consciously slowing down and deepening your breathing, for example through box breathing or coherent breathing, you activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Regular practice of meditation ensures that your body becomes more resistant to stress and can recover faster.

Maintaining healthy social relationships can also contribute to better HRV. Social connection and emotional support reduce stress and strengthen the parasympathetic nervous system, which is reflected in an increased HRV.

Types of therapy

As you may know, I myself have tried numerous types of therapy in recent years. These also naturally contribute to improving the functioning of the nervous system. Note: I would always let this run side by side with the other lifestyle factors. If you fill yourself with unhealthy junk all week, even a family constellation won't save you. The following three are my favorites (not in order).

1. Family Constellations

Family constellations focus on making conscious unconscious patterns and emotional blockages that are often passed down within families. Breaking or healing these patterns can lead to a reduction in chronic stress, which can have a positive impact on HRV.

2. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

EMDR is a proven effective therapy for processing traumatic events. Trauma and chronic stress are important factors that can lower HRV.

3. Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy focuses on working with the subconscious, which can help break negative thought patterns, anxiety, and stress. By bringing the body into a deep state of relaxation, the parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated.

All in all

All in all, HRV is a mega complex story, but a beautiful parameter for health. Hopefully, with the story above, you can get started by measuring your HRV and then using lifestyle to optimize HRV.