HEART RATE VARIABILITY TRAINING FOR PAIN
Heart rate variability (HRV) is one marker that makes the intangible sensation of stress and recovery tangible through data. Inputs from various systems of the body: nervous, immune, respiratory, and cardiovascular cause tiny variations to occur in-between each heartbeat.
The data shows that those who have a higher baseline HRV often have higher resilience to manage stress and pain.
When you’re in a state of overdrive in the modern world, and suppress the immune system for a long period of time, the immune system relies on a strong parasympathetic response to function well.
When’s the last time you took a vacation (or staycation) after you had a lot on your plate, and when you started your break, you got sick?
Being sick is a repair process that shouldn’t be skipped.
All systems in the body are interconnected. The balance of stress and recovery in the body is always at play.
What does stress mean in terms of HRV?
Stress can come from:
Psychological
Work or school constraints and pressures, relationships, life purpose...
Exercise
Putting load on the muscles, joints, and connective tissues.
Digestion
Eating foods that are hard to digest.
Structural
Tightness or injury that results in physical discomfort.
How to get started and interpret HRV data:
Data helps you make decisions that can be good for your health, but it shouldn’t replace your own better judgement. HRV is a tool in your toolkit, but be sure to think critically about your situation, and what’s best for you, at all times.
HRV is like a check engine light for the body, a self-awareness tool to take calculated risks: like tackling big tasks at work and exercising hard on the days when you’re feeling great; and taking care of your body, letting go of pressures, and moving mindfully when you’re not feeling so great.
Think of HRV data (and how your body is balanced in-between stress and recovery) in terms of green, yellow, or red lights.
Interpreting HRV gets easy over time, showing you a trend line and starting your morning with a snapshot into your health for that day.
Declining HRV is only good when you want to introduce stress on the body:
HRV will decrease as stress is introduced and return to a balance with recovery. This stress can be when you’re starting working out after taking an extended break.
The data shows that it can take 4-6 hours to recover from a very stressful situation, versus 20-minutes to recover from a slightly stressful situation. The stressful situation can be sitting in traffic, walking through a noisy grocery store, or being out in the cold for an extended period.
Try to make the stressful event more enjoyable (like playing music you enjoy or flipping your perspective). To improve recovery speed after the event, take time to reset like meditating, drinking tea, or doing an activity that has a calming effect on your body.
After practice, you can become good at stimulating your parasympathetic system and activating that recovery to bring the body back into balance, which can have a profound impact on the rest of your day.
Tips to improve your HRV:
Sleep is the one of the biggest influencers that changes your HRV. Making tweaks to improve sleep is instantaneously seen the next day. Both quality, quantity, and timing (circadian rhythms) impact HRV.
Sleep in a cool and dark room, remove bright electronics from the bedroom, and avoid alcohol and sugary treats close to bedtime.
Find moments to be vulnerable, brave, and have new experiences.
Jason loves combining data, software, and empathy to help people reach their goals. He takes a systems approach that combines research, experience, and practical heuristics. He is simultaneously awed by and concerned with the human condition.
Formally, Jason is the Founder and CEO of Elite HRV, the most widely used HRV analysis tool in the world, and the instructor of the Foundations of Heart Rate Variability online course, which is accredited by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Website: https://elitehrv.com/
TWT and IG: @elitehrv
This information is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a healthcare professional with any questions you may have regarding treatment, medications/supplements, or any medical diagnoses. This information is intended for educational purposes only and is in no way to substitute the advice of a licensed healthcare professional.
