I Doubled My Heart Rate Variability (HRV) in Less Than 2 Months — Here’s How

HRV, a notoriously complex and misunderstood metric, is a crucial indicator of health and resilience

My HRV in December was in the 20s, now it’s in the 50s and 60s. Major win. Tracked on Oura.

I’m a writer for Oura. Oura Rings track various physiological metrics like body temperature, respiratory rate, resting heart rate, and HRV. As part of my work, I’ve learned a lot about HRV.

I became aware that my HRV was relatively low (between 20 to 30). I’m a healthy, young, active person. I eat healthy (I’m a nutritionist!), I exercise regularly, and I sleep fairly well. I assumed my HRV would reflect this.

So I began reading paper after paper and interviewing some of the leading HRV experts trying to identify the most science-backed ways to increase your HRV. Here’s what worked for me.

What is HRV?

HRV is a physiological measure that quantifies the variation in time intervals between heartbeats. It is primarily controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which regulates the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches.

The sympathetic branch is responsible for the “fight or flight” response, while the parasympathetic branch promotes “rest and digest” activities.