Knowing what is a good heart rate variability (HRV) can help you build and maintain your physical fitness and overall health. Heart rate variability is defined as the amount of time between each of your heartbeats. Slight fluctuations do not automatically mean that there is something to worry about however, they can indicate a disease that might manifest in the future.
Though people might have different heart rate variabilities, monitoring your HRV can help you learn more about your body. Fortunately today, there are many various types of ways you can track different aspects of your health from your cardiovascular activity to your sleeping patterns. A good heart rate variability can indicate your physical resilience and the efficiency of your overall nervous system.
Additionally, our HRV is ultimately controlled by our autonomic nervous system which is responsible for most of the physiological functions in our body. This includes our breathing, blood pressure, digestion, and heart rate. Because of this, our HRV can be deeply influenced by different aspects of our lifestyle. What is a good heart rate variability depends on how you manage everyday activities such as eating, exercising, and sleeping.
What Is a Good Heart Rate Variability for Different Individuals
As aforementioned, heart rate variability varies from person to person. If your HRV is not as resilient, it does not exactly mean that you are suffering from a serious medical condition. It might be rather, a strong indicator of changes that you need to make for you to have better physical health. An irregular heart rate can typically be improved by a proper diet and regular exercise.
Many other invariable factors can affect your HRV. Your family history, age, or gender can all have a strong influence on your heart rate variability. The environment also plays a huge role when it comes to physiological changes in your body. Improving your HRV can have a direct impact on how well your body responds to these changes.
Athleticism and Heart Rate Variability
What is a good heart rate variability for fitness enthusiasts and how does it affect their performance? To put it simply, having a good HRV allows an athlete to become more physically resilient and recover quickly, especially after strenuous movements. Having a well-balanced nervous system can allow an athlete to perform without shocking their cardiovascular system.
Paying attention to your heart rate variability as you get older allows you to maintain physical endurance while doing physical activities. Since our body tends to get weaker and less resilient as we get older, it’s always best to stay physically active while young as it can be beneficial to our overall health and fitness.
However, having a low heart rate variability can still occur at a younger age, especially with poor lifestyle choices. The best way to maintain a good heart rate variability is to keep an active lifestyle while maintaining a well and balanced diet. It’s also important to manage your alcohol intake and avoid smoking as these habits can have a negative effect on regular physiological functions.
Staying hydrated and getting enough sleep every day is also highly important when it comes to our overall health. However, it’s always important to remember that what is a good heart rate variability for you, might not be the same with someone else. While being health conscious is important, it’s always better to work on improving your own physical fitness rather than comparing different health factors with other individuals.