{"id":1033886,"date":"2026-08-30T23:45:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T23:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1033886\/"},"modified":"2026-08-30T23:45:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T23:45:23","slug":"my-hrv-was-concerningly-low-improving-it-helped-me-have-my-best-training-block-to-date","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1033886\/","title":{"rendered":"My HRV Was Concerningly Low. Improving It Helped Me Have My Best Training Block to Date."},"content":{"rendered":"

This past winter was brutal. By February, it was already going on for too long, and yet the temperature was somehow still dropping. Running outside<\/a> was nearly impossible, just as running on a treadmill<\/a> was becoming unbearable, and in the midst of that, after months of dispersed runs, I committed to rebuilding my base to prepare for my first training block of 2026.<\/p>\n

Because my fitness wasn\u2019t improving, I started paying close attention to my stats: my heart rate<\/a> data, my sleep data\u2014and, more specifically, my heart rate variability<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On my Garmin watch<\/a>, HRV is part of my morning report. Back in February, my score was notoriously unbalanced or outright low, oftentimes below the 34\u201342 millisecond baseline Garmin established for me. I mentioned it to some coworkers, who shared that their HRV usually hovers around 50; for some men it was even in the 70s. Meanwhile, I was not able to get out of the 30s.<\/p>\n

Then, when my HRV stayed around 32 for a stretch of five days, and I was feeling especially crappy, I decided to look more into what exactly this measurement means and if there is a way to improve it.<\/p>\n

What Is HRV<\/p>\n

HRV measures the amount of time between consecutive heartbeats, and it\u2019s a good indicator for how well your nervous system is balancing stress and recovery. Think of it as your body\u2019s recovery tracker. The normal HRV range for healthy adults is 19\u201375, according to health.com<\/a>, and genetics can explain 50 to 60 percent<\/a> of this difference between individuals. Generally speaking, the higher the number, the better; the lower it is, the more likely you\u2019re stressed, fatigued, dealing with poor sleep, or not recovering the way you should. However, HRV is not only negatively affected by these factors but also by exciting events like getting engaged or a delicious lunch, Harvard Health Publishing<\/a> states.<\/p>\n

How to Measure HRV<\/p>\n

The most accurate way to measure HRV is with an electrocardiogram (ECG), but your wearable does a good enough job. Since I wear a Garmin, I reached out to their team to better understand how the manufacturer goes about establishing it. Lead Product Manager Joe Heikes wrote to me that HRV is a very personalized measurement often recalibrated \u201cbased on a good chunk of data,\u201d meaning the baseline adjusts in real time. Garmin\u2019s website<\/a> further specifies that the data is captured in 5-minute windows throughout the night (this metric is best measured during true rest), and the software requires a 3-week calibration period to determine your normal range; then it recalibrates based on 7-day rolling averages against your personal baseline.<\/p>\n

You should ideally measure your baseline during low-stress periods like base training, the weeks of recovery postrace, or any other stretch of time where you\u2019re not meticulously increasing intensity, says Tamanna Singh<\/a>, MD, director of the Sports Cardiology Center and cofounder of the Women\u2019s Integrated Sports and Exercise Care Center<\/a> at the Cleveland Clinic. During these periods, your sleep, nutrition, and recovery should remain relatively even, which results in a solid reference point. Then, when you start building intensity and mileage during a training cycle, you can analyze significant fluctuations in HRV to determine if you need to make any adjustments to your routine.<\/p>\n

When to Worry About HRV<\/p>\n

First, you have to distinguish whether you\u2019re having a bad night or a bad training block. \u201cAn isolated data point is not particularly helpful because so many things go into your day-to-day,\u201d Singh<\/a> says. A reason for concern, she adds, would be if the metrics were consistently off for a week or two. \u201cThat would be a point where I\u2019d say, let me assess my sleep, my nutrition and hydration, my stress levels, even my training. Am I overtraining? Am I overreaching? Am I inadequately recovering?\u201d Among the reasons for a decline in HRV could be, for example, alcohol consumption<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But since the baseline range is so wide and individual, how do you know if yours is too low or high? \u201cWhat I usually will counsel my patients on is trusting and learning to communicate with your body,\u201d Singh says. Before you look at the numbers on your wearable, evaluate how you feel. Rested? Energized? Fatigued? Like your skeleton is trying to stage a walkout? Singh recommends tracking your training (this goes for all stats, not just HRV) the old-fashioned way. \u201cWrite in a journal<\/a>, use a training blog, but learn to understand what your body is telling you,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd if you can lean into that, then you will know something is going on way before your watch or your ring or whatever tech will tell you.\u201d Only then should you look at how the digit on your wearable corresponds with how you feel.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re really worried about your heart\u2014and any related stats\u2014\u201cyou\u2019re jacking it up,\u201d Singh says. At that point, \u201cit\u2019s better to get things checked out, either be reassured or undergo more specific testing versus just worrying and not really seeking help.\u201d<\/p>\n

The whole winter, but especially in February, I felt scatterbrained, forgetful, and unfocused. I\u2019d feel completely overwhelmed by my to-do list and overcome by waves of sadness out of nowhere, unable to deal with my emotions. At the end of the day, I\u2019d have a hard time falling asleep despite feeling exhausted and then wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to fall back asleep. My crappy HRV was in line with my crappy state, at which point I understood that my HRV baseline at the time was too low for me. Although I couldn\u2019t quite figure out where it was coming from while I was in the thick of it, I knew I wasn\u2019t doing well, and to give myself a specific, measurable goal to work toward, I decided to focus on improving my HRV.<\/p>\n

How to Improve HRV<\/p>\n

Lifestyle plays a major role in your HRV, and these are some of the biggest culprits.<\/p>\n