What is heart rate variability?

While you may feel as though you “know your body,” there are specific areas of your health and wellness that you may not be aware of that can offer exceptional information about your lifestyle. With HRV, or heart rate variability, clients can learn about their bodies by measuring their heartbeats’ variation. At the Nutritional Wellness Center of Ithaca, NY, Sophie Alexander can provide this information and decode what it means about your health.

What is heart rate variability?

HRV is controlled by the ANS, or autonomic nervous system, and regulates many aspects of the body, including heart rate, digestion, breathing, and blood pressure. When evaluated by a professional, the HRV can provide a lot of information regarding the body’s functionality and can even be a great way to find any possible imbalances in the autonomic nervous system. The heart rate is higher or lower based on one’s stress levels, and even though this sounds simple, most individuals don’t understand the long-time effects that stress and an increased fight-or-flight response can have on their body’s health. Patients with low HRV may experience depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, and overall poor physical health. Those with high HRV have better cardiovascular fitness and may be more resilient to higher levels of stress. Determining if an individual’s heart rate variability is high or low can give an idea of what needs to be done to improve one’s health and the function of the autonomic nervous system.

What is the importance of knowing your heart rate variability?

Knowing your heart rate variability is just one aspect of understanding your overall health. Many patients can check their HRV at home with chest strap heart monitors such as those available through Wahoo or Polar, in addition to a free app for their tablet or phone. The HRV information can be checked with an electrocardiogram, where wires are attached to the chest to monitor the heart’s variability. The Nutritional Wellness Center team can evaluate this information to determine a patient’s overall health and make recommendations for lifestyle changes to improve their heart rate variability levels.

Ready to learn more about heart rate variability and your health?

Getting a thorough evaluation of your body’s overall health and wellness is critical when determining nutritional changes clients can make to look and feel their best. With the help of Sophie Alexander, clients can get an idea of how healthy their current lifestyle is and decide what can be done to improve their body’s overall function. 

If you live in the Ithaca, NY area or surrounding areas and want to speak to a practitioner at the Nutritional Wellness Center about Heart Rate Variability, call (607) 277-1964 to request an appointment at the office, conveniently located at 520 West Green Street.

Disclaimer: The FDA has not evaluated these statements. The Nutritional Wellness Center, its practitioners, and employees make no warranties, express or implied, concerning this content. You should not disregard medical advice nor delay seeking it because of this content.