Heart Rate Variability Assessment and Training
A healthy heart doesn’t beat regularly like a metronome – it actually changes its rhythm with every beat. This variation in the time interval between heart beats is known as your heart rate variability (HRV). These subtle variations reflect your heart’s ability to respond to different situations.
You can get a sense of your own HRV by feeling your pulse on your wrist while taking a few deep breaths. When you exhale the interval between your heart beats gets longer (your heart rate slows down) and when you inhale your heartbeat gets shorter (your heart rate increases). There is a strong relationship between your heart rate and your diaphragmatic breathing phases (inhaling and exhaling). This is referred to as your respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA).
HRV is linked to your autonomic nervous system (ANS) – specifically the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) branches. The ANS greatly influences how your heart beats. The rest and digest system tells your heart to slow down. This allows for more variability between beats – we refer to this as higher HRV. The fight or flight system tells your heart to speed up, which limits space for variability – we refer to this as lower HRV.
In general, higher HRV is associated with physiological resiliency and behavioral flexibility and psychological well-being, reflecting an individual’s capacity to adapt effectively to stress and environmental demands. Lower HRV, as well as too much variability, is associated with chronic pain, anxiety and depression as well as numerous other symptoms. There are some situations, however, when a lower HRV is preferred – for example, when an elevated sympathetic nervous system will help your body keep up with the physical demands when stressed (exercise is a good case in point).
HRV training has been shown in research studies to be an effective intervention for the following:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Hypertension
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Fibromyalgia
- Enhanced immune system functioning
- Headaches
- Tempomandibular Disorders
Cost of Heart Rate Variability Services
HRV 2 Visit Package: $300.00 (includes heart rate variability resonant frequency determination, data analysis, report, HRV at home practice instruction along with 1 follow-up session for monitoring and training)
HRV Training Session: $150.00 (typically for someone who has already completed a Resonant Frequency Determination, though that isn’t necessary)
