Low HRV and Getting Lower!

melc23

melc23

Messages
16
I have had ME and fibromyalgia for about ten years and have had some success in certain lifestyle changes to manage the conditions. I have been working hard though over the last few weeks again to try to turn around the relapse I have been experiencing since September last year.

One thing I would really like to crack is raising my HRV. I have been using Elite HRV and a chest strap to monitor my HRV for about three years. My baseline used to be low - in mid 40s but over the last year has dropped to low 30s.

I am convinced that this is a good marker of my condition and if I was able to raise my HRV it would go hand in hand with improvement in my health. I also believe that this is linked to my sleep quality also and increasing the amount of deep sleep I get is also connected.

I live a fairly relaxed lifestyle and would not say I am a "stressy" person. As part of the management of my condition I try to avoid stress. I drink water with electrolytes in, I walk daily, enjoy nature, read a lot and try to be thankful every day. I also practice yoga whenever I can although energy and pain levels do often stop me from being able to.

Any advice about how I can raise my HRV and become less sympathetic nervous system dominated - I am concerned about how low my HRV is and how it has dropped over the last year. Can you recommend any treatments, books, or other resources that would be helpful? Thanks.
 
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E

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
melc23 said:
I have had ME and fibromyalgia for about ten years and have had some success in certain lifestyle changes to manage the conditions. I have been working hard though over the last few weeks again to try to turn around the relapse I have been experiencing since September last year.

One thing I would really like to crack is raising my HRV. I have been using Elite HRV and a chest strap to monitor my HRV for about three years. My baseline used to be low - in mid 40s but over the last year has dropped to low 30s.

I am convinced that this is a good marker of my condition and if I was able to raise my HRV it would go hand in hand with improvement in my health. I also believe that this is linked to my sleep quality also and increasing the amount of deep sleep I get is also connected.

I live a fairly relaxed lifestyle and would not say I am a "stressy" person. As part of the management of my condition I try to avoid stress. I drink water with electrolytes in, I walk daily, enjoy nature, read a lot and try to be thankful every day. I also practice yoga whenever I can although energy and pain levels do often stop me from being able to.

Any advice about how I can raise my HRV and become less sympathetic nervous system dominated - I am concerned about how low my HRV is and how it has dropped over the last year. Can you recommend any treatments, books, or other resources that would be helpful? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Have you seen this page from Elite?

I would also add sauna, if you have access to one and medical MJ/CBD if you have access. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20191442

You can try legs up the wall as well as a part of your yoga practice. Anything that helps the blood back to your gut (instead of pooling in the legs is helpful for increasing HRV).

Many forms of pranayama will also increase HRV. I like this Basic Breath series from 3HO.
 
vision blue

vision blue

Senior Member
Messages
1,994
I also used elite HRV but only with phone camera not chest strap tho may get a polar. My HRV was so low and nothing i did would raise it so i gave up on measuring it. Will check the numbers but think both their Stress and Energy were abysmal - worse than yours (I didn't pay for premium so after the trial period i didn't get the numbers, but just their artifical Stress and Energy calculations. According to the data, both my sympathetic and parasympathetic systems were not funcitoning properly.

sure fits my symptoms. I figure i'll know it by how i feel if they ever improve, so i mostly stopped using the app. I had discussed HRV with an EP cardio and alas he said they used to do it, but just aren't intersted in it anymore. After an initial buzz, alot of places found little use for it- but as we know, autonomic dysfunction is not something most pay attention to.
 
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