Heathy focus on HRV

I am trying to watch for indicators that could point to a downhill slope with my health. One of the indicators is Heart Rate Variability (HRV) as measured by the medical grade Whoop fitness band that I wear. In the world of wearable tech, a 15% drop below my personal baseline is a significant deviation and that is the sort of decline I get once a fortnight. When Whoop alerts me about my HRV percentage, I read between the lines.

It is essential that I recognise when my automatic nervous system gets stuck in a “fight or flight” state. That can happen with me when I walk faster and longer with more than a 15kg load on my back. I also trigger my HRV when I have more than four coffees a day, when I sleep less than five hours for two or more consecutive nights or when I binge on chocolate.

From past experience, I know that if I let a 15% drop in my HRV last more than a week, I feel burned out.

Also from past experience, I can restore my HRV by simply relaxing drinking a lot of water. I’m thinking about going back to Seville to enjoy excellent HRV values.