Modern Wisdom #1049 - Dr Jay Wiles - A Masterclass in Improving Your HRV
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Jan 22, 2026 
Dr. Jay Wiles, a health educator and HRV researcher, dives into the fascinating world of Heart Rate Variability (HRV). He reveals how HRV is a noninvasive measure of nervous system adaptability and discusses what it really tells us about our health. Jay explains why everyone's HRV isn't comparable and emphasizes the importance of stability over high scores. Discover the nuances of resonance breathing, its quick effects on the vagus nerve, and how sleep plays a vital role in optimizing HRV. Get ready to learn actionable strategies for better health!
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HRV Is A Window Into Nervous-System Adaptation
- HRV is the best non-invasive proxy we have for nervous-system adaptation, resilience, and flexibility.
- It measures how well the autonomic system fine-tunes physiological responses to the environment.
Beat-to-Beat Variability Shows Adaptation
- The heart is not a metronome; beat-to-beat variance reflects many ongoing regulatory processes.
- Reduced variability signals the nervous system is struggling to adapt and may indicate allostatic load.
Compare Yourself To Yourself, Not Others
- Stop comparing your HRV to other people's absolute numbers and instead track your stability over time.
- Use measures like HRV coefficient of variation (HRV-CV) to monitor day-to-day stability.
