#829 - Dr Leah Lagos - How To Improve Your Heart Rate Variability
Aug 24, 2024
58:39
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Dr. Leah Lagos, a clinical psychologist and HRV performance coach, shares insights on optimizing heart rate variability (HRV) for better health and performance. She highlights the critical link between HRV, brain function, and stress management. Discover effective techniques for improving HRV, including personalized breathing practices and tailored exercise protocols. Dr. Lagos also discusses the surprising factors that influence HRV, from emotional resilience to unique therapies like sound baths. Tune in for a playful yet informative approach to enhancing your well-being!
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Quick takeaways
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) serves as a key metric for assessing heart health and emotional regulation based on individual stress responses.
Implementing structured breathing exercises at specific rates can significantly enhance HRV, leading to improved cardiovascular efficiency and mental clarity.
Deep dives
Understanding Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) refers to the variation in time intervals between heartbeats, a metric that provides insight into an individual's heart health, brain function, and overall well-being. HRV is measured in milliseconds, with the most favorable outcomes characterized by larger oscillations, indicating adaptability and resilience of the autonomic nervous system. While a higher HRV is generally associated with better health, individuals have unique HRV ranges that reflect their physiological state. Factors such as stress, lifestyle choices, and even emotional well-being can influence an individual’s HRV, making it imperative to track one's variations over time.
The Impact of Stress on HRV
Stressful situations often lead to lower HRV as the body adopts a defense mechanism aimed at conserving energy, which can hinder performance and emotional regulation. Chronic stress impedes the flexibility of the autonomic nervous system, affecting how one reacts to daily challenges. Training techniques, such as breathing exercises designed to enhance HRV, help individuals develop greater control over their stress responses, allowing them to adapt and return to a baseline state of calmness more quickly. By understanding individual triggers and responses to stress, one can optimize HRV and promote resilience.
Breath Training Techniques for HRV Improvement
Breath training, specifically resonant frequency breathing at a rate of 5 to 6.5 breaths per minute, is vital in enhancing HRV and overall health. Structured breathing exercises can be practiced for 15 minutes twice a day, aiming to condition the heart and nervous system to respond more efficiently to stress and enhance overall performance. This training not only fosters physical improvements, as seen in lower resting heart rates and increased cardiovascular efficiency, but also facilitates mental clarity and cognitive dexterity. Consistent practice can lead to long-term benefits, rendering the body more responsive and resilient in facing stressors.
Monitoring and Measuring HRV Effectively
To effectively measure HRV, using reliable wearable devices is essential, as they track variations accurately, particularly during sleep when movement is minimal. It’s important to interpret HRV data within the context of one’s lifestyle, recognizing factors such as alcohol consumption and sleep quality that can skew results. Individuals should be aware that external factors like physical activities and stressors can impact readings, which can lead to misinterpretations of one’s health status. Understanding these variables allows individuals to better calibrate their stress management techniques and adapt their practices for improved health outcomes.
Dr Leah Lagos is a clinical psychologist, HRV performance coach and an author.
Heart Rate Variability is one of the most important new metrics that people are using to gauge heart health, longevity and fitness, but improving it can be a minefield. Thankfully Dr Lagos has spent decades optimising the HRVs of some of the world's highest performers and today we get to hear her best advice.
Expect to learn the crucial relationship between HRV and your brain function plus heart health, the best way to improve your HRV, what most people get wrong when trying to optimise their HRV, the most surprising factors that can impact your HRV, the role of breath, stress and fitness and much more...