Heart Rate Variability (HRV): Your Recovery Score
If your smartwatch shows "HRV," it’s tracking one of the best simple signals of how recovered — or stressed — your body is.
What HRV means
HRV is the tiny variation in time between heartbeats. Higher HRV generally means better recovery and a relaxed nervous system; a drop can signal stress, poor sleep, illness or overtraining.
How to improve it
- Prioritise sleep — the biggest lever.
- Manage stress (walking, breathing).
- Don’t overtrain; limit late alcohol and caffeine.
- Build aerobic fitness over time.
Watch your personal trend, not the raw number — HRV varies a lot between people. A sustained drop is your cue to rest and recover.
Quick answers
What is a good HRV?
It’s highly individual — compare against your own baseline trend rather than others’ numbers.
How do I raise my HRV?
Better sleep, less stress, sensible training load, and limiting late alcohol/caffeine all help over time.
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