SlowpulseWhat is a good HRV?
There is no single good number — and the research is unusually clear about why.
Read →HRV by age
Age-banded HRV tables circulate widely. The underlying research does not support them.
Read →The 4-7-8 breathing technique
Inhale for four, hold for seven, exhale for eight. What the pattern is, and how to run it properly.
Read →Resting heart rate, explained
What the number is, what counts as normal, and why the range is far wider than most people expect.
Read →HRV vs heart rate
One counts the beats. The other measures the gaps between them — and they can move in opposite directions.
Read →Why does HRV drop?
A 2024 review catalogued what actually moves the number. Most of it is ordinary.
Read →When to measure HRV
HRV moves through the day. Two readings taken at different hours are not two readings of the same thing.
Read →Does exercise affect HRV?
Regular training is associated with higher HRV. A hard session lowers it. Both are true, on different timescales.
Read →How to build your own HRV baseline
A single HRV number is close to meaningless. Your own recent history is what turns it into information.
Read →How to get a consistent HRV reading from an Apple Watch
Wear position, band tension and overnight wear move your readings as much as your physiology does.
Read →What to do when your score is high
A short routine for a high reading — and an honest account of what slow breathing does and does not do.
Read →Not a medical device. Does not diagnose, treat or monitor any condition.