12 ways to increase heart rate variability (HRV)

Heart rate variability (HRV) has become an important measure of health and wellness. It’s a measurement of the time difference between your heartbeats, and greater variability shows your body is well-rested and prepared for life’s challenges.

A high HRV is an indication of your heart’s readiness to adapt well to your environment and has several benefits for overall health. But a low HRV is a sign of stress, illness, or poor recovery.

Here’s how to boost your HRV in the long and short term.

What is HRV?

Heart rate variability measures the time between heartbeats. The time between heartbeats quickens and slows constantly in response to the environment and is influenced by the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

You can read the science behind HRV and what it means for your body in our complete guide.

• The higher your HRV (greater variability between heartbeats), the better recovered your body is.
• High HRV shows your body’s parasympathetic “rest and digest” status.
• Low HRV means fight or flight – and is a sign of stress on the body.

The higher your HRV (greater variability between heartbeats), the more responsive your body is to your environment, the better balanced your nervous system, and the healthier your heart.

On the other hand, a low HRV means that one set of responses is dominant, usually the sympathetic system. Chronic stress and insufficient rest can leave one stuck in sympathetic overdrive. Research shows that low HRV is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension.

Read more: How the Ultrahuman Ring tracks HRV

1. Become a morning person

An effective way to boost your HRV is regular and deep sleep, with the first four hours being of special importance. And the secret to deep sleep starts when you wake up.

Getting light in the early part of your day , within an hour of waking, anchors your circadian rhythm and promotes more restful sleep, which in turn boosts HRV.

Exposure to sunlight impacts your overall well-being and enables the body to produce essential vitamins and hormones such as vitamin D, cortisol, and melatonin.

Being outdoors, especially in the morning, triggers parasympathetic nervous system activity , which reflects in your HRV. Exercise or walk outdoors, sunbathe, or step outside after waking and in the evening to maximise gains in your HRV.

2. And sleep consistently

Staying in sync with your circadian rhythm by sleeping and waking up at consistent hours  allows you to spend more time in REM and deep sleep.

This sustains your endogenous circadian rhythm, which has a significant impact on your HRV through an increase in parasympathetic activity .

Our own data backs this up. Across a year of nights from 103,217 Ultrahuman Ring members , the members with the most varied sleep timings had up to 6.2ms lower overnight HRV than those whose nights stayed a similar length.

3. Prioritize morning exercise

Morning exercise has been shown to support overnight HRV, so get your workout in early if you want to see higher values.

In an Ultrahuman study of 2,345 men aged 20 to 40  across Europe, India, the Gulf and the New York area, men who did their cardio before 1pm had overnight HRV up to 23 ms higher than men training between 1pm and 8pm..

4. Try guided breathing

Acute and chronic stress have a huge negative impact on HRV, but there are actions you can take.

Slow, deep, controlled breathing has a positive impact on your HRV . Inhalation raises your heart rate, and exhalation slows it. Slowing your breath to about 6 breaths a minute, called ‘coherent breathing’, is a great way to rebalance your ANS.

To slow your breath, try alternate nostril breathing, yoga practices like pranayama, or intentional breathing with a cycle time of 10 seconds. You’ll be surprised to know that deep breathing can also lower blood sugar.

A randomised trial of a 10-day online mindfulness course found HRV rose during the daily practice sessions, though it rose in the music-listening control group too. What set the mindfulness group apart was higher HRV through the rest of the day and overnight.

5. Step off workouts if HRV dips

Intense training temporarily suppresses heart rate variability (HRV) as your nervous system responds to stress, but you can use HRV as a guide to train smarter .

Tracking HRV over time can help gauge recovery. If values remain below your personal baseline, your body may still be recovering, making a lighter session or rest day the smarter choice.

When HRV rebounds toward or above baseline, it can signal a greater capacity to tolerate training stress, and this could be a signal to have a quality session.

6. Take a cold shower

Exposing the body to cold for brief intervals, especially the back of the neck , stimulates the vagus nerve. This activates the parasympathetic ANS and bolsters HRV.

Switch to cold water for the last 15–30 seconds of your shower or try cold water immersion for five minutes after training, or experience an ice bath. Read our guide to vagus tone and what it means for recovery and HRV.

7. Cut out alcohol

Alcohol has a brutal effect on heart rate variability. Studies have shown that drinking alcohol lowers HRV, and the effects can linger for days afterwards.

8. Get regular exercise

Taking a long-term view of HRV improvement, regular exercise and good fitness help to keep HRV high.

Staying active is one of the most effective ways of raising your HRV. Research shows that people who exercised benefited from a better-balanced ANS .

Data from the study demonstrated an increase in parasympathetic activity and a reduction in sympathetic activity in people who trained, especially women, and this was noted even when the subjects were at rest.

However, it’s key to avoid overtraining. This can lower HRV and increase autonomic stress (see point five).

9. Eat Mediterranean

Eating right is not just a smart and healthy choice; it’s also a shot in the arm for your HRV. Most factors associated with the Mediterranean diet, such as consuming fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish have been shown to boost heart rate variability.

A study involving 276 male twins showed a clear association  between the Mediterranean dietary pattern and higher HRV. Those who showed a greater adherence to Mediterranean dietary habits had higher HRV, with each one-point rise in adherence associated with 3.9% to 13% higher HRV measures.

10. Stay hydrated

Good hydration supports cardiovascular function and recovery, and this matters most after exercise, when fluid loss can affect autonomic balance. In one trial , men who drank water matched to the fluid they had lost saw their HRV return to resting values within 20 minutes of finishing, where the same men without water had not fully recovered an hour later. The difference between the two conditions did not reach significance, so treat this as promising rather than settled.

Staying hydrated through the day may support recovery generally, though its direct effect on resting HRV in everyday contexts looks modest.

11. Try journaling and gratitude

A pilot randomized study  involving patients with Stage B heart failure found that an 8-week gratitude journaling intervention led to increased parasympathetic HRV responses during journaling and reduced inflammatory biomarkers.

12. Be social

Higher perceived social support has been associated with increased HRV, suggesting better autonomic regulation and stress resilience. Research has also shown  that individuals with strong social ties tend to exhibit higher HRV, reflecting improved emotional regulation and cardiovascular health.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for general information and educational purposes only. It neither provides any medical advice nor intends to substitute professional medical opinion on the treatment, diagnosis, prevention or alleviation of any disease, disorder or disability. Always consult with your doctor or qualified healthcare professional about your health condition and/or concerns before undertaking a new health care regimen including making any dietary or lifestyle changes.

References

1. Low Heart Rate Variability in a 2-Minute Rhythm Strip Predicts Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Mortality From Several Causes
2. Heart rate variability in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis
3. Reduced heart-rate variability and increased risk of hypertension
4. Heart Rate Variability at Rest and Exercise: Influence of Age, Gender, and Physical Training
5. Autonomic recovery after exercise in trained athletes: intensity and duration effects
6. Ultrahuman. HRV chart by age . 528,935 Ring wearers.
7. Ultrahuman. Does an irregular bedtime raise your heart rate?  103,217 members.
8. Ultrahuman. Daily activity coupled with morning exercise complements stress levels and sleep quality . 2,345 male users.
9. Ultrahuman. Overnight HRV accuracy . Against an ECG chest strap.
10. Kirk U, Axelsen JL. Heart rate variability is enhanced during mindfulness practice: a randomized controlled trial involving a 10-day online-based mindfulness intervention. PLoS One 2020;15(12):e0243488. PMID 33332403
11. Water drinking during aerobic exercise improves the recovery of non-linear heart rate variability indices. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2023;17:1147299. PMID 37424997 . 30 men with coronary artery disease.