by Sandi Nypaver
Learning to Listen to Your Body with Help from HRV
Learning to listen to your body is an essential skill for every runner, but it’s not always easy. Sometimes your mind tells you to push through or stick to the plan, even when your body isn’t quite ready. You might wake up feeling fresh, only to realize mid-run that your legs are still fatigued from a previous effort. Or maybe you’re just feeling a little off and aren’t sure if it’s worth adjusting your schedule. In those moments, tools like Heart Rate Variability (HRV) can help you make more informed decisions.
What is HRV?
Heart Rate Variability is the measure of the variation in time between each heartbeat. Rather than your heart beating like a metronome, there’s natural variation. HRV is typically measured in milliseconds and reflects how well your autonomic nervous system is functioning, especially the balance between the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) branches.
A higher HRV generally indicates that your body is in a more relaxed, adaptable state, able to handle stress and recover well. A lower HRV can signal fatigue, illness, emotional stress, or overtraining.
HRV can also help reveal which lifestyle habits are helping or hurting your recovery. For example, prioritizing sleep and managing stress often lead to higher HRV, while things like alcohol, poor sleep, or prolonged stress can contribute to lower values.
How to Track HRV
You can measure HRV with wearables like WHOOP or the Oura Ring, but you don’t need expensive gear. The HRV4Training app is a budget-friendly and scientifically validated option that uses your phone’s camera or a heart rate monitor.
One potential downside of HRV4Training is that you see your HRV score immediately after taking the measurement. In contrast, with WHOOP or the Oura Ring, you can go about your morning routine, reflect on how you feel, and then check your data later which may help avoid jumping to conclusions based on the number alone.
For accurate information over time, it’s important to measure HRV the same way each morning. A reliable approach is to sit quietly in a relaxed position shortly after waking up, ideally before eating or having caffeine. Sitting offers a good balance of sensitivity to stress and recovery, making it a solid option for most people tracking training and readiness. A consistent routine to follow is to wake up, use the bathroom, then sit comfortably in a chair to take your HRV measurement.
Use HRV as a Guide, Not a Rulebook
HRV can be incredibly helpful for recognizing trends and making informed training decisions, but it’s also important not to let the data take over your decision-making. Some runners fall into the trap of letting HRV dictate every single training choice, which can create anxiety or unnecessary second-guessing.
Use HRV as one piece of the puzzle, alongside how your body feels, your sleep quality, your mental state, and the demands of your current training cycle. Think of it as a conversation between your data and your intuition, not a final verdict. You lead that conversation by checking in with yourself and asking, ‘How am I feeling today?'”
Ignore HRV Readings Before Races
It’s also smart to avoid checking your HRV the morning of a race. Race-day nerves, poor sleep the night before, or travel stress can all temporarily lower HRV even if your body is ready to perform. Seeing a low number might shake your confidence or lead you to second-guess yourself. Trust your training, go through your normal pre-race routine, and skip the HRV check that day. The data can wait.
What to Do with HRV Trends
One of the best ways to use HRV is by tracking trends over time rather than reacting to a single day’s reading. For example:
Sample HRV Trend Patterns and What They Might Mean:
- 3+ days of noticeably lower HRV than your baseline
Your body may be under high stress. It might be a good time to reduce volume or intensity, prioritize rest, or swap in a cross-training or mobility session. At this point, you likely wouldn’t get the desired benefit from doing a speed workout or long run. - Sudden drop after a hard effort
A normal acute response to training. Consider keeping the next 1–2 days lower intensity to help recovery. - Consistent, high HRV with good energy and motivation
Likely a green light to maintain or slightly increase training load if that aligns with your plan. As Marco Altini, creator of HRV4Training, says: “I tend to always stress its utility to hold back, more than to push harder.” In other words, a high HRV doesn’t mean it’s time to go wreck yourself in a workout, but it may be a good window for a productive speed session or long run. - HRV is stable, but you feel off or have low motivation
Use how you feel to guide decisions. HRV is helpful, but not perfect. You know your body best.
Final Thoughts
HRV can be a powerful tool for learning to listen to your body more effectively helping you spot patterns, adjust training before issues arise, and learn what truly supports your recovery. Just remember, like any tool, it works best when used with context and care.