When the best HRV monitor – Welltory – and the new Apple watch come together, they provide a reliable way of tracking and collecting accurate measurements of your heart metrics. Whether you exercise a ton or there’s just a need to maintain a healthy heart rate range, knowing how to check HRV on Apple is an excellent addition to your daily routine.

In this post, we give you a deep analysis of using your Apple Watch and the Welltory app to check heart rate. We’ll also dive, albeit not too deep into the science of HRV, to explain what it is and why it’s on everybody’s lips today.

What is HRV?

HRV, short for Heart Rate Variability, is the variation in time between two consecutive heartbeats.

Let’s have an illustration to help you understand. The minimum normal heart rate in adults is 60 beats per minute. However, this does not mean that the heart makes a beat every second. The heart may beat after 0.8 seconds, exactly 1 second, or even 1.15 seconds between two beats. In other words, the time between two beats is not constant.

A high HRV at rest is essential. It usually means that the body is strong enough to execute rapidly and tolerate stress.

Although a component of your heart rate, HRV is, in fact, controlled by two arms of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems.

In general, the ANS is a complex system that regulates involuntary body processes, such as heart and breathing rates, blood pressure, body temperature, and urination.

The ANS works by controlling various body organs using its sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. Most of the time, these two divisions are competing and may have opposite effects on one organ. But both aim at triggering the most appropriate responses to different situations in the environment.

The sympathetic arm of the ANS is mainly involved in flight and flight responses. In addition, it controls things like stress and physical activities by increasing blood pressure and pulse.

On the other hand, the parasympathetic system is mainly involved in conserving and restoring. It regulates body responses during everyday situations, such as resting and digestion. It decreases blood pressure and also tells the heart to beat slowly.

This ‘competition’ between faster and slower heartbeats causes a variation in heart rate- the Heart Rate Variability (HRV).

In a balanced/healthy autonomic nervous system, the body can rest easily and perform at its best during stressful and emergencies fast. Therefore, a balance in the Autonomic Nervous System (often expressed as high HRV) is a sign of good health, fitness, and overall wellness.

How Stress Affects Your Health

Stress relates to the feeling of being overwhelmed by mental and emotional pressure. While it’s a natural reaction, stress can harm the body if it’s chronic.

If you’re constantly under stress, you may develop symptoms, such as;

  • Depression and anxiety
  • Heart disease
  • Pains and aches
  • High blood pressure
  • Sleep problems
  • Muscle tension (e.g., jaw clenching)
  • Trouble having sex
  • Digestive conditions
  • Weight problems
  • Weak immune system

How Accurate Is the Apple Watch’s HRV Measurement?

Owing to its widespread use, researchers and cardiac health experts have carried out several studies on the accuracy and reliability of the Apple Watch HRV. In a 2018 study published in the Journal Sensor, the researchers compared the HRV parameters obtained from the Apple watch and the Polar H7 chest strap.

The Polar H7 is considered to be the most accurate heart rate monitor. This explains why it’s often used as a reference in Apple Watch vs. ECGs comparisons.

The study results showed the data from the Apple Watch impressively agreed with that from the Polar H7. In conclusion, the study proved that HRV measurements from the Apple Watch could be reliably used for stress monitoring.

How to Check Your HRV with Your Apple Watch

Using the Apple Watch heart rate variability device is an easy three-step process that takes not more than two minutes of your time:

Step 1: Tap to launch the Breath App on your Apple Watch. It’s recommended to stay still (sitting down is enough) for accurate measurements.

Step 2: Press start to begin the Breathe session.

Step 3: Follow the inhale and exhale stages.

How to Make Sense of Your Apple Watch Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Data

The Apple Watch uses SDNN to measure your heart rate. After completing the Breathing session, you can view your parameters on your HRV iPhone app.

If you wish to make more sense of your Apple Watch HRV score, just sync Apple Health with the Welltory App and view a graph of your HRV. You also get a detailed report of what these numbers mean concerning key aspects of your life and health, including sleep, productivity, workouts, and more.

Even better, the Welltory app uses this data to provide you with science-backed recommendations to help you become the best version of yourself. Follow this quick guide to connect Apple Watch to Welltory.

What’s New?

RR intervals are available in the Welltory app, making it even better. It succeeds in creating one of the friendliest heart rate monitors for iPhone, even more reliable.

Instead of relying only on the SDNN, the Welltory App accurately senses R-R intervals. This technology is trendy presently because it tracks the connection between HRV and the nervous system in small changes (milliseconds) for a deep signal data analysis.

It’s All About Context

It’s advisable to take your HRV measurements at the same time every day. And while this is not set in stone, we recommend doing it first after waking up, preferably before doing anything, including exercising, taking coffee/tea, or checking social media, emails, and messaging apps.

Why is it so? The key biomarkers that impact the HRV, for instance, the heart rate and blood pressure, can be easily interfered with. Also, these biomarkers vary throughout the day. Thus, it isn’t easy to come up with reliable HRV information using data obtained at different times of the day.

How to Use HRV as a Health Measure

HRV is an essential parameter for measuring overall health. But it’s crucial to point out that there’s nothing like a good HRV score for everyone. Everyone is unique.

All in all, regular HRV values below 50 milliseconds are considered high risk and are signs of impending catastrophic illnesses. HRV readings between 50 and 100 milliseconds signify compromised health, while numbers above 100 milliseconds signal good health.

Importantly, keep an eye on your HRV with Apple Watch and contact your doctor if you’re worried.