Heart Rate Variability (HRV): What It Is, Why It Matters & How to Improve It

Heart rate variability is one of the most powerful and underused markers of health available. It tells us not how fit you are, but how ready your nervous system is to handle stress, recover from load, and regulate itself. This post breaks down what HRV actually measures, why it matters in a functional medicine context, and the practical strategies that consistently improve it over time.