Heart rate variability sounds kinda like a bad thing, doesn’t it? We imagine a steady, unchanging heart rate as the ideal. But this is largely because we aren’t familiar enough with the internal aspects of our bodies. Our heart beat subtly varies all the time, going from stronger to weaker and then from weaker to stronger. Researchers tells us that this heart rate variability (HRV) is an indicator of our general health. A low HRV measure, that is, a heart beat that doesn’t much vary in intensity, is a predictor of not only chronic heart disease but also cognitive decline. Those with a high HRV measure, on the other hand, are less likely to suffer from disease and mental illness. They are also more likely to have retained higher intellectual functions, particularly those regarding attention-related tasks, into their old age. Furthermore, they are more likely to react calmly under stress and maintain self-control in the face of temptation.

To my knowledge there are three ways of improving one’s HRV measure: regular aerobic exercise, meditation, and breath training. I am going to briefly share a breathing exercise that I found in Kelly McGonigal’s highly-readable, easy-to-follow book, The Willpower Instinct, which turned me on to the subject of HRV. You can perform this exercise anywhere, at any time. I used it for ten minutes the other day while waiting in cue for a hair cut. It is simple.

SLOW YOUR BREATHING DOWN TO 4-6 BREATHS PER MINUTE

That’s 12-15 seconds per inhale and 12-15 seconds per exhale. After two minutes of such breathing HRV increases, indicating that the autonomic nervous system has entered into its parasympathetic mode. In this mode the body naturally relaxes and begins healing itself. Regular training in this fashion, for as little as twenty minutes a day, can result in so-called parasympathic dominance, that is, a nervous system that promotes relaxation and health.

Breath control exercises like the one above, as well as the many others that we practice at Fight Club, can be used to restore the body to its parasympathetic/healing mode after strenuous exercise, combat work stress (which is strongly correlated to chronic heart disease), help overcome cravings, and to treat depression. Since breathing is such an integral element of Systema, you can perhaps understand why I had earlier referred to our art as an immune system. The practice of Systema, that is, the practice of controlled breathing and relaxed strength under duress, helps ward off disease and illness.

Give this one exercise a try and see if it has any of these effects on your own life. I have found it useful in mine.

Thanks!