Breathe slowly: breathing at about 6 breaths a minute is the fastest, best-proven way to raise HRV.
Move regularly: exercise raises resting HRV, with the clearest benefit in people who are currently inactive.
Protect your sleep: losing sleep lowers HRV in controlled trials.
Watch the alcohol: even small amounts lower your HRV overnight.
Track the trend: judge progress on your weekly average over a couple of months, not day to day.
Introduction
You check your watch and notice your HRV has been slowly drifting down. You know a falling HRV is a sign your body is under strain, but what can you actually do to bring it back up to its normal range? This guide looks at what the research shows works, starting with the approaches that have the strongest evidence.
Short answer: the most reliable ways to improve your HRV are slow breathing, regular exercise, enough sleep and cutting back on alcohol. Slow breathing raises HRV within minutes, and regular practice can raise it at rest. Exercise improves resting HRV over weeks to months, especially if you're currently inactive. Most supplements and quick fixes have little evidence behind them.
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Can you actually raise your HRV?
Yes, but only part of it. Your genes explain roughly 13–23% of the differences in HRV between people [1], and HRV falls naturally with age. Those parts you can't change.
The rest depends on how your nervous system is working day to day. Breathing, fitness, sleep, alcohol, smoking, body weight and your general health all play a part, and you can influence each of them.
It also helps to know what you're aiming for. A realistic goal is to move your HRV up within the normal range for your age, and keep it there. To see where you sit now, read What is a good HRV? Normal Ranges by Age and Sex
The quickest way to raise your HRV: slow breathing
Slow breathing has the strongest evidence of any HRV technique. A large meta-analysis of 223 studies found it increased the "rest and digest" part of HRV during a breathing session, straight after a single session, and after a programme of regular practice [2].
So it works on two timescales. A single session gives a short-term boost that fades once you return to normal breathing. Practising regularly over several weeks is what raises your resting HRV, the number your wearable tracks.
It works through the natural link between your breathing and your heart. Your heart speeds up slightly as you breathe in and slows as you breathe out. Breathing slowly makes those swings bigger, which shows up as a higher HRV.
How to do it
Sit or lie comfortably and relax your shoulders.
Breathe in gently through your nose for 4 seconds.
Breathe out slowly for 6 seconds. That's about 6 breaths a minute, the pace most often used in studies.
Keep going for 5–10 minutes. If you feel light-headed, return to normal breathing.
Repeat once or twice a day. Regular practice is what shifts your resting HRV, not a single session.
Your HRV will be higher during and just after the exercise, so don't take your daily reading straight after a breathing session.
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7 ways to improve your HRV long term
1. Exercise regularly
Regular exercise is one of the best-studied ways to raise resting HRV. In a meta-analysis of trials in healthy but inactive adults, exercise training increased RMSSD compared with not exercising [3]. The effect was small to moderate, and results varied between studies.
What's the best type of exercise to increase HRV? A network meta-analysis compared different types of exercise in healthy adults. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) ranked highest for improving RMSSD and SDNN [4]. Aerobic exercise, resistance training and a mix of the two also helped.
The evidence isn't all positive. A 2025 meta-analysis of long-term exercise trials, which included many people with health conditions, found no significant change in RMSSD compared with control groups [5]. The benefit seems clearest if you're starting from a low level of activity.
In practice: aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking or cycling. If you're already active, adding one or two interval sessions a week may help, as long as you recover well between them.
2. Balance hard training with recovery
A hard workout lowers your HRV for a day or two while your body recovers. That's normal, and HRV often bounces back higher. Problems start when hard sessions are stacked without enough recovery, which can keep HRV low.
Leave time between intense sessions.
Use gentle activity on recovery days, such as walking, swimming or yoga.
If your HRV is well below your usual range, choose an easy day over another hard session.
This advice comes from sports-science practice rather than large trials, but it's a sensible way to use your HRV data. For more read our biomarker guide on Recovery Score.
3. Protect your sleep
Sleep loss directly lowers HRV. A meta-analysis of controlled trials found that sleep deprivation significantly reduced RMSSD, the "rest and digest" measure most wearables track [6].
Aim for 7–9 hours a night.
Keep the same bedtime and wake time, including at weekends.
Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.
Avoid screens in the hour before bed, and avoid large meals late in the evening.
Read more in our guide to Improving your sleep.
4. Cut back on alcohol
Alcohol is one of the most common reasons for a low overnight HRV. In a study of 4,098 Finnish employees who wore heart monitors in daily life, alcohol lowered "rest and digest" activity during sleep in a dose-dependent way [7]. The effect showed up even after low amounts. Being young or physically active didn't protect against it.
This was an observational study, so it shows a strong link rather than proof of cause. But the pattern is consistent and easy to check for yourself: compare your HRV the night after drinking with an alcohol-free night.
Have more alcohol-free days each week.
If you do drink, have less, and finish earlier in the evening.
5. Lose excess weight
Carrying excess weight is linked to lower HRV. A systematic review of 12 studies found that losing weight through diet, or diet plus exercise, improved heart rate control by the nervous system in people who were overweight or obese [8].
In most of these studies, people lost at least 5% of their body weight, and several lost more than 10%.
6. Stop smoking
Smoking lowers HRV. In a study of 4,751 adults, people who had stopped smoking had higher HRV than current smokers, and the more people smoked, the lower their HRV [9]. This is observational evidence, but it fits with everything else we know about smoking and the heart.
If you smoke, stopping is one of the best things you can do for your heart. The NHS Stop Smoking Service offers free support.
7. Treat underlying health conditions
Low HRV is linked to high blood pressure [10] and to type 2 diabetes and prediabetes [11]. If one of these is going unnoticed, lifestyle changes alone may not shift your HRV much.
It's worth knowing your blood pressure, blood sugar (HbA1c) and cholesterol, especially if your HRV is persistently low for your age.
What doesn't work (or isn't proven yet)
Meditation and mindfulness. Many people expect meditation to raise HRV, but the evidence is weaker than you might think. A meta-analysis of 19 randomised trials found that mindfulness and meditation programmes did not significantly raise resting HRV compared with control groups [12]. Meditation has other benefits for stress and wellbeing. If you want to raise your HRV specifically, slow breathing has much stronger evidence.
Supplements. There's no supplement with strong evidence that it reliably raises HRV in healthy people. Be wary of products marketed as HRV boosters.
Chasing your daily score. Your HRV naturally goes up and down from day to day. Reacting to every dip, or worrying about your number, can add stress and work against you. Focus on your weekly average instead.
How long does it take to improve HRV?
It depends on what you change:
Slow breathing: HRV rises within minutes during a session. Changes to your resting HRV come with regular practice over weeks [2].
Alcohol and sleep: you'll often see a difference the very next night.
Exercise and weight loss: expect changes over weeks to months. Most exercise trials ran for at least several weeks before measuring results [3, 5].
Be patient. Give any change at least 4–8 weeks before deciding whether it's working.
How to tell if it's working
Measure at the same time each day, ideally overnight or just after waking.
Use the same device, worn the same way.
Compare your weekly average with your baseline, not single days.
Change one thing at a time where you can, so you know what made the difference.
For how to set your baseline and what's normal for your age, see What is a good HRV? Normal Ranges by Age and Sex
When to see a doctor
Talk to a doctor if:
your HRV stays well below your usual range for more than 2 weeks without an obvious reason
it stays low for your age despite lifestyle changes
a low or suddenly changing HRV comes with symptoms such as fatigue, palpitations, breathlessness, chest pain or low mood
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way to increase HRV? Slow breathing at about 6 breaths a minute raises HRV within minutes [2]. For a lasting rise in your resting HRV, combine regular breathing practice with exercise, good sleep and less alcohol.
What is the best exercise to increase HRV? In a network meta-analysis of healthy adults, high-intensity interval training ranked highest for improving RMSSD [4]. Regular aerobic and resistance exercise also help. The best exercise is the one you'll do consistently.
Does alcohol affect HRV? Yes. Alcohol lowers HRV during sleep, and the more you drink, the bigger the drop [7]. The effect shows up even after small amounts.
How can I increase my HRV during sleep? Avoid alcohol in the evening, keep regular sleep times, keep your bedroom cool and dark, and avoid big meals close to bedtime. Regular exercise and a few minutes of slow breathing before bed may also help.
Do supplements increase HRV? There's no strong evidence that any supplement reliably raises HRV in healthy people. Breathing, exercise, sleep and alcohol have far more impact.
Does meditation increase HRV? The evidence is mixed. A meta-analysis of randomised trials found no clear effect of mindfulness or meditation programmes on resting HRV [12]. Slow breathing has much stronger evidence.
The bottom line
You can raise your HRV, but there's no shortcut. The best evidence supports slow breathing, regular exercise, enough sleep and less alcohol. Losing excess weight, stopping smoking and treating health conditions also help. Make one or two changes, track your weekly average for a couple of months, and see a doctor if your HRV stays low despite your efforts.
References
Singh JP, Larson MG, O'Donnell CJ, et al. Heritability of heart rate variability: the Framingham Heart Study. Circulation. 1999;99(17):2251–2254. doi:10.1161/01.CIR.99.17.2251
Laborde S, Allen MS, Borges U, Dosseville F, Hosang TJ, Iskra M, et al. Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: a systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2022;138:104711. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104711
Casanova-Lizón A, Manresa-Rocamora A, Flatt AA, Sarabia JM, Moya-Ramón M. Does exercise training improve cardiac-parasympathetic nervous system activity in sedentary people? A systematic review with meta-analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(21):13899. doi:10.3390/ijerph192113899
Yang F, Ma Y, Liang S, Shi Y, Wang C. Effect of exercise modality on heart rate variability in adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Rev Cardiovasc Med. 2024;25(1):9. doi:10.31083/j.rcm2501009
Zhang W, Bi S, Luo L. The impact of long-term exercise intervention on heart rate variability indices: a systematic meta-analysis. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2025;12:1364905. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2025.1364905
Zhang S, Niu X, Ma J, Wei X, Zhang J, Du W. Effects of sleep deprivation on heart rate variability: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Neurol. 2025;16:1556784. doi:10.3389/fneur.2025.1556784
Pietilä J, Helander E, Korhonen I, Myllymäki T, Kujala UM, Lindholm H. Acute effect of alcohol intake on cardiovascular autonomic regulation during the first hours of sleep in a large real-world sample of Finnish employees: observational study. JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(1):e23. doi:10.2196/mental.9519
Mattos S, Rabello da Cunha M, Barreto Silva MI, Serfaty F, Tarvainen MP, Klein MRST, et al. Effects of weight loss through lifestyle changes on heart rate variability in overweight and obese patients: a systematic review. Clin Nutr. 2022;41(11):2577–2586. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2022.09.009
Murgia F, Melotti R, Foco L, Gögele M, Meraviglia V, Motta B, et al. Effects of smoking status, history and intensity on heart rate variability in the general population: the CHRIS study. PLoS One. 2019;14(4):e0215053. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0215053
Schroeder EB, Liao D, Chambless LE, Prineas RJ, Evans GW, Heiss G. Hypertension, blood pressure, and heart rate variability: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Hypertension. 2003;42(6):1106–1111.
Coopmans C, Zhou TL, Henry RMA, Heijman J, Schaper NC, Koster A, et al. Both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are associated with lower heart rate variability: the Maastricht Study. Diabetes Care. 2020;43(5):1126–1133. doi:10.2337/dc19-2367
Brown L, Rando AA, Eichel K, Van Dam NT, Celano CM, Huffman JC, et al. The effects of mindfulness and meditation on vagally mediated heart rate variability: a meta-analysis. Psychosom Med. 2021;83(6):631–640. doi:10.1097/PSY.0000000000000900
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