Understanding HRV: The difference between heart rate and HRV
The implications of low HRV and its connection to age
Identifying a "good" HRV and personal baselines
Strategies for improving HRV: lifestyle changes and monitoring
HRV's role in understanding stress response physiology
Choosing accurate devices for measuring HRV
Balancing the Autonomic Nervous System for better health
Early illness detection through accurate HRV readings
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) has gained significant attention recently as a powerful tool for monitoring overall health and well-being. Understanding the nuances of HRV can help you unlock your body's full potential, improve your recovery, and manage stress more effectively.
When I first started teaching my clients about the importance of breathwork, it was a tough sell. While some immediately embraced the concept, others outright rejected it. After all, it's always there: whether awake or asleep, we take 20,000 per day, or 14 to 20 breaths every minute. Still, the pandemic has taught us that this is an opportune time to take every breath seriously.
“I am angry. It is illegal for me to be angry. Remember: Don't get angry. It is illegal to be a black man and be angry. Right. Got it. I will remember this next time.”
Kara Lee Corthron, “The Truth of Right Now”
On this day, the former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted by his peers of three charges: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Today, a rare thing happened when a white police officer was held accountable and will be punished for murdering a black man while a small group of people - young and old, white and black, man and woman - watched, frustrated by the hopelessness of it all.
"When we are saying this cannot be accomplished, this cannot be done, then we are short-changing ourselves. My brain, it cannot process failure. It will not process failure. Because if I have to sit there and face myself and tell myself, 'You are a failure,' I think that is almost worse than dying."
Kobe Bryant
Tell me what it’s like. You mean being black?
Over the recent weeks, that direct question naturally keeps being respectfully asked of me from well-meaning friends. And I’m appreciative for the genuine interest.
I must candidly confess my immediate thought is firstly an internal question: Is that the first time you’ve had that burning curiosity? You don’t have to satisfy me with an answer to that. Allow me to respond to your question, though.
We’ve been masking for a long time. All people of color have had to wear masks to conceal our authentic voices, faces, emotions and thoughts for much of our lives. And, the clever woman of color, her mask is her foundation. She carefully applies makeup atop her mask.
I am thrilled to share some wonderful news with you.
Next week, you will see a dramatic change to our cardio space. Through a new partnership with Technogym, official fitness equipment suppliers to the Olympics, we are installing 13 new cardiovascular machines , which will be operational by December 10th 2014.
Visualization is a tool used by professionals and novice alike during training and work. In the end, visualization is used to reach success. However, it can also be used more globally as a separate training tool (to see the desired outcome), to establish or renew awareness, to heighten sensory perception, to calm and relax, refocus, to improve well-being and to recover from injury or failure.
In may, 2014, I had the privilege of being interviewed for the Foundation Training Newsletter, answering questions about my business and personal practices, motivations, perceived trends, and why I'm such a proponent of Foundation Training. Please read the transcript below:
Our lifespan allows us the luxury of ignoring the negative results of inactivity. But, we now have proof that pain and many symptoms of aging can be attributed to inactivity and the poor use of our bodies.
“Failure is insidious,” said my client.
"When you have a muscular or structural imbalance, says Dr. Eric Goodman (creator of Foundation Training), you're taking that imbalance further or making it greater when you begin to exercise before correcting the imbalance".
For decades, health officials have continued to encourage the masses to get moving – and with good reason.
The most sophisticated machine in the world doesn't even come with a manual.
Do you remember the first car that you owned?
Imagine, on the day you were handed the keys to that car, you were also told, “This is the only vehicle you’ll ever own.” In hindsight, how would you treat that car differently? No doubt with better care.
I’m going to advocate for small shifts and changes, rather than big nudges. Working in phases and stages, rather than fits and starts.
I love watching people move. Even those (perhaps especially those) who do not do it well fascinate me. Trying to understand the complexities in the movement patterns of people is what I’ve chosen to make a career of. And, while many have come to me over the years for a variety of health and fitness reasons, my priority has always been to help them understand the value of proper movement, and the unknown dangers that we expose ourselves to because we don’t. That, combined with proper nutrition, I believe will take care of most of our health-related issues. DIS-EASE within our bodies is the problem. Remove the hyphen and you’ll understand
"This isn't meant as an insult, but you are physiologically lazy. So am I. So are we all".
Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times writer and best-selling author wrote, “This isn’t meant as an insult, but you are physiologically lazy. So am I. So are we all.” It makes you stop and think about it. Reynolds is not insulting us, but bases her opinion on research that suggests that like other animals, humans naturally aim to use as little energy as possible during most movement.
Original story has been published in Village Living Magazine, Issue NO. 4, November/December 2013 – By: Andrew Seale
I’ve long consider there to be a strong similarity in personalities and characteristics of “High Performers” in business and sport. It makes sense then, that success inside of the gym hinges on the same identifiable and predictable traits. Athletes and novices have the same amount of willpower as executives and their employees. So, when I proposed to the editors of Village Living Magazine that they feature a story on the similarities of successful business people and athletes, they were intrigued. I was only too thrilled to recommend my client, Wendy Cecil, when I was contacted by their writer, Andrew Seale.
As a Personal Trainer, our successes are hinged on wide ranging criteria, some self-proclaimed, other times declared so by the media. Sometimes that success is based on the names and the profiles of the people that we work with, or hopefully more frequently and quietly announced in the form of the subtle changes in their bodies or minds. The latter feels best.
To consult a physician before starting an exercise program is good advice. But before starting an exercise program, you should first step back from some common notions on exercise.
Universally, exercise is known to be good a thing; It helps to maintain normal body weight (by increasing our metabolism), improves your mood, reduces anxiety to improve sleep quality, and it can minimize some of the negative effects of ageing in multiple ways.
Every now and then, you might have an experience that is so profound, it leaves you with so many things to say, yet, also completely speechless. During those extraordinary moments, all that you can do is smile
I can’t imagine that there are many words more damaging to a woman’s self-worth than to be told: “I’m sorry. You have breast cancer.” The indignity. The self-blame. The fear. The isolation. The choices. What a terrible disease.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For those of us who have had to face the challenge directly or standing by the side of the ones we love, Breast Cancer (BC) is a beast that must be slain. It devours cells, it demoralizes its victims, and it destroys lives. The faces of its victims are always strong, resolute, and of-course, tinged with fear. For those of us who fight in the background as supporters, for that is all that we can do, we also put on a brave face. However, behind all of that, there is also fear. Courage resides within our hearts, and it is there we must go to find the strength to challenge this monster.
For several weeks leading up to October 10th, I had been looking forward to my trip to New York. And, although I have visited this great city that is home to Lady Liberty and nearly 8.5 million of her citizens on many occasions before, this experience, I knew, would be special.
He’s a husband, father, acclaimed film producer/director and philanthropist. He is president of Endeavour, the ad agency he co-founded. His client list is impressive, including American Express, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, The Canadian Opera Company, Stratford Festival, Luminato and many others. His office is filled with reminders of priceless memories, including his experiences with celebrities such as Mick Jagger, Tony Bennett, Bono, Harry Belafonte and his new favourite, Quincy Jones — all with big, genuine smiles on their faces. To boot, he sits on many arts boards including the board of the Toronto International Film Festival. If you’re trying to find Barry Avrich, he’s probably on his way to Los Angeles right now.
