01/29/2026
Most people hit a plateau and immediately think: I need to train or push harder.
But when we assess someone who’s plateaued, we look at their recovery metrics first. HRV, resting heart rate, sleep quality. These numbers tell us how well the nervous system is handling current demands.
Here’s what those actually mean:
HRV (Heart Rate Variability) measures the time variation between heartbeats. When your nervous system is recovered, there’s more variability (which is good). When you’re under stress or not recovering well, that variability decreases. Lower HRV means your body is still in a protective state.
Resting Heart Rate is your heart rate first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. If it’s elevated (5+ beats above your normal baseline), your nervous system is still working to recover from previous training sessions. Your body hasn’t returned to baseline yet.
Sleep Quality matters because deep sleep and REM sleep are when your body performs tissue repair, hormone regulation, and nervous system recovery. If you’re not getting adequate time in those stages, recovery is incomplete.
If these numbers are declining, that’s your nervous system telling you it can’t keep up with current demands. It’s not a motivation problem. It’s a capacity problem.
The solution isn’t more effort. It’s better support. Hydration. Sleep consistency. Nutrition that matches your activity level. And nervous system regulation through chiropractic care.
Adjustments help your body shift out of sympathetic (fight or flight) dominance and into parasympathetic (rest and repair) function. That’s when recovery actually happens. That’s when your body can respond to training again.
If you’re wearing a fitness tracker and those numbers are declining, pay attention. Your body is giving you data.