A great manydevices
Garmin
have a feature that, when viewed superficially, may seem secondary but when you delve into it can say a lot about us, the way we live, the time we spend. And not only that. It can also tell us the reasons why we cannot exercise properly or why we feel tired despite doing sedentary work.
This feature-as you may have guessed from the title-is the body battery.
As the name implies, the body battery measures how much energy we have, what condition we are in, and what to expect from our day and period.
Although it may sound like “magic,” the science behind the body battery is based on precise measurements from the cardio sensor on our wrist and-more specifically-starts with heart rate variability (HRV) and is analyzed by a specific algorithm developed by Firstbeat Analytics.
Indeed, the very variability of heart rate indicates our stress level, fitness status, and how much benefit we derive from periods of rest.
So does it measure stress?
Yes, exactly. But to understand this we need to take a very small step back. And, in more detail, reflect for a moment on our reactions when faced with difficulties.
Stress is a good and useful thing. In fact, it is nothing more than our body’s response to particular stresses, challenges, and the environment. It is a physiological reaction known as “fight or flight”; in short, our body puts itself in the ideal condition to face challenges and difficulties. But also excitement, happiness, strong emotions (going to a concert singing and shouting is not necessarily a difficulty but causes stress).
And how is this response measured?
With heart rate variability.
But stress alone does not wear out the body battery
There are many other factors that influence our body battery, some controllable by us, some less so. The ones in my opinion that are most relevant are: rest, health status and fitness.
If you have had little sleep or if you are unwell, the body battery recharges more slowly-because these states affect HRV-and so you inevitably feel more sluggish or sluggish.
On the other hand, our state of fitness greatly affects HRV: if you are in good shape, the “battery” is more powerful because HRV is higher; on the other hand, if you are in a period when you train little, it is normal to be even more low on energy.
So what is the purpose and why check the body battery?
As you may have guessed, it is a parameter influenced by many aspects and gives us information on three main areas.
The state of fitness: if the body battery drains rapidly for several days, even in the absence of emotional peaks, perhaps our state of fitness is not ideal and we need to rest more, train more or train better.
The emotional condition: precisely because it is affected by stress, the body battery gives us insight into how we react during the day. And don’t say, “I already know I’m stressed,” because sometimes you find stress peaks with remarkable accuracy. And this can make us realize that we need to “slow down,” take a few moments to relax with breathing, rest more.
It teaches us to know ourselves better. All these tools have a purpose: to observe us and tell us how we are, based on data. Having these references is helpful in understanding how we react in the face of daily difficulties and-most importantly-how to deal with them to improve the quality of our lives.