What Is a Good HRV? HRV Chart by Age and Gender
Updated: 8h
Reviewed by Dr. Inna Khazan, licensed Clinical Psychologist, Certified Biofeedback Specialist, and Harvard Medical School Faculty Member
HRV stands for heart rate variability. It's the tiny change in the time interval between one heartbeat and the next. Your heart doesn't beat like a clock. Even at 60 beats a minute, one gap might be 950 ms and the next 1,050 ms. These small changes come from your nervous system, which constantly adjusts to your breathing, stress, rest, and activity (Shaffer & Ginsberg, 2017).
In general, higher resting HRV is associated with greater flexibility in how your nervous system responds to everyday demands. A lower HRV can indicate increased strain on the nervous system, but a single reading doesn't tell the whole story. Your age, sleep, physical activity, stress, and overall health all help put that number into context.
In this article, you'll learn:
What is a normal HRV for adults
How HRV is measured, and why apps show different numbers
What's normal for your age and sex, with a chart and a table
Whether your own number (like 30 or 40 ms) is good
What a low HRV means, and when to see a doctor
How to check your HRV the right way, and simple ways to raise it
Normal HRV range for adults
In a review of studies involving healthy adults, the average resting RMSSD was approximately 42 ms, although values varied widely, between 19 and 75 ms (milliseconds) (Shaffer & Ginsberg, 2017). There is no single normal HRV range that applies to everyone. Age, individual differences, and measurement methods all influence HRV.
These values refer to RMSSD, the measure of HRV most commonly displayed by HRV apps.
HRV is naturally higher when you're young and tends to decline as you get older. So 30 ms can be low for a 25-year-old and perfectly healthy for a 60-year-old.
The best way to judge your HRV is to compare it with your own normal. If your HRV stays steady or gradually rises over a few weeks, it's usually a sign that your body is recovering well and staying flexible in how it responds to stress and everyday challenges.
How HRV is measured: RMSSD, SDNN, and app scores
Apps and devices show HRV in a few different ways. You don't need to learn the technical names. Just check which one your device uses:
Measure | What it is | Where you'll see it |
RMSSD (ms) | How much the time between heartbeats changes from one beat to the next. This is the measure used in this article | Most HRV apps, including Optimal HRV |
SDNN (ms) | How much does the time between heartbeats vary overall during a reading | Apple Watch, medical reports |
HRV score (0–100) | An app's own scale, often built from RMSSD | Some wearables and apps |
You can't compare these values with each other. Always compare readings taken the same way, on the same device, using the same measurements.
HRV chart by age: what's normal for you?
HRV goes down as we age. In a study of 1,906 healthy adults, the average HRV decreased from about 40–43 ms in those aged 25–34 to about 19 ms in those aged 65–74 (Voss et al., 2015). The chart below shows the averages for women and men.
Keep in mind that these are averages. In each age group, many healthy people are well above or below these values. Most of the drop happens before the mid-50s, then it levels off. Use the chart as a rough guide, not a pass-or-fail test.
HRV by age table for women and men
A much larger study of about 85,000 healthy adults in the Netherlands shows the same pattern in more detail (Tegegne et al., 2020). The numbers below are "typical" values: half of healthy people that age are above this number, and half are below.
Age | Women: typical RMSSD (ms) | Men: typical RMSSD (ms) |
20–24 | 52 | 48 |
25–29 | 48 | 42 |
30–34 | 42 | 37 |
35–39 | 38 | 33 |
40–44 | 34 | 29 |
45–49 | 29 | 26 |
50–54 | 27 | 24 |
55–59 | 23 | 21 |
60–64 | 21 | 19 |
65–69 | 18 | 18 |
70–74 | 18 | 16 |
75+ | 16 | 15 |
These values come from 10-second ECG recordings. They provide useful information about how HRV differs by age and sex, but they should not be treated as exact reference values for longer (3-5 minutes or longer) HRV measurements. Despite differences in how HRV was measured, both studies show a similar pattern: average HRV is roughly half as high in people in their 60s as in those in their 20s, then levels off in older age groups.
Is my HRV good? What do 20, 30, 40, and 50 ms mean
Here's what common readings mean, based on the table above:
20 ms: typical in your early 60s. Below the typical value if you're under 40, but still inside the normal range for healthy adults.
30 ms: about typical for a woman in her late 40s or a man in his early 40s. Above typical if you're over 55.
40 ms: about typical for a woman in her early 30s or a man in his late 20s. Above typical from your 40s onward.
50 ms or more: above the typical value for every age group from 25 up.
If your number is lower than the typical value for your age, don't panic. Compare it with your own normal first (see below).
Tip: The Optimal HRV app does this comparison for you. It shows where your reading sits for your age and sex, right next to your own weekly and monthly averages.
HRV in women vs. men
Women and men have slightly different HRV at the same age, so the same age ranges work for both, as the gap is small. In the study above, women's averages were slightly higher before age 55, and the gap continued to shrink with age, disappearing by ages 65–74 (Voss et al., 2015).
The larger Dutch study found the same thing. Between ages 20 and 45, women's typical HRV was about 5 ms higher than that of men. The gap narrowed from 45 to 59, and after 60, it disappeared (Tegegne et al., 2020).
In practice, a woman in her 30s with a morning RMSSD of around 35–40 ms is within the typical values for her age. Many women also see their HRV shift across the menstrual cycle, so compare readings over a few weeks rather than day-to-day.
Why your own normal matters more than any chart
Two healthy people of the same age can have very different HRV. That's why it's most useful to compare your HRV to your own recent average, known as your baseline. If your HRV is noticeably lower than usual, consider whether you've been sleeping poorly, experiencing more stress, feeling unwell, or pushing yourself harder physically. All of these can affect your HRV.
Here's what raises or lowers your HRV. The first four come from a major research review (Shaffer & Ginsberg, 2017):
Age: HRV declines as you get older.
Fitness: HRV often rises as aerobic fitness improves, so regular cardio, like brisk walking, running, or cycling, helps. See how Zone 2 cardio affects HRV.
Heart rate: HRV is closely related to heart rate. People with faster resting heart rates often have lower HRV, partly because of how HRV is calculated. More on heart rate and HRV: how they influence each other.
Health: stress, depression, anxiety, poor sleep, inflammation, and chronic pain are linked to lower HRV.
Genetics: part of your baseline is inherited, which is why two healthy people's HRV can differ so much.
Daily habits: alcohol, a late heavy meal, a hard workout, or a night of short or poor sleep can lower your HRV for a day or two.
Higher isn't always better. Some heart rhythm problems, such as atrial fibrillation (a common type of irregular heartbeat), can make HRV look unusually high (Shaffer & Ginsberg, 2017). If your HRV is suddenly well above your normal range, especially if you have a racing or fluttering heartbeat, talk to your medical provider.
What does a low HRV mean, and when should you worry?
A "low" HRV is one that is well below your own usual level or well below the typical value for your age in the table above. A single low morning reading is common and can happen for many reasons, including poor sleep, alcohol, stress, travel, a hard workout, or the start of an illness. HRV often returns to its usual level within a day or two, though sometimes it takes longer.
What matters more is a significant drop that lasts. Research links low HRV with poorer health and with conditions such as depression, anxiety, diabetes, and chronic pain (Shaffer & Ginsberg, 2017). If your HRV remains substantially below your usual level without an apparent explanation, particularly if you also feel unwell, consider discussing it with your healthcare provider. HRV alone cannot diagnose a medical condition. Symptoms such as chest pain, fainting, or significant difficulty breathing require prompt medical attention, regardless of your HRV reading.
How to check your HRV the right way
A short daily reading taken the same way each time gives you a trend you can trust. For a full walkthrough, see how to use an HRV monitor.
Measure first thing in the morning, before coffee, exercise, or checking your phone.
Sit or lie still and breathe naturally for 3–5 minutes. Avoid deliberately slowing or deepening your breathing, as this can affect your HRV reading.
Use the same device, position, and app every day.
Look at your weekly average rather than any single reading. In the Optimal HRV app, you can also tag readings (sleep, workouts, stress) to see what moves your number.
You need a sensor that records beat-to-beat data. The Optimal HRV Monitor is a comfortable armband for daily readings, or you can use a compatible HRV monitor you may already own.
Why does your watch or ring show a different number?
Different devices measure HRV in different ways, so their numbers don't match each other or the charts above:
Apple Watch saves HRV to the Health app as SDNN (Apple), a different measure from the RMSSD used in this article, so its numbers are on a different scale.
WHOOP and other sleep trackers measure HRV while you sleep (WHOOP). A nighttime number comes from a different state than a morning reading, so the two aren't directly comparable.
Morning readings with a chest strap or armband and an app like Optimal HRV are short resting RMSSD readings, the closest match to how the studies in this article were measured, so they're the fairest to compare with the charts above.
The fix is simple: pick one device and one routine, and compare yourself only with yourself.
How to improve your HRV
You can't change your age, but you can influence the habits linked to higher HRV: regular aerobic exercise, good sleep, and managing stress.
One of the most direct ways to raise your HRV is HRV biofeedback. HRV biofeedback uses real-time feedback to help you find and practice the breathing rate at which your heart rate naturally rises and falls in larger, more rhythmic patterns. This rate is called your resonance frequency, and it's usually between 3.5 and 7 breaths per minute. Everyone has their own ideal rate. With regular practice, HRV biofeedback can improve your body's ability to regulate itself and adapt to stress. It may also increase your resting HRV over time.
How Optimal HRV helps you track and raise your HRV
The Optimal HRV app was co-founded by biofeedback specialist Dr. Inna Khazan to make all of this simple:
Take a short morning reading with the Optimal HRV Monitor, a comfortable armband, or a compatible chest strap using the Optimal HRV App.
Build your baseline: The app shows your latest reading next to your last-week and last-month averages, and compares your readings with those typical for your age and sex.
Practice slow breathing: A one-time breathing test called RF Assessment finds your ideal breathing rate. Then guided biofeedback sessions show your heart rate and HRV live as you breathe.
Every account starts with a 30-day free trial, or you can buy the Monitor + Lifetime App bundle in one purchase.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good HRV score?
If your app shows HRV as RMSSD in milliseconds (ms), most healthy adults are between about 19 and 75 ms. SDNN is also measured in ms, but it's a different measure, so it can't be compared with these numbers. If your app uses a 0–100 score, that score is the app's own formula, so only compare it with other readings in the same app.
What is a normal HRV range?
For short resting readings in healthy adults, the average is about 42 ms, with most values falling between 19 and 75 ms.
What is the average HRV by age?
In a study of about 85,000 healthy adults, typical HRV was about 52 ms for women and 48 ms for men at ages 20–24, 34 and 29 ms at ages 40–44, and 21 and 19 ms at ages 60–64. See the full HRV chart by age above.
Is a higher HRV always better?
Usually, when compared with your own normal. But a sudden, unusually high reading can come from an irregular heartbeat. If it happens with symptoms like a racing or fluttering heart, check with a doctor. In addition, restrictive eating disorders, such as anorexia, may also present with higher HRV, but not in a healthy way.
Why is my HRV low?
Common reasons are poor sleep, stress, illness, alcohol, a hard workout, or measuring at a different time or in a different position than usual. One low reading matters less than a weekly trend that keeps falling.
Is an HRV of 30 good?
It depends on your age. 30 ms is about typical for people in their 40s, above typical after 55, and below typical in your 20s.
What is a good HRV while sleeping?
Nighttime HRV from a watch or ring is measured while you sleep, so it can't be compared directly with a morning reading. Compare night with night and morning with morning, and watch your own trend.
Why is my Apple Watch HRV different?
Apple Watch uses SDNN, while most HRV apps and this article use RMSSD. The two aren't the same measure, so track your trend on one device.
References
Shaffer F, Ginsberg JP. An Overview of Heart Rate Variability Metrics and Norms. Frontiers in Public Health. 2017;5:258. (Short-term norms from Nunan et al., 2010, Table 6: RMSSD 42 ± 15 ms, range 19–75 ms.)
Voss A, Schroeder R, Heitmann A, Peters A, Perz S. Short-Term Heart Rate Variability—Influence of Gender and Age in Healthy Subjects. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(3):e0118308. (1,906 healthy adults, KORA S4 cohort; age-group RMSSD values in Tables 5 and 7.)
Tegegne BS, Man T, van Roon AM, Snieder H, Riese H. Reference values of heart rate variability from 10-second resting electrocardiograms: the Lifelines Cohort Study. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. 2020;27(19):2191–2194. (84,772 healthy adults; median RMSSD by 5-year age group in Table 1.)
Nunan D, Sandercock GRH, Brodie DA. A Quantitative Systematic Review of Normal Values for Short-Term Heart Rate Variability in Healthy Adults. Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology. 2010;33(11):1407–1417.
Apple Developer Documentation. heartRateVariabilitySDNN. (Apple Health stores HRV as SDNN.)
About the reviewer
Dr. Inna Khazan is a licensed clinical psychologist, certified biofeedback specialist, and a member of the faculty at Harvard Medical School. She specializes in HRV biofeedback. Dr. Khazan is also a co-founder of Optimal HRV, the company that publishes this article.
This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. Talk to your doctor about any concerns about your heart health.
