Changes in Continuous, Long-Term Heart Rate Variability and Individualized Physiological Responses to Wellness and...

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Psychophysiology
• Integrative Medicine

Background:

• Wellness interventions range from vacations to structured retreats.
• Objective physiological markers are needed to assess the impact of these interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the effects of a structured Ayurvedic wellness retreat versus an unstructured vacation on physiological markers.
• To investigate the utility of continuous heart rate variability (HRV) monitoring for assessing individual responses to wellness interventions.

Main Methods:

• 112 healthy adults participated in either a 6-day wellness retreat or vacation.
• Continuous HRV was monitored using wearable ECG sensors before, during, and after interventions.
• Salivary cortisol levels were assessed multiple times daily.

Main Results:

• Continuous HRV monitoring data correlated with participant demographics and physiological characteristics.
• HRV features quantified diurnal variations and inter/intraperson heterogeneity.
• A significant increase in HRV was observed for all participants during the resort stay, with individualized responses noted.

Conclusions:

• Continuous, real-world HRV monitoring offers an objective method to assess individual responses to varying wellness settings.
• Personalized HRV analysis can reveal distinct physiological adaptations to interventions.
• This approach supports the use of wearable technology for objective wellness assessment.