This blog post features a few key takeaways from Dr. Megan’s Wellness Your Way podcast interview with Dr. Torkil Faero about HRV – Heart Rate Variability. Find the full episode here and be sure to subscribe to Wellness Your Way so you don’t miss future episodes!
Guest Bio: Dr. Torkil Faero
Dr. Torkil Faero is a general practitioner, emergency doctor, documentary filmmaker, author, photographer, and globetrotter.
As a medical student, he was the first to go abroad for Norwegian Doctors Without Borders when he worked in war-torn Angola in 1996. For 25 years, he has been a freelance doctor, working in municipalities all over the country, conducting tens of thousands of consultations, and gaining a unique perspective on the diseases that plague us. He has learned that the cause is most often found in a lifestyle that stresses our body. He wanted to do something about that.
Torkil is concerned with how we can get the most out of life. In the book The Pulse Cure, he explains step by step how we can use the heart rate monitor or the smartphone to get to know our own body better and gain better control of the stress balance and the autonomic nervous system.
Top Insights from Dr. Torkil Faero’s Interview
1. Why HRV is a “health compass”
Heart rate variability isn’t just another data point from your wearable — it’s a powerful overall indicator of how well your body can handle stress and recover. Dr. Torkil Faero shares why he calls it a “health compass” and how it can reveal more than you think about your resilience.
2. Why a perfectly steady heartbeat can be a red flag
We tend to think a steady heartbeat means “good health,” but science says otherwise. You’ll learn why the healthiest hearts have subtle variations between beats — and what it says about your nervous system balance.
3. How an ER doctor stays calmer at work than at home
You might expect working in an ER to be incredibly stressful, but Dr. Faero’s HRV data tells a surprising story about when his body is most relaxed — and it’s not during downtime at home.
4. Habits that secretly lower your HRV
From certain foods to seemingly harmless evening routines, everyday habits could be silently stressing your body. Hear the simple lifestyle tweaks that can make a measurable difference in your HRV.
5. Stress isn’t just in your head
Most people think “stress” means emotional strain — but your body can be just as stressed by what you eat, drink, or even the timing of your meals. Dr. Faero explains how HRV reveals hidden physiological stressors.
6. Should you compare your HRV to others?
For years, experts have said HRV is highly individual and shouldn’t be compared. This episode breaks down when comparisons are misleading… and when they can actually reveal important insights about your health.
7. The real differences between Garmin, Oura, and WHOOP
Not all wearables measure HRV the same way. Find out which devices give you the most useful feedback — and which are best for day-to-day stress tracking.
8. Do “stressful” recovery tools help or hurt?
Cold plunges, saunas, and intermittent fasting are trending — but are they good for your HRV, or could they be pushing your body too hard? Dr. Faero shares how to know if these tools are helping you personally.
9. The link between VO₂ max and HRV
Your fitness level isn’t just about strength or endurance — it’s deeply tied to your body’s stress response and recovery. Learn how improving one key fitness metric can naturally boost your HRV.
10. Real-life HRV turnarounds
Hear how people have doubled (or more) their HRV over time — and the ripple effect it had on their energy, immune health, and overall well-being.
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Want to hear the full episode, including simple, actionable strategies to improve your HRV starting today, how to use HRV to predict burnout and chronic disease risk, why HRV might be the most underutilized health tool available to all of us, and so much more?
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