Fitness
They’re Inseparable—but Only When They Exercise
Kim Austin and Mark Abair bicker like an outdated married couple. She chides him for all the time beginning out too quick at races. On lengthy runs, she rolls her eyes when he insists on discovering a port-a-potty.
Ms. Austin is married, however to not Mr. Abair. As an alternative, he serves as what hard-core exercisers name a exercise husband—the train equal of a piece partner. They run collectively, however their relationship is strictly platonic.
Coaching companions have a particular relationship, no matter gender. They’re there for one another’s athletic highs and lows. Inevitably they find out about one another’s quirks and private lives as they spend hours working or biking. That intimacy can mirror the familiarity of a pair, says Sandra Possing, a Bay Space life coach and health teacher.
“You’re typically a sweaty mess, carrying unflattering garments, face freed from make-up, you would possibly set free a fart,” she says. “You’re inherently susceptible.”
Ms. Austin, 49 years outdated, and Mr. Abair, 44, met by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Group in Coaching program in 2013 within the Boston space. They now run collectively a number of instances every week and attend spin and yoga courses.
They’re acquainted sufficient for the primary 10 minutes of their working chitchat to be about morning bowel actions, says Mr. Abair, a graphic designer. They race collectively, however she’s now sooner than he’s. “We have now an settlement to not get upset if we depart one another,” says Ms. Austin, a case supervisor for a special-needs program.
Kim Austin, left on the heels of her exercise husband, Mark Abair, on the Frosty Half Marathon in Raynham, Mass.
Photograph:
Donna Morin
Ms. Austin’s husband, Shawn Austin, mountain bikes. He says it’s wholesome for every of them to have their very own retailers. When Mr. Abair was injured, the 2 males grabbed breakfast collectively earlier than cheering on Ms. Austin at a race.
Figuring out with others boosts temper and motivates us to go tougher, in line with a 2017 research from the College of New England Faculty of Osteopathic Medication. A predawn run would possibly sound depressing alone, however with a buddy, it turns into an opportunity to vent about stresses in your life.
Rebecca Hoffman, managing director at Intersect Artwork and Design Festivals, spent years working at 5 a.m. in New York’s Central Park with a bunch of males. She says they pushed her by marathon coaching, but additionally suggested her on breakups and job troubles.
“Largely you simply knew that they might be there at the hours of darkness making jokes,” she says. “It was like having rowdy brothers.”
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A coaching accomplice doesn’t simply preserve you accountable. The connection fosters a supportive atmosphere that helps you succeed, says Karl Erickson, a efficiency specialist on the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
When Brent Pease, 40, was coaching for an Ironman triathlon, he typically noticed his feminine coaching buddy greater than his spouse, however he says there was by no means any jealousy.
“She likes that I’ve different folks in my life who’re good influences and in addition thinks we’re nerds as a result of all we speak about is Strava,” says the Atlanta-based efficiency coach, referring to the health app.
Braelin Thornton and Perry Main eventually 12 months’s Whistler 29029 problem.
Photograph:
Braelin Thornton
Perry Main and Braelin Thornton are continually mistaken for a romantic couple. They met in 2021 at an endurance occasion. Mr. Main thought she was a competitor’s spouse. “I’d simply completed, and right here is that this girl all made up and carrying a finisher’s hat,” he says. “She completed 9 hours earlier.”
Ms. Thornton talked about she was coaching for the 2022 Lake Placid, N.Y., Ironman and challenged him to enroll. Mr. Main, 54, is divorced and lives in Greenville, S.C., the place he works in actual property. Ms. Thornton, 38 and the proprietor of a monetary agency, can be divorced and lives in Saratoga, N.Y.
They struck up a long-distance coaching relationship, speaking on the telephone whereas on eight-hour indoor-bike rides. Mr. Main completed the Ironman and stated he knew they’d a particular friendship when she accomplished the race and waited over an hour for him to complete.
They’ve since competed in a number of endurance occasions. “While you endure by one thing collectively, you could have a bond,” Ms. Thornton says.
Her present boyfriend will quickly meet Mr. Main in particular person for the primary time on a coaching trip with Ms. Thornton. “I instructed my boyfriend that having Perry in my life is nonnegotiable for me,” she says.
Communication is vital for any relationship to work, Ms. Possing says. “It is advisable set clear and respectful boundaries so there isn’t any jealousy or resentment,” she says.
Kate Ligler and Ariel Solomon at Rally Sport in Boulder, Colo.
Photograph:
Kate Ligler
Kristen Solomon reluctantly joined her husband, Ariel Solomon, on bike rides and ski adventures for years round their dwelling in Boulder, Colo. She says she was thrilled when he discovered a exercise spouse to substitute for her.
Kate Ligler, 40, is a energy coach who began coaching the couple in 2019. A former skilled bicycle owner, she hit it off with Mr. Solomon, 54, a former NFL participant. They cycle or skate ski collectively as soon as every week.
Mr. Solomon is a novice bicycle owner and says Ms. Ligler doesn’t go simple on him. “The facility of a exercise husband is that there isn’t any bulls—t relationship stuff,” she says.
When Ms. Ligler’s accomplice died in January 2020, she says Mr. Solomon helped her get by the grieving course of and get again in form. “He’d drag me on rides and I’d make him endure each time,” she says. “That’s precisely what I wanted and he understood.”
Write to Jen Murphy at exercise@wsj.com
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As the popularity of smartwatches, also called wearables, increases, so too does the amount of data users can access about their health.
Statistics like resting heart rate, V02 max (maximal oxygen consumption) and heart rate variability (HRV) provide valuable insight into your fitness levels.
But not all measurements are created equal.
While HRV has long been used by elite athletes to dictate their training schedule, it has become a “buzzword” among the broader community.
Matthew Ahmadi, deputy director of the University of Sydney’s Mackenzie Wearables Hub, says HRV has been around for more than 20 years in the competitive sports environment.
“Over the past 10 years or so, it has really picked up among the general population, mainly due to increases in the use of wearables,” Dr Ahmadi says.
HRV has long been used in the competitive sports environment. (Getty Images: Sportsfile/Sam Barnes)
WHOOP, a leading wearable brand and official partner of the Women’s Tennis Association, has been collecting data on the most consistent factors that boost or harm your HRV.
Global statistics from 2024 show that getting quality sleep, consuming caffeine and having a consistent wake time are most likely to improve your HRV, while consuming alcohol, being sick and highly stressed will see your numbers crash.
So just what does HRV measure, and how might you use it to maximise your workouts?
HRV indicates how ‘balanced’ your autonomic nervous system is
Dr Ahmadi explains that HRV measures the “variation between heartbeats”.
The heart does not beat consistently (like a metronome or clock).
Dr Ahmadi explains that a high HRV indicates that your autonomic nervous system is in “balance”. (Supplied: Matthew Ahmadi)
So, while your heart might be beating at 80 beats per minute, there will be longer or shorter gaps between each heartbeat.
How variable these gaps are determines your HRV, with a higher number indicating greater variability.
A high number is ideal, and an indication that the body is in homeostasis (or balanced), Dr Ahmadi says.
This is because HRV is a window into the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system consists of two main divisions: the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.
In simplistic terms, the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for ‘rest and digest’ processes, while the sympathetic nervous system is responsible for ‘fight or flight’ responses.
Ideally, Dr Ahmadi says, the two are in balance, meaning the body is equally responsive to both inputs.
“The more fit someone is, the more their body is able to adapt to different stressors and therefore recover better,” he says.
Your HRV score is best understood as a window into the automatic nervous system. (Supplied: WHOOP)
But if your HRV is low, it indicates that one branch of the autonomic nervous system is dominating:
“It generally means your sympathetic system is dominant, so your body is on high alert.”
HRV indicates how ‘ready’ you are to exercise
When your HRV is measured is also critical to its interpretation.
Measuring it before you go to bed will tell you how well the body has recovered from the current day’s activities or stressors, Dr Ahmadi says.
“[Measuring HRV] right after you wake up will give you a good indication of what your body is prepared to handle over the coming day,” he adds.
The time of day your HRV is read determines how it should be interpreted. (Supplied: WHOOP)
This is the key reason HRV offers an advantage over other measures of fitness.
Not only does a higher HRV indicate a higher level of fitness, it can also be used to dictate what level of intensity you should take on in your current day’s exercise regime.
“In the sport science world, we think of HRV as a proxy for ‘readiness’ [to train],” Kristen Holmes, WHOOP’s principal scientist, says.
Kristen Holmes is WHOOP’s Global Head of Human Performance. (Supplied: Kristen Holmes)
“Higher HRV yields more capacity to train, whereas low HRV means less robustness and less capacity to train.“
WHOOP uses HRV to determine its users’ daily “recovery” scores, grading them as being in the green, yellow or red.
On green days, WHOOP encourages users to go “all out”, while on a red day, it recommends “active recovery” activities like meditation, light walking or yoga.
Many elite athletes similarly use HRV to adapt their exercise regimes, with research showing those who do so achieve better performance outcomes.
Whoop uses HRV to determine “recovery scores”. (Supplied: WHOOP)
Factors that improve or decrease HRV
WHOOP also collects data on the most common positive and negative influences on HRV.
Positive factors include being well-hydrated, following a healthy diet, getting quality sleep and keeping consistent sleep and wake times.
“That’s what makes it both a great measure and really frustrating,” Dr Holmes says.
“It’s hard sometimes to pinpoint exactly what isn’t allowing me to respond and adapt to external stressors in a functional way.”
There are, however, consistent factors that lower HRV, with the top being the consumption of alcohol.
In fact, Dr Holmes says alcohol is such an “HRV crusher” that 89 per cent of people who use the platform report decreasing alcohol consumption in the long term.
Across the board, alcohol consumption has been found to lower HRV. (Getty Images: Gregory Lee)
“That’s because people can directly see the performance cost from their behaviours,” Holmes says.
“Your coach can tell you, ‘Hey, alcohol is really bad for your performance’, but until you see directly how it affects your HRV, you’re like … wow, I’m a lesser version of myself today. It’s sobering.”
| ‘Boosts’ HRV | ‘Harms’ HRV | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sleep quality and duration | Alcohol |
| 2. | Caffeine | Fever |
| 3. | Consistent wake-up time | Sleep at altitude |
| 4. | Consistent bed time | High stress zone |
| 5. | Daylight eating | Sickness |
| Source: WHOOP 2024 Year in Review user data | ||
But you should avoid comparing your HRV scores to others’.
Generally, the older you get, the lower your HRV will be, while women also tend to have a lower HRV on average.
If you want to improve your HRV, both Dr Ahmadi and Dr Holmes instead advise taking a baseline level and judging any changes relative to your own scores.
Generally, it isn’t useful to compare your HRV score to others’. (Getty Images: Thomas Barwick)
Don’t panic if your HRV is low
It’s also important to note that a low HRV is not always bad.
As one example, Dr Ahmadi says that you should expect to see a drop-off in your HRV if you are beginning a new exercise program, especially if you were previously sedentary.
“The first few weeks, you’re likely to see a big decrease in your HRV on a daily basis,” he says.
“But ideally, if the program is working the way it should be, you should start to see your HRV increase over the coming weeks and months, and then taper off as your body adapts to the current program’s load.”
Once your HRV starts to stabilise, it’s a good indication that you are ready to “progress” your program.
But if you don’t see an improvement in your HRV, it’s likely you need to take your foot off the pedal.
“If you see a big drop-off, then it’s a good idea to not push as hard the following day, because your body is giving you signs that it needs time to recover,” he says.
“As you settle into a new training regime, your body will adapt and you’ll be able to handle higher stress and workout loads closer together.”
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SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch FE
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BCAN Foldable Mini Trampoline with Bungees
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Nicolas Rocca
is a social media video creator with BU’s Office of Public Relations, producing short-form content for the university’s flagship social media channels. He grew up near Boston and received a bachelor’s degree in media arts production from Emerson College. In his free time, Nick enjoys hiking, scuba diving and photography. Nick can be reached at nrocca@bu.edu.
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