How to Use Personalised Physiological Metrics to Maximise Your Lifespan

Navigating the complexities of longevity involves a sophisticated understanding of our body's signals and the underlying science that connects them. As a longevity and lifestyle expert, I've had the privilege of exploring this intricate world and have noticed several critical areas that are easy to overlook. Here I share what I consider to be five essential physiological metrics that you can easily access and track through wearable technology.

Blog highlights

• Heart Rate Variability (HRV): HRV measures the variation between heartbeats, indicating nervous system balance and helping proactively manage stress, thereby enhancing longevity.

• Deep Sleep: Deep sleep is crucial for brain health and recovery, supporting memory and cellular repair, and can be improved by maintaining a proper bedtime routine and avoiding blue light.

• Body Temperature Rhythms: Daily body temperature fluctuations reflect metabolic and hormonal health, which can be stabilised by aligning lifestyle with natural circadian rhythms.

• Respiratory Rate During Sleep: A low respiratory rate during sleep signifies relaxation and metabolic efficiency, and can be improved by enhancing bedroom air quality.

• Resting Heart Rate (RHR): A lower RHR indicates a strong cardiovascular system, achievable through balanced exercise and adequate rest, contributing to a longer lifespan.

Think of these as your 5 vital signs.

1. Heart Rate Variability (HRV): The Critical Barometer of Agility and Flexibility

One thing I’ve consistently observed in my practice is the general overlooking of HRV. HRV is a measure of the variation in time between your consecutive heartbeats and it reveals the balance between your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which are key players in your body's response to stress. The biggest mistake I see is people waiting for overt symptoms of stress to appear before taking action. Tracking your HRV takes away the waiting. It puts you in the driving seat of being able to modulate your stress response and divert away from the impact of chronic, relentless stress. An HRV that is trending upwards indicates a strong, resilient autonomic nervous system that can efficiently manage stress and recover from it. One thing to note is that it’s not the absolute number of your HRV that matters as much as the trend and direction of travel.

Insight: Incorporating activities that promote parasympathetic dominance, such as deep breathing, yoga, and mindfulness, can improve HRV. I’ve also seen rapid improvements using vagal nerve stimulators. This proactive management of your stress response is essential not just for mental calmness but for reducing the physiological wear and tear associated with chronic stress, thereby enhancing longevity.

2. Deep Sleep: The Neurological Rejuvenator

In my years of working with patients on improving their healthspan, the most important thing I've learned about sleep is it’s not just quantity that matters. Ensuring you don’t get less than 6 hours of sleep a night matters, but the architecture of that sleep matters too. Deep sleep in particular is crucial for brain health and systemic recovery, yet it's often sacrificed or disrupted by modern lifestyles and people frequently underestimate the impact that a lack of deep sleep has on their cognitive and physical health.

During deep sleep, or slow-wave sleep, which occurs early on in the night, your brain undergoes significant restorative processes that support memory consolidation, cellular repair, and neuroplasticity. This phase is also rich in the release of growth hormone, which aids in tissue growth and muscle repair, and is critical for immune function. The glymphatic system, the brain’s unique method of removing waste, is also primarily active during this period, clearing beta-amyloid plaques, which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Approximately 20% or 1.5h of deep sleep a night enables repair – muscle repair, gut repair, DNA repair

Insight: Creating a bedtime routine that mimics natural circadian rhythms will profoundly improve your deep sleep phases. Avoiding blue light from screens or wearing blue light blockers before bed isn’t just a suggestion—it’s a necessity if you’re serious about your long-term health.

3. Body Temperature Rhythms: The Metabolic and Hormonal Indicator

Many of my patients are surprised to learn that their body temperature can tell them about their metabolic and hormonal health. A common mistake is ignoring the significance of daily fluctuations in body temperature, which can be a clear indicator of underlying health issues. Our circadian rhythm significantly influences our body temperature, with cortisol and melatonin playing pivotal roles. Cortisol raises body temperature and energy levels, preparing us for the day, while melatonin lowers body temperature, signalling it’s time to rest. Disruptions in this cycle can indicate thyroid issues, inflammation, or hormonal imbalances, which are pivotal factors in metabolic syndrome and chronic diseases like diabetes.

Insight: Synchronising your lifestyle with your natural circadian rhythm—like being active during daylight hours and winding down as it gets dark—can stabilise these temperature variations and promote overall health.

4. Respiratory Rate During Sleep: The Indicator of Subtle Health Shifts

A steady, low respiratory rate during sleep is a powerful indicator of your body's relaxation and metabolic efficiency. One thing I’ve noticed is that people often fail to connect poor sleep or high stress levels with an elevated respiratory rate. And elevated rates can also be a sign of respiratory diseases. In contrast, a consistent, low respiratory rate during sleep is an indicator of relaxed, efficient breathing and is linked to reduced stress and lower risk of cardiovascular conditions. It reflects the overall health of the respiratory system and the effectiveness of the body’s metabolic processes during rest.

Insight: Enhancing your bedroom's air quality by using an air purifier can improve respiratory efficiency and optimise your respiratory rate during sleep to enhance oxygen delivery and carbon dioxide removal.

5. Resting Heart Rate (RHR): The Forgotten Cardiovascular Benchmark

While many fitness enthusiasts focus on improving their heart rate during exercise, working out at increasing heart rate zones and pushing their maximum heart rate higher, the resting heart rate is often overlooked. The mistake I see is that many people focus on pushing their limits during exercise but forget that the real indicator of heart health is how quickly and efficiently the heart recovers. A lower RHR is a sign of an efficient, strong, responsive cardiovascular system.

Insight: It is crucial to modulate exercise with proper rest. Incorporating lower-intensity workouts that promote heart rate variability and recovery will lead to a lower RHR. Exercise isn’t just about improving fitness; it’s also about extending your life.

Integrating Your Vital Signs Into Everyday Life

Integrating this wealth of health data into daily life might seem daunting but can be facilitated by simple tools and habits:

• Regular Monitoring: Use wearables to continuously monitor your 5 vital metrics

• Consultation with a Health Professional: Data is only useful if interrogated and interpreted accurately, which is exactly what I do. So many people I meet have data from their wearables that they look at but don’t do anything proactive with. This is where I can help you to interpret your data and develop personalised health plans.

• Adjustments Based on Feedback: Use the data to make informed adjustments to your lifestyle and monitor how changes affect your metrics.

I believe embracing a data-driven approach to longevity is essential for an empowered, informed pathway to health optimisation. As we continue to explore the depths of personalised health data, the potential to enhance our lifespan and quality of life expands tremendously. I encourage you to embark on this health-hacking journey of self-discovery and I’m here to help you translate complex data into actionable, life-extending strategies.

Book a call with me to find out more about how I can help you hack your health using key metrics.