LIFESTYLE ASSESSMENT FEEDBACK MEETING Tiina Hoffman Exercise Physiologist

LIFESTYLE ASSESSMENT FEEDBACK MEETING Tiina Hoffman, Exercise Physiologist, Firstbeat

FIRSTBEAT Firstbeat provides heartbeat analysis tools to enhance wellbeing and performance in corporate and sports sectors. Firstbeat’s background is in physiological research • • • Firstbeat was founded in 2002 in Jyväskylä, Finland We have 25+ specialists in physiology, software and services More than 15 years of experience in heart rate variability analysis methods World leader in heartbeat analysis technology • • • Our unique analysis creates a digital model of the body’s physiology based on the heartbeat signal Several patents issues in Europe and the USA Already 1000+ billion heartbeats analyzed Product areas • • • Occupational healthcare and wellness services Professional sports & coaching Firstbeat analysis technology in heart rate monitors (e. g. Garmin)

REFERENCES – PROFESSIONAL SPORTS Red. Bull Spanish National Football team Chicago Bulls Mc. Laren F 1 Manchester City San Jose Sharks Nike SPARQ St. Georges Park / The England Football team England Rugby England Tennis Toronto Maple Leafs NY Rangers Pitsburgh Penguins C. A. R. Sierra Nevada Saracens Rugby Buffalo Sabres

GOALS OF THE ASSESSMENT Ø Support coping at work and personal wellbeing Ø Improve self-knowledge Ø Demonstrate health-supporting lifestyle factors & encourage a more active lifestyle Ø Reduce the number of sick leave days Ø Identify and recognize strengths and development areas Set personal goals

MEASURING EACH HEARTBEAT The human heart beats on average of 100 000 x in a 24 -hour period! 908 ms HR 66 885 ms HR 68 1063 ms HR 56 917 ms HR 65 1176 ms HR 51 5 se c Heart rate 61 bpm Heart rate = heartbeat frequency as beats per minutes (bpm) Heartbeat = time between consecutive heartbeats (R-waves) in milliseconds (ms) Heart rate variability = beat-to-beat variation in the time between consecutive R-R intervals; describes the heart’s ability to respond to various stimuli

MANY FACTORS AFFECT THE HEARTBEAT / R-R INTERVAL • Breathing rhythm, metabolism • Physical activity, recovery • Emotions and thoughts • The effects are shown via the autonomic nervous system Ø Sympathetic nervous system Ø Parasympathetic nervous system The Firstbeat method interprets the language of the heart, which tells about changes in the body’s physiology and various functions.

THE PROGRAM INTERPRETS THE BODY’S REACTIONS

WHAT IS STRESS? Ø Stress is a physical, psychological and social phenomenon. Ø Natural part of life Ø With stress, the body is able to respond to the demands of the environment. Ø A stress reaction originates from internal or external stress factors. Ø In the short term, stress is useful, making us function more effectively. Ø Long-lasting stress overloads the body. Ø Wears out the body’s resources. Ø Can lead to exhaustion / physical illnesses.

TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN INTERPRETING THE REPORTS Ø Make sure your background information is correct Ø Acute and beginning illnesses (fever, flu, pain) Ø Medication can affect the result Ø E. g. Blood pressure medicine Beta-blockers Ø Alcohol weakens your recovery significantly! Ø Results are very individual Ø Effect of age, physical condition and heredity Ø The idea is not to compare reports and see ”who has the best result” but to focus on one’s own pluses and minuses!

INTERPRETATION OF REPORTS: PERSONAL AND MEASUREMENT-RELATED INFORMATION Page 1(2) Background information based on which analysis is made. Measurement-specific information (by day) Page 2(2)

STRESS AND RECOVERY DEFINED Stress reactions Elevated activation level in the body caused by internal or external stressors. A stressor can be positive or negative by nature. Recovery Lowered activation level and/or ’calming down’ of the body. Physical activity Physical stress / activity, during which the intensity level is >30% of the person’s maximal capacity. Other physiological state State that is not identified as stress, recovery or physical activity. Measurement breaks, recovery from physical activity and short awake periods during sleep are typical examples of other physiological state.

STRESS AND RECOVERY OVERVIEW How quickly does recovery begin after going to sleep? Stress is not only a negative phenomenon; it belongs to life and in the short term, makes us perform better! Is there any recovery during the workday or during leisure time? Note! The height of the bars indicates the strength of the reaction.

A busy day shows up mostly as stress, but recovery begins quickly after going to sleep. A few moments of recovery during the evening. ”Normal day”. A steadily loadind work day+work continuing in the evening (calls, e-mails) the body stays wired, heart rate is elevated and sleep quality is not optimal. We are different as individuals. Some people can ”recover” during peaceful work periods, whereas others need an actual rest period for that. The focus of recovery is on sleep time.

EFFECT OF ALCOHOL & EXERCISE ON RECOVERY Night out: 7 portions of alcohol Workout Night heart rate 70 -80 Recovery starts at 3 am. . .

OVERVIEW OF SLEEP The resource index is negative (red) if there is less recovery during sleep than there is stress. The green area can be reached if >75% of sleep time is recovery. If the result during sleep time is below 20, you should evaluate your health situation and overall load and pay attention to sufficient recovery. Note! Normal RMSSD value decreases with age.

HOW CAN YOU PROMOTE RECOVERY DURING WORK? Ø Make sure you take a few unrushed breaks during the day. Ø Keep your schedule realistic and leave some space for unplanned delays. Ø A short stretching break or a walk refreshes your mind & body. Ø Hydration / drinking enough helps maintain your energy level. Ø Hold on to your leisure time set a ”no later than” time for leaving work & limit doing work tasks from home when you are on your leisure time Ø Manage your workload: after especially busy & demanding periods, schedule in some lighter days and sufficient recovery.

REPLENISHMENT DURING LEISURE TIME Ø Engage in activities that your enjoy. Ø Family and friends can help you cope with challenges. Ø Learn to say NO! Ø Physical activity energizes your body and your mind. Ø A fit body recovers faster and more effectively. Ø Relaxation exercises, short naps and listening to music can promote recovery. Ø During especially busy periods it is recommended to reduce other stress factors. Don’t try to do too much!

TIPS FOR BETTER RECOVERY DURING SLEEP Ø Avoid high-intensity exercise late at night. Ø Slow down (activities, thoughts) before going to sleep. Ø Try to go to bed early enough to allow sufficient sleep (7 -9 h). Ø When the overall load is heavy, with a lot of stressors, the need for recovery & sleep also increases. Ø Engage in activities that you find relaxing, e. g. music / reading / joga / making love. Ø Be aware of the negative effect of alcohol on sleep quality. Ø Avoid heavy meals just before bedtime.

TOP 5 PROMOTERS OF RECOVERY Exercise and music Relaxation Positive attitude Joga / Pilates Making love Healthy lifestyle Good health and physical fitness Reading / TV ”Own time” Support from friends / family / work Possibility to affect one’s timetables

HEALTH-PROMOTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SUMMARY Note! The analysis does not take into account the effect of strength and flexibility training on health / fitness! Does your daily activity increase your heart rate sufficiently? Is your physical activity intensive enough to promote cardiovascular health (40% of your max) and/or fitness (> 50% of your max) ? ”Real exercise” vs. ”exercise” caused by poor fitness or being too busy?

HEALTH-PROMOTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SUMMARY

MORE HEALTH BENEFITS WITH SMALL CHANGES Walk the dog Bike to work Climb stairs Bike from work Walk the dog

HOW TO GET MORE HEALTH BENEFITS OUT OF EXERCISE? Ø To get good health benefits, 30 mins of moderate intensity physical activity is sufficient. Ø Easy walking in flat terrain might not be sufficient to improve the fitness of healthy adults who are in reasonably good shape. Ø Look for some hills Ø Take your ski poles Nordic walking Ø Increase your pace / alternate with light jogging / running Ø Good fitness and health are a result of many-sided activity: endurancetype exercise, strength, stretching. . . together with good nutrition and rest! Ø Endurance-type exercise is the most important for the health of your cardiovascular system! Ø FIND THE KIND OF EXERCISE / ACTIVITY THAT YOU ENJOY!

LOOKING AT THE WHOLE PICTURE: LIFESTYLE ASSESSMENT Work - Is there some light activity during the work day? - What is the physical workload? - Is there any recovery during the workday? Leisure time - Is there enough exercise to get health benefits? - Is the exercise intensive enough to improve fitness? training effect on a scale of 1 -5 - Is there any recovery during leisure time? Sleep - Is there enough recovery during sleep? - Is the quality of sleep good? - Was the sleep period long enough?

GROUP SUMMARY (TOTAL 10 X 3 DAYS) Ø Ø Group’s average = 41 years Stress: 59% recommendation < 55% Recovery: 19% recommendation > 30% Resource index: +18 recommendation > 50 (75% of sleep time) RESOURCE INDEX QUALITY OF RECOVERY

ABOUT STRESS MANAGEMENT Ø Amount of recovery is moderate at 19% per day, clearly below the general recommendation (30%). In general, there is very little recovery during the daytime, and there also quite many nights where the amount of recovery is low. Ø Sleep duration is good this is an important aspect of sleep! Ø Alcohol and travel effect recovery and it’s good to consider how often you deal with them.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Good points (=green bar; over 60 points) are achieved with 30 min. of health-promoting physical activity!

TARGET YOUR FOCUS & ACTION POINTS ØPay special attention to stress management if: Ø You feel stressed, tired or lethargic frequently. Ø The amount of recovery was <25 -30% on most days. Ø Resource index was <50 on most nights. Ø Your sleep quality index was <20. ØIncrease the amount or intensity of exercise if: Ø Your activity class is <5. Ø Daily physical activity minutes are <20 min on most days of the week. Ø Physical acitivity index was below 61 on the measurement days. Ø You feel that the amount of physical activity is not sufficient to maintain health or improve your fitness level. ØTry to lose some weight if: Ø Your BMI is >26. Ø If your weight has been gradually increasing.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH & GOOD LUCK! If you have questions & wish to discuss your result, please be in touch! tiina. hoffman@firstbeat. fi / +358 50 5670960