No matter what your goal may be, focusing on recovery is an important part of making sure you reach it. That’s because it’s only when your body is recovering that it’s improving.

To get started unlocking the power of recovery, follow the guidelines below.

Note: a recovery test with HRV is required to fully unlock the app’s features.

HRV Best Practices

Because HRV is a sensitive measurement, it’s important to follow a few testing guidelines no matter which device you’re using.  This will make sure you get the most accurate results possible.

  • Try to take your measurement in the morning each day if possible. Usually within 10-30 minutes of first waking up is best.
  • Avoid stimulants or anything that can increase your heart rate immediately before the measurement.
  • Try to stay relaxed throughout the test. Avoid talking, eating, or moving until the test is complete.
  • Breathe naturally. Do not try to follow a specific breathing pattern or hold your breath during the test.
  • Try to take your measurement in a place that’s quiet and free from distractions as much as possible.
  • Make sure to take your measurement in the same position, laying down or seated, each time.  If your resting HR is above 50bpm, laying down is recommended. If it’s below 50, seated is preferred.

Checking your recovery

Open the Morpheus app and select “CHECK RECOVERY” from the middle of the app home screen.

Once you’ve done that, you will taken to the recovery questionnaire page to enter your hours of sleep, sleep quality, soreness, and your overall well-being.

You can also add any notes that you’d like to track as well.

Once you’ve filled the questionnaire out, you can choose to measure your HRV or “Skip it.”

Note that to fully unlock Morpheus, you will need at least one HRV measurement.

Although daily HRV measurements are not required, it’s recommended to include one in your daily routine as consistently as possible for the highest level of accuracy.

Measuring HRV

Because your first recovery test is used to set your weekly target zones, it’s highly recommended that your first test be done in the morning, to ensure the highest accuracy possible.

See “HRV Best Practices” at the bottom of this lesson.

To measure your HRV with the M7, you’ll first need to make sure the transmitter is snapped into the chest strap and the strap is securely around your chest as positioned below.

You should put on the chest strap first and then fully snap the transmitter onto it.

Below represents how the M7 should be positioned for men (left) and women (right).  Note that it is also acceptable for women to slide the M7 strap and transmitter under the bottom of a bra.

When the transmitter is turned on, you will hear an audible “beep” and see the  LED light flash to indicate it’s detecting heart rate.

If you have the strap and transmitter placed correctly and are having an issue getting it to read your heart rate, it often helps to get the chest strap slightly wet to improve conductivity.

Adding a small amount of water or electrode gel to the electrode area on the skin-side of the strap is an easy way to get a quicker and better heart rate reading as well.

*Please note:  all M7s ship with a standard size (M-XXL) chest strap.  Chest straps are generally available in two main sizes (M-XXL and XS-S).  If you adjust the M7 strap to it’s smallest size and it’s still too big for you, please reach out to us at support@trainwithmorpheus.com and we can direct you to a smaller compatible strap.

**If you’d prefer to do your HRV test with an armband device and dedicate your M7 to training, the Scosche Rhythm 24 is the only device other than Morpheus devices that is compatible (and accurate) for the test in the Morpheus app.  It is available on the Scosche website and on Amazon.

If you want an extra strap or a replacement strap you can purchase directly at one of the links below.  Some people choose to have one dedicated to the morning HRV test and they leave it at home.  And the other is used for training.  Other people just rotate through a couple of straps randomly.  An extra strap certainly is not required but is an option.

Size XS-S Strap for M7:
https://eza.infusionsoft.app/app/orderForms/M7-replacement-strap-XS-S

Size M-XXL (standard size) Strap for M7:
https://eza.infusionsoft.app/app/orderForms/M7-strap-M-XXL

Once you select “Measure my HRV” from the recovery questionnaire, you then connect the M7 to the app by hitting “Connect HRM” and then selecting it from the list of devices.

If it doesn’t appear,  give it a few seconds for the app to detect it.

Once the app has found and connected to the M7, it will display, “searching for HR” while it looks for heart rate from the M7 sensor. As soon as your heart rate is detected, it will be displayed and the “START” button will turn appear on the screen.

It’s recommended to wait until your heart rate is stable before pressing “START” to begin the test. Once you’ve pressed “START” Morpheus will also to make sure the reading is stable and then automatically begin the 2:30 HRV test.

The stabilization detection is to ensure the HRV test is as accurate as possible. For more guidelines on accuracy, refer to the “Best Practices” at the bottom of this lesson.

As soon as the HRV test is complete, you will be redirected to the home screen, where your recovery score and HRV will be displayed.

With the recovery check complete, your heart rate zones will also be set for the day as well.

Note that it generally takes 5-7 days to establish your HRV baseline. Because of this, your recovery score will be less accurate the first few days that you begin using Morpheus.

It’s recommended to give it about 1 week of using Morpheus before you start relying on the recovery score to drive your training and fitness.

Skipping the HRV test

While it’s recommended to measure your HRV as consistently as possible, it is not required for Morpheus to calculate a recovery score. Based on millions of data points, Morpheus is now able to predict your HRV and give you a recovery even without an HRV test.

When you hit choose to skip the HRV test, you will immediately be redirected to the home screen.

Note that at least one HRV measurement is required to unlock all the Morpheus features and the more frequently you measure HRV, the more accurate your training zones and weekly zone targets will be.

FAQ & Troubleshooting

Q: Can I take my recovery test more than once per day?

No, Morpheus is designed for one HRV measurement per day. This is because Morpheus works by comparing your HRV each day to your baseline. Measuring HRV multiple times per day decreases accuracy and makes it more difficult to track trends and changes.

To understand more about how Morpheus calculates the recovery score, click here.