Fitness Cure

HOW FIT ARE YOU?

By: Maria Kang

How do you determine how fit you are? Do you compare your biceps with Jay Cutler? Do you measure your waist against Kate Beckinsale’s? Are you the fastest at swimming or the strongest at rowing? Most people define how fit they are by how much they weigh. However, how fit you are depends on several different variables. You should measure your body composition, your vital statistics and your fitness level. Once completed, stack your results against the recommended average and see how fit you really are!

Your Body Composition
Body Mass Index (BMI)
The most popular test physicians have used is calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI). This test uses a mathematical formula that takes into account both a person’s height and weight. BMI equals a person’s weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. (BMI=kg/m2). While this test is widely used, athletes could be cited as overweight due to extra muscle, which is why it’s important to utilize several different tests versus just one. If your BMI measures 18.5 to 24.9, you are of normal weight, anything more is considered overweight or obese.

Body Fat
In addition to your BMI, measuring your body fat is also an important tool to help you see how much of your weight consists of pure fat and solid muscle. Some of the instruments you can use are skinfold calipers, hydrostatic weighing and home body fat scales. Most gyms will have one of these methods on hand for you to use without much cost. For a fit male adult, a healthy body fat percentage is 14 to 17 percent. For a fit female adult, a healthy body fat percentage is 21 to 24 percent.

Waist-to-Hip Ratio
Once you’ve figured out your BMI and body fat levels, the last thing you should measure is your waist-to-hip ratio. You can probably take a good look at your body’s composition and see where your fat storage lies. To determine if you have a healthy waist-to-hip ratio, use a measuring tape to measure the circumference of your hips at the widest part of your buttocks. Then measure your waist at the smaller circumference of your natural waist, usually just above the belly button. To determine the ratio, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. Research shows that people with “apple-shaped” bodies (with more weight around the waist) face more health risks than those with “pear-shaped” bodies who carry more weight around the hips. read the rest of my article here.

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