The number on the scale doesn’t always provide a complete picture of your health and fitness. That’s where understanding your body composition comes into play.
What Is Body Composition?
Refers to the percentage of fat, water, muscle, bone, and other lean tissues that make up your body. It provides a more detailed understanding of your overall health and fitness, going beyond simple weight measurements.
Why Is Body Composition Important?
This is essential because it allows you to differentiate between the proportions of fat and muscle in your body. While your bathroom scale cannot distinguish between these components, body composition measurements can.
Understanding Body Fat
Body fat encompasses the stored fat in your body and can be classified into two types:
1. Subcutaneous fat: The layer of fat located under your skin.
2. Visceral fat: This fat surrounds and cushions your abdominal organs.
Body Fat Percentage
This represents the proportion of fat in relation to your total body weight. It can vary based on factors such as sex, age, fitness level, and lifestyle.
– Athletes:
– Women: 14% to 20%
– Men: 6% to 13%
– Fitness:
– Women: 21% to 24%
– Men: 14% to 17%
– Acceptable:
– Women: 25% to 31%
– Men: 18% to 24%
– Obese:
– Women: Over 32%
– Men: Over 25%
Body Composition vs. Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body composition and BMI are two tools used to assess body fat. While BMI calculates body fatness based on weight and height, body composition provides a more comprehensive analysis.
Your body composition serves as a valuable tool to assess your current health and track your progress. By focusing on optimizing your body composition, you can work towards achieving your fitness and wellness goals.
Credit: Verywellfit
Our Recommendations
Inbody Body Composition Manager
Our inbody scale is available at ALL locations. This tool is used to maximize your results by tracking your body composition. You’ll receive a print off of your results immediately and you have the option to keep them confidential or share with our trained staff to help you understand the numbers and how to improve them. Our knowledgeable staff is trained to recommend any necessary dietary, supplement, or exercise changes. This is available to all customers free of charge with any $25 purchase.
