What Is Healthy Body Fat Percentage?
By Admin
Healthy Body Fat Percentage
In the fight against fat, people often do diet and exercise to lessen their pounds on the scales. However, in recent times, experts have suggested that this is a misleading figure, as many variables can affect the amount you see on the dial. Firstly, muscle weighs more than fat, although it takes up less room. This may seem curious but this is because muscle is denser, so it fits into a smaller space. If you put two women, who were the same weight of 160 pounds, but one exercised regularly and the other did not, you would see their body shapes had differences. The woman with muscle would look smaller, even though the weight on the scale was the same. For these reasons, it is preferable to judge health status by the healthy body fat percentage, as this often provides a clearer image.
So what is a healthy body fat percentage and how do you measure it? A popular way is to use body fat calipers that pinch the excess skin at specific points to get an overall idea. Body fat scales are also used, which calculate the percentage of body fat, muscle and water that you possess. A body fat calculator will perform an equation based on specific measurements, such as your neck, waist and hip circumference plus your height measurement. These methods of working out body fat percentages are seen as more accurately representing the individual than just his or her weight on a scale. Once you have your body fat percentage, you can compare it to the published tables to find out which range you match.
Although there is some variation from different authorities on healthy body fat percentages, these figures are generally reported: an ideal body fat percentage for women is accepted as between 20 to 33 percent in the age range of twenty to fifty years old. Women do put on weight as they age as a natural process, so after fifty years old the ideal percentage rises between 23 to 35 percent. An ideal body fat percentage for men between the ages of twenty to forty is somewhere between 8 and 19 percent, although 8 percent is associated with lean athletic types. From forty to sixty an ideal body fat percentage would be between 11 to 22 percent and for sixty years old plus, it rises to 35 percent.
It is clear that men and women have different healthy body fat percentages due to their different physiology. Women below the ideal body fat percentage can suffer from menstrual disorders and Amenorrhea (the loss of periods). For these reasons, it is important to strive to reach the ideal body fat percentage and then maintain at this position. An unhealthy body fat percentage can be too high or too low.
You can aim for your ideal body fat percentage through increasing your levels of exercise. Head to the great outdoors to fill your body with fresh air and work up a sweat in the stunning scenery of America’s natural landscapes. You can buy McKesson items for your first-aid kit or browse their catalog for other products that will be of interest to you. Now you have the knowledge of healthy body fat percentage, put it into action and make this year your healthiest and happiest year ever!
