Do You Know Your Body Composition?
Do you know your weight on the scale right now? I bet you answered yes to this question. Do you know your actual body composition and body fat percentage right now? Many of us use our weight on the scale or even our body mass index or BMI (a ratio between your height and weight) to determine our health status. But this is a flawed system…
There can be three people with completely different body types who are both 5’4 and 140 lbs. Without looking at your composition and body fat percentage, your BMI could read at risk or healthy. Some of the most athletic individuals who eat clean and train every day would be considered obese or overweight by the traditional BMI scale. So what is the solution? Understanding your body composition. This is crucial to understanding your overall health. Below you’ll find 3 benefits to utilizing the InBody scanner:
#1 Know Your Body Composition
Remember our 5’4 140 lb. example? Three individuals with this same exact weight and BMI can have very different body compositions. The first type of body composition is an athletic build. This person will have a high skeletal muscle mass, low body fat percentage and low visceral fat.
The second type of body composition with the same weight and height could be someone with average amount of skeletal muscle and body fat based on their height.
A third type of body composition consists of low skeletal muscle mass and a higher body fat percentage. This is referred to as “skinny fat”. This body type is at much higher risk for cardiovascular disease due to their increased fat percentage. This body type is important to identify because it is often not put into high risk categories due to their normal BMI.
Without the content body fat percentage and skeletal muscle mass provides, it’s very difficult to understand what your weight on the scale means and whether you need to consider making changes to improve your body composition to prevent disease.
#2 Track Your Progress
Have you ever been trying to lose weight and it seems like that number on the scale will just not move, no matter how hard you work?
The number on the scale is not a very useful measurement tool. So why would you use this to track your progress? By using body fat percentages and muscle mass as a measurement of success instead, you will be able to see your muscle mass rise even if your weight is not moving. Often when you begin working out your muscle mass rises while your body fat drops, preventing any movement in your actual weight. For some, being able to see this progress is important to them to stay motivated and continue on their path of a healthier lifestyle.
Using InBody testing throughout this process can help you see the changes that are happening in your body and see how your overall health is improving and risk factor decreasing. Stop worrying about the number on the scale and look at the big picture with your body composition!
#3 Have Targeted Workouts
Another reason InBody testing might be right for you is if you are an athlete looking to achieve peak performance. One of the cool features of InBody testing is that it breaks down your body composition into each segment. So for avid athletes looking for targeted areas of workout, InBody can help. It can tell you if you need to work on your skeletal muscle mass in your legs versus your arms, or if your left arm has a little less muscle mass compared to your right arm. Change your workout routines and then track your changes through InBody.
In addition to targeting workouts, it has been shown that by simply tracking your body composition on a regular basis you can your boost endurance and shorten recovery periods from exercise.
The InBody test and body composition testing can be an invaluable tool for your health. Assessing your body composition allows you to understand more about your body than just the number on the scale.
If you have an interest in living a healthy lifestyle, if you try your best to eat a healthy diet, if you work to keep your body weight under control, if you are an athlete trying to optimize your health, or if you just want to understand your body, then InBody testing might be right for you.
Schedule your InBody Scan today! Stop by the front desk and understand your body a little bit better.
