For example if youre a woman a healthy body fat percentage is 19 31 depending on your age and 11 23 if you are a man. Some of these methods are.
Measuring Body Fat Percentage At Home And Chart
What is a good body fat measurement. Women fat men fat essential fat. In fact most recent medical research uses bmi as an indicator of someones. Limitations of the bmi. This involves weighing you while your body is submerged in water. Its easy to find out what is your body fat percentage using one of the many body fat scales available or one of the other 5 ways to measure body fat. But it isnt the entire story of your overall health.
The healthy range of body fat for men is typically defined as 8 19 while the healthy range for women is 21 33. Women between the ages of 18 and 39 should aim for a body fat percentage of 21 to 32 percent. Skinfold measurements have been used to estimate body fat for over 50 years skinfold calipers measure the thickness of your subcutaneous fat the fat underneath the skin at certain body. Obesity bmi of 30 or greater. That ideal body fat level increases to 23 to 33 percent for women aged 40 to 59 and to 24 to 35 percent for women between the ages of 60 and 79. If youre not worried about keeping your body fat low for aesthetic or performance goals then its perfectly ok to have the goal of keeping your body fat percentage anywhere below obese and above essential fat levels.
Some experts tout bmi or body mass index as the most accurate way to determine the effect of weight on your health. This is another accurate but expensive way for body fat measurement. Download the bmi calculator app today available for iphone and android. Aim for a healthy weight. Dual energy x ray absorptiometry. Body fat percentage categories.
Tracking your body fat percentage is one way to measure progress when youre trying to lose weight or gain lean muscle mass. While this is the most accurate. Your ideal body fat levels depend on your age.