With age, muscles in people who do not play sports atrophy. They are replaced by adipose tissue. Fat builds up to a critical mass, and the weight can suddenly rise. To avoid this situation, it is important to pay attention to your body in advance and calculate your body fat content.
Necessary
- - centimeter;
- - calculator;
- - reservoir
Instructions
Step 1
Simple tests will tell you whether it is worth worrying about excess body fat. After undressing, measure the circumference of the chest, applying a centimeter at the most prominent points. At the level of your navel, measure your waist circumference and then your hip circumference. Write down all readings.
Step 2
Divide your waist measurement by your hips and then your bust. It is generally accepted that both results normally should not exceed 0.9 for men and 0.8 - 0.85 for women. If your waist is wider than your chest or hips, then you need to make every effort to get rid of excess fat. According to experts, each such centimeter at the waist shortens life by one year.
Step 3
The so-called "pinch test" measures the thickness of the fat layer at the waist and hips. It is better not to carry it out after training or during critical days, since the fluid that accumulates in the body with greater intensity during these periods will interfere with obtaining a reliable result. With your arm bent at the elbow, place it on your belt. The index and middle fingers should rest against the ilium. Raise your hand a couple of centimeters up and grab the skin fold. Measure it with a caliper or ruler. You need to actively go in for sports or go on a diet if the fold is more than 2.5 cm.
Step 4
Based on the test results, you realized that excess fat is present in the body. Then, to determine its amount, use special electronic scales that independently calculate the percentage of its content. Or, use a dip in a body of water to calculate the amount of fat. Lie on your back in the water with your legs and arms out to the sides. Exhale and hold your breath. Then start counting. If you start submerging in water gradually at the thirtieth - fortieth second, it means that your body contains a little more than 20% fat, at the sixtieth and more - 25%. If you immerse yourself in water almost immediately, even before you count to thirty, then you have no more than 13% fat.
Step 5
You can also use the table. Measure at the widest point around your hips. Find her in the first column and your height in the third. Connect these indicators with a straight line. The number in the middle column that is crossed out with a line will be the percentage of your body fat.
