Last updated: April 2, A body fat analyzer works by sending a tiny electronic impulse throughout the target area of your body. Based on how quickly the signals travel, the machine will be able to tell the percentage of fat present.
The slower it travels, the higher the fat content. Many trainers and health aficionados alike will consider a few key factors when they examine your biometric data. These are things like your body mass index BMI , overall weight, blood pressure, and body fat levels. From this data, you can get a deeper understanding of your overall health. While there are more archaic methods available, such as devices that physically grab your skin to determine your fat levels hiding below, these days, body fat is typically determined using a bioelectric impedance analysis device BIA.
This handheld device is used to scan your body and determine the fat levels within. A BIA uses electronic signals to scan your body and see what percentage of your body weight is fat. All of these factors can limit the reliability of BMI as your sole measurement of health.
While stepping on a scale is perhaps the easiest method of body fat measurement, there are other ways you can determine your body fat percentage. Aside from BMI, you can ask your health provider about the following methods:. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute notes that your risk for heart disease and diabetes increases if you are a woman with a waist measurement greater than 35 inches Often used by fitness professionals, calipers are used to literally pinch your skin folds usually around the waist or hips to estimate your body fat.
The accuracy of this method varies. Results may be more or less accurate depending on the expertise of the person taking the measurement. Shop online for body fat calipers. Often used to measure bone mass for osteoporosis diagnoses, DEXA scans are also reliable methods of body fat measurement and can be more reliable than relying on BMI alone.
The scans can be pricey depending on your location and may not be covered by insurance. There are sensors on either side of the device that measure your body fat as you hold the device in front of you.
Shop online for handheld fat measurement devices. This test is based on the buoyancy of your body weight. Fat floats more easily than muscle. Based on your buoyancy and your weight, the person administering the test can calculate your body fat percentage.
Underwater testing is considered to be an accurate tool for measuring body fat. However, it can be difficult to find a center that has the ability to do this type of testing. The test can also be uncomfortable.
Available at some fitness centers and medical facilities, a Bod Pod is a device you stand in for a few minutes while it measures your body fat via air displacement plethysmography ADP. This method has similar accuracy when compared to underwater testing. However, access to these devices is limited, and testing can be expensive. Balance training: Boost your long-term health with these exercises Barriers to fitness Blood Doping Boot camp workout The role of diet and exercise in preventing Alzheimer's disease Can I exercise if I have atopic dermatitis?
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