Having an idea about your body fat percentage could provide you with valuable insights regarding your body composition and its changes. In contrast to your body weight, body fat percentage gives you the amount of body fat relative to your body weight.
Fortunately, measuring your body fat percentage does not require any special gym equipment. There are several ways to measure your body fat percentage at home using circumference measurement, body fat calculators, and skinfold measurement.
This guide will provide you with the methods of calculating your body fat percentage at home, ways of measuring your body fat percentage that could be easily applied by beginners, and interpretation of your result.
Definition of Body Fat Percentage
Body fat percentage refers to the ratio of fat weight to total body weight. For instance, if you weigh 70 kilograms and your body fat percentage is 25%, 17.5 kilograms of your body weight is fat.
The rest consists of muscles, bone, organs, fluids, and other elements.
Body fat has some crucial functions in the body, among which are energy storage, hormone production, insulation, and protection of internal organs. However, very high or very low body fat percentage can sometimes be problematic for one’s health.
Your optimal body fat percentage varies according to your age, gender, fitness level, and health.
Calculating Body Fat Percentage with Body Measurements
An easy way to find out body fat percentage in the comfort of your own home is to measure your waist, neck, and if you are a woman, your hips. To estimate body fat percentage using some body fat estimation formulas, you will also need your height. Use the flexible tape measure to get your measurements, and try to do so in the morning while fasting.
The U.S. Navy body fat estimation method calculates the body fat percentage based on body measurements. For both men and women, there are different formulas and they involve the use of logarithms and certain units of measurement. This makes the use of online body fat calculators for the Navy formula more convenient.
How to Use the Body Fat Calculator Online
The body fat calculator online is the easiest option among the others for beginners. The calculator asks you to enter your age, sex, height, weight, and body dimensions. After receiving this data, the calculator computes your body fat percentage. Select the calculator which describes how it calculates body fat and how to measure your body.
Keep in mind that online calculators do not calculate body fat in any way. They depend upon the formula that was used and the measurement’s correctness.
Body Fat Scale at Home
An intelligent body fat scale uses a technique called bioelectrical impedance analysis to estimate the body composition. This scale uses a small electrical current that is passed throughout the body, and depending on the resistance, it calculates body fat. Although this scale is very convenient to use, there are other things that affect its accuracy.
To get more accurate results, try to maintain consistency in terms of scale and conditions.
How Accurate Is Body Fat Testing at Home?
These approaches will give you some results, but they will not be entirely accurate. In case you require a deeper analysis of your body fat percentage, a healthcare specialist can recommend an appropriate body composition test for you.
Conclusion
Body fat percentages can be determined from the comfort of your own home through body measurement, an online tool, or even with a smart scale. In order to get accurate results for your progress monitoring, ensure that your measurements are consistent and that you are observing your progress.