Here’s how you can keep a tab on your physical fitness
BMI or body mass index, is the measure of body fat with respect to your height and weight. It is important to get your BMI checked, as it is responsible for your physical fitness. It is applicable for everyone over the age of 20.
BMI was derived from a mathematical formula. It was formulated in the 1830s by Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet (1796-1874). He was a Belgian mathematician, astronomer, statistician, and sociologist. BMI is a number that denotes the amount of fat that is present in the body divided by weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. You can measure your BMI using a BMI calculator.
Here’s how you can calculate your BMI!
BMI = weight(kg) / height2 (m2) (Metric Units)
BMI = 703*weight(lb) / height2 (in2) (U.S. Units)
Why it is important to know your BMI?
Knowing your BMI could help a doctor determine your overall fitness and your risk of developing chronic diseases. It helps one categore themselves into 3 basic states of fitness. BMI calculator helps one determine whether you are underweight, average/ideal or overweight/ obese
It is different for each gender!
It is possible for two people to have the same BMI even if they have different body types. A man could have a BMI of 21.2 and still look buff while a woman too can have the same BMI and look slim and slender.
Even babies upon their birth undergo a BMI check. It determines their physical health.
The ideal BMI!
Following are the various measures of BMI that can help you analyze your fitness level.
Underweight- The BMI which falls lesser than 18.5.
Ideal Weight- The BMI which ranges between 18.5-24.9 is considered as normal BMI.
Overweight- The BMI which ranges over 30. The people whose BMI falls in this category, are known to be obese or overweight.
Limitations of BMI
Scientifically, BMI is the weight of the fat content in the body and not the actual body weight. So, factors like age, sex, race and ethnicity can have an influence on the relation between the fat content in the body and the BMI.
How to maintain a healthy BMI?
The mantra to be followed here is to monitor your daily activity and keep a tab on your diet. The only way one can maintain a healthy BMI is by exercising regularly and eating the right kind of food.
