What Are Body Metrics and Why Are They Important?

Body metrics are physical measures of your body that can give potential insight into your overall health. They are an important first step for trainers, dietitians and doctors to figure out where to go with exercise routines, diets and medications. Let’s take a look at some common body metrics, their advantages, and disadvantages.

BMI

BMI stands for Body Mass Index, and it is your height/weight ratio. Certain ranges let healthcare professionals know if you are underweight, at the correct weight, or overweight. However, we can’t rely solely on BMI for indicators of health. For example, a bodybuilder with big bulky muscles may have a very high BMI, indicating that he/she is obese. In reality, much of that weight is from muscles, not fat. A quick look at a person’s body fat percentage or muscle mass might reveal that this bodybuilder is quite fit. Thus, BMI cannot be the only metric we examine.

Body Fat %

Fat has a bad reputation, but some fat is necessary for a healthy body. Fat insulates you and your internal organs, and is the precursor molecule of many essential hormones. Of course, too much fat isn’t healthy either. Visceral fat around your organs increases your risk of Type 2 diabetes, while build-up of cholesterol in your arteries increases your risk of stroke and heart attack. Knowing what percentage of your body mass is fat can be a good start to figuring out diet changes. 

Muscle Mass

Having more muscle has its advantages. Even at rest, muscles require energy to maintain, boosting your metabolism after a workout. Having more muscle also means that you’ll have more definition and look more toned. The goal of most fitness programs is to increase muscle mass while decreasing fat. 

Weight

It’s not a good idea to base all of your health ideals on the number on your scale. If you’re more fit and have more muscle, you’ll weigh more. Yes, that’s right, muscle weighs more than fat! However, the more you weigh, the more pressure you’re putting on your knee and hip joints. If you’re too heavy for your frame, doctors may recommend losing weight to save the cartilage in your leg joints. 

Bone Mass

As we get older, we lose bone mass. Too much loss can mean fractures and longer healing time. Luckily, there are many ways to preserve bone mass. Weight-bearing exercises, calcium supplements, and even vitamin D tablets can all help slow or reverse age-related bone loss.