Ever wondered how two people with the same height and weight tend to have a distinct build, muscles, and overall health issues? There’s much that our skin conceals. The secret to this fitness mystery lies in Body Composition. Body Composition is just what the name suggests—muscles, bones, fluids, minerals, and fat that ‘compose’ our bodies.
“The beauty of the human body is that it hasn’t a single muscle which doesn’t serve its purpose; that there’s not a line wasted; that every detail of it fits one idea, the idea of a man and the life of a man.”
-[Ayn Rand]
Weight, Body Composition, BMI: Let’s Navigate the Fitness Jargon
Whether you’re acing your fitness goals or a newbie to the industry, understanding body composition is the key to ensuring a healthy diet intake, maintaining your desired weight, and getting the most out of your workout routine. When you step on a weighing scale, the digits you see only display your mass.
BMI, or Body Mass Index, mainly determines health by comparing weight with height. BMI is determined by dividing weight (in kilograms) by the square of your height (in metres). Depending on the results, you will fall under one of the five categories—Underweight (<18.5), Healthy (18.5-24.9), Overweight (25-29.9), Obese (30-39.9), or Severely Obese (40 and >40).
Body composition is a term well known in the physical fitness industry. Think of it as a glimpse into what your weight is made of. It refers to the quantity or percentage of fat, bone, water, and muscle in our bodies. Generally, body composition consists of two categories: Fat-free mass (FFM) and Fat mass (FM). While fat mass comprises fat tissues, fat-free mass includes bone, fluids, muscles, and organs.
The next time you’re feeling betrayed by the digits on a weighing scale, remember, there’s more to your body than what the scale shows!
What ‘Difference’ Does It Make?
Keeping a tab on your body composition carries innumerable benefits. Have there been times when you’ve found yourself discouraged by your weight despite the efforts you’ve put into working out and following a clean diet? The success of your fitness regime resides in your body fat percentage and your weight is not an acute indicator of this.
Body composition will give you a better understanding of how your body is responding to different foods and exercises. It is a process of loss and gain—while you gain muscle weight you will be losing fat simultaneously. The reason your weight might appear to be the same is that the gain in muscle weight balances out the fat you’re losing.
Can Body Composition Be Improved?
You’ve already decoded the secret to improving body composition, which is, the loss and gain process. Instead of fixating on weight, focus on your fat to muscle ratio. Your ideal body composition is unique to you and depends primarily on the body goals you have in mind for yourself.
Here are some ways that will help you improve your body composition:
Nutrition: Weight can be lost or gained by monitoring your calorie intake. However, neglecting nutritious values entirely for calories can have adverse effects on your health in the long run. Try practising mindful eating and a nutritious diet that comprises unprocessed foods, proteins, and fibre. The key is to listen to your gut.
Physical Exercise: Physical exercise aids in muscle growth by burning calories and challenging the muscles. Body composition would help you track your progress more effectively.
Rest and Sleep: Sleep and rest are just as important as working out and eating clean.
Keep in mind that Body composition is subject to gender, genetics, and age. For instance, women tend to have a higher body fat percentage. Additionally, body fat percentage will change with age.
How To Measure Body Composition
Now that you know all about what body composition is and its significance, you’re probably wondering how to measure it. Generally, the most accurate body composition tests and tools tend to be fairly
expensive and thus restricted to high-end research and medical facilities.
The most common tests used for determining Body Composition are Skin Calipers, Underwater Weighing, DEXA Scan, and Bioelectric Impedance (BIA). You could consult a health professional for access to these tests.
However, you could also measure your body composition at your home. Two most common at home methods are:
Progress Snaps: Clicking pictures of your body every few weeks or months will help you evaluate the changes in your body in terms of the changing shape and size of muscles, visible fat loss, and other such factors.
Circumference: Keeping a record of the circumference of your different body parts is another effective strategy. For instance, your waist circumference might have reduced even when your weight remains the same. Another possibility is of circumference increasing due to muscle gain.
Key Takeaways
Body Composition (and not your weight) is one of the most accurate and reliable determiners of your health. Since it focuses on internal components and changes occurring in your body, you get a precise record of your health and fitness status.
Your health is so much more than the inches you lose or the muscles you gain. Enthusiasm for fitness is a form of worship for the extraordinary and awe-inspiring wonder that our bodies are. Gym rats or absolute beginners—we care about your fitness goals and are here to motivate you through your journey. Explore our blogs for more such insights into health, fitness, and holistic well-being.