Check, How Fit Are You!

When one thinks of the word 'health', then two foremost questions that come in our mind are- Am I underweight, normal or overweight as per my body structure? Am I taking the right diet and quantity as per my age?

Indeed, it's vital to keep track of one's fitness and health. These health-related questions will always help us monitor our fitness level and motivate us to live a fit life. And, for this, it is essential to periodically assess our body on some health and fitness measures. So, let us first consider some simple measures that will help us determine our body composition and fitness-

WHAT IS MY IDEAL BODY WEIGHT (IBW), WAIST TO HIP RATIO (WHR), AND BODY FRAME SIZE?

The very first thing which we often struggle with is the weight of our body. But, do you know, our ideal body weight is not determined only by Body Mass Index, popularly known as BMI. Two other simple indices that are essential to measuring are Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR) and Body Frame Size.

Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR): Waist to Hip Ratio is a measurement in itself, which talks a lot about our health condition and general fitness level. WHR measures the ratio of the circumference of the waist to the circumference of hip. It determines the amount of fat stored on your waist, hips, and buttocks.

This WHR measure is considered to be better than the BMI measure. That is to say, even if your BMI is normal, you are still prone to diseases if the WHR is not right. Heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, premature death can be some of the consequences if the WHR is not in control and more weight is there in the midsection of your body (apple-shaped body). A study conducted in 2002 found that women with a WHR of above 0.80 have a lower pregnancy rate than those with a lower WHR, no matter what the BMI is. One of the easiest measures to know the risk of cardiovascular diseases is WHR, which is universally and scientifically accepted.