Lots of people have their own reason for losing weight. It can be to maintain their health, wear their dream dress, or even avoid obesity. To lose weight, the first thing you have to know is about body fat. Body fat is the body’s percentage without water, muscle, bone, and vital organs. To have an ideal body fat percentage, scroll up to get more tips that you can try.
The Percentage of Ideal Body Fat For Women
Many aspects affect different body fat percentages, and one of them is gender. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the percentage of body fat for women is divided into several categories such as essential fat, which in the range between 10-13%, athletes for 14-20%, fitness for 21-24%, acceptable from 25-31%, the obesity from up to 32%.
If the body fat percentage by American Council on Exercises is based on the category, a different thing happens to Beth Israel Lahey Health Winchester hospital guidelines. According to their policies, the body fat percentage for women is divided into different ages.
The ideal body fat percentage for women aged 20 to 39 is between 21 and 32%. Then, women in their 40 to 59 have the ideal body fat percentage between 23-33%. Therefore, the ideal percentage of body fat for women between 60 to 79 years old is about 24-35%.
The Percentage of Ideal Body Fat for Men
Just like the percentage of body fat for women, American Council on Exercises or ACE has guidelines on the ideal body fat for men. It is divided into five different categories: essential fat in the range between 2-5%, athletes from 6 to 13%, fitness between 14%-17%, acceptable 19%-24%, and obesity over 25%.
Any other guide of body fat percentage for men came from Beth Israel Lahey Health Winchester, categorizing the percentage by age. Men aged 20-39 should have a body fat percentage between 8-19%. Meanwhile, for men aged 40 to 59 is between 11 to 21%, while for men aged 60-79 ranges between 13-24%.
How to Measure Body Fat
1. Skinfold Calipers
The first way to know whether you are in an ideal body fat percentage is by skinfold calipers. Skinfold calipers help measure your body fat by measuring different locations on the body. For women, the area to measure commonly are the triceps, above the hip bone, and thighs or abdomen, while for men are the abdomen, thigh, and beneath the shoulder blade.
2. Body Circumference Measurements
The second way to measure your body fat is by body circumference measurements. As we know, everyone has a different body shape. The body’s shape can give you information about your body fat. It is a simple way to measure your body fat. You only need a measuring tape and a calculator, then measure your neck and waist for men and women including the hip.
3. Bio Impedance
The other way to measure your body fat percentage is by bio impedance. Bio impedance is a smart scale that can give your weight and body composition. The measurements by bio impedance are considered easy because you only need to stand on the scale, and the result will automatically show.
7 Ways To Decrease Body Fat Percentage
1. Train your Body
The first thing to do is body training to get an ideal body fat percentage. Training your body will burn you more calories than before. You can try strength training to train your body, such as weight lifting. Other options if you don’t like to lift something heavy are yoga, jogging, or even by cleaning your house and gardening.
2. Try Cardio and HIIT
The other way to decrease your body fat and lose weight is cardio. Cardio, such as walking, running, cycling, or swimming, can burn fat if you do it regularly. Also, HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training is worth trying because this exercise requires high energy, so it helps you to burn up to 30 percent of your calories.
3. Eat Protein More
Not only do several exercises, but you also have to control your daily food consumption to get an ideal body fat percentage. Try to eat foods that have high-protein more. High-protein foods are able to boost your metabolism and keep your mass of muscle. You can eat eggs, chicken, fish, almonds, and other rich protein foods.
4. Avoid To Consume Lots of Sugar
Foods and beverages containing a lot of sugar increase your body fat. Try reducing your consumption of soda, juices, sweetened foods, and drinks. Not only sweetened foods and beverages but also need to decrease your intake of alcohol because they do no good for you, including increasing your body fat.
5. Intermittent Fasting
Another way to decrease your body fat is by doing intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is a way of diet that requires you to eat only for some specific period. You can try to fast for some hours or two days from 7 days a week. Intermittent fasting allows your body to burn calories up to 7% and reduce your body fats as well.
6. Sleep Enough
Are you a person who is likely to stay awake in the middle of the night? If so, it is probably the main reason you don’t have an ideal body fat percentage. Start to change that bad habit by going to sleep earlier. Enough of sleeping allows you to maintain your health. Sleeping for at least 7 hours per day is considered enough sleep.
7. Lower Your Stress Level
Stress is a natural feeling for humans. Many things can cause stress, including work, education, family, friends, relationships, and other things. But, it is time to start managing your stress rate because stress can actually increase the percentage of body fat. You can try to release your stress by doing your hobbies, listening to music, or doing other things you like.
Having an ideal body fat percentage is probably everyone’s dream. To get ideal body fat, you can try to do some exercises, control your daily food, or even release your stress. By doing those all consistently, you can meet your expectations of having your ideal body proportion.
- Is Shea Butter For Scars Recommended? Get To Know The Super Ingredient For A Better Skin - December 23, 2023
- Best Face Mask For Blackheads, Be Clean, Healthy, And Beauty - December 6, 2023
- Best Conditioner For Oily Hair Recommendations! Nourish And Flatter Your Crown - November 20, 2023
