Exercise Programs
As people begin an exercise program, they will want a way to measure progress. Many times weighing oneself on the scale simply does not do it. The problem with scales is that they do not measure body composition. A person's body composition is the percentages of fat, muscle, bone, cartilage, and organs that make up your body. For most practical purposes, people want to decrease their fat weight while increasing muscle weight. Therefore, many times exercisers will combine a cardiovascular program with a strength training program. As the person loses fat, they will hopefully gain muscle which might make the scale read just about the same all the time. You need a good way to measure how much fat you have lost.
BMI
This is your weight in Kg divided by your height in meters squared. While its a good overall indicator of health, it does not measure body composition because it simply applies a formula to your weight and height. It's good for classifying people based on levels of obesity.
Bioelectrical Impedance
This is a great way to measure body composition because it will tell your percent fat relative to the rest of your body weight. It passes electrical current through your body, and fat is a very poor conductor of electricity. It is able to measure the difference. I'm not sure if obese people are less likely to die from accidental electrical shock than thin people, but it's a thought.
Bod Pod
If you have enough money to buy a bod pod, it is a great device. It is expensive, but it accurately measures your percent body fat. It is probably the best and most simple system available, and most large gyms own one. It looks a lot like an egg, and you get inside it. The device calculates and then displays its calculation of your percent body fat.
Underwater Weighing
This is referred to as the gold standard by exercise physiologists because it's the most accurate way we know to measure body composition. You get inside a big pool deep enough to be fully submerged, expire all your air, and sit on a scale. Fat floats and muscle sinks, therefore, people who are obese will weigh less in water than thin people.
DXA
The DXA is the newest way to measure percent body fat, and it is basically an X-ray machine that calculates body composition. It is very accurate, but it does expose people to radiation.
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