How healthy am I?

There are people who are visibly overweight and there are people that are clearly very physically fit. But in the middle it can be harder for people to establish just how healthy they are. So how does someone know if they are overweight and that they should do something about it as a result?

Exercise, or at least some form of physical activity, should feature daily for all of us. The idea that somebody has to decide whether or not they are overweight before they decide whether or not to exercise is not the point I am trying to make. But the way in which somebody decides to train depends on the current state of their physical fitness and that is why it is important.

This question has resulted in various attempts to define physical fitness in terms of a single number, such as your BMI or body fat percentage for example. There are various problems with almost all of these ratios and they aren’t as black and white as we would hope for. But can we afford to be picky? It is the demand for the need to establish what being overweight is that makes people come up with these ratios after all.

You can always just rely on the professionals of course. A doctor can conduct a few simple tests and tell you straight away if you are living healthily and he/she will be able to tell you if you are overweight. Personal trainers also have a clear understanding of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and as long you are honest with them, they will be honest with you.

When it comes down to it, you might end up being the final judge. You know exactly what you eat and how much exercise you do on a daily basis. Provided you have the correct information on what the correct balance between the two is then you should be able to make a sound assessment. Judging what you see in the mirror won’t always tell you everything that you need to know but it can be helpful. Like I mentioned above, people who are severely over/under weight will know whenever they see themselves. If you are just on the edge then it can be a trickier challenge.

I just want to talk a bit more now about why this is important. It isn’t about labelling everyone as being healthy and unhealthy, or overweight and underweight. It is about providing the information required to make the sensible lifestyle choices that I continue to mention. If you aren’t eating the right amounts of the right foods then you need to be aware of where you are going wrong. Equally, if you aren’t doing the right exercises or the right amount then you need to know.

The numbers themselves are irrelevant on their own. Over time they can highlight progress but what is more important is that you are making the right choices. Once you are living a more healthy lifestyle you will naturally tend towards a healthy weight. Then you should be happy with what you see in the mirror and on the scales!

If you’re interested in improving your physical appearance and overall health, talk to Ollie Lawrence Personal Trainers in Manchester today to find out what we can do for you.