Many times when individuals first plunge into the world of health and wellness, BMI is not the primary thing they think about. Maybe it’s a word you’ve heard from your doctor. Maybe you’ve heard some athletes toss it around. The bottom line is that BMI is a really important factor in your road to optimal health. Before we get into the nitty-gritty of it, let’s first figure out what it even is.
What is BMI?
BMI is short for “body-mass index” and is a calculation of how much fat your body currently holds. Your BMI will most likely be a number between 18.5 and 30; with higher numbers indicating higher body fat content. Your doctor uses this number to assess your risk for diseases and to determine whether or not you are considered either underweight or obese. Put simply, it’s an easy way to be able to gauge if you are holding too much extra weight.
To calculate your BMI, you don’t need any extra tools or fat pinchers like you might see in movies (or in the pic above) you simply need to know your height and weight. Once you have those two details, you can let a calculator do the rest. Click here for a calculator.
Once you have your BMI, check to see if it is in a healthy or unhealthy range:
BMI Categories:
Underweight | Less Than 18.5
Normal weight | 18.5–24.9
Overweight | 25–29.9
Obesity | 30 or greater
Why should I care?
As we said before, knowing your BMI will help you and your doctors to gauge your overall risk for certain weight related diseases. If you notice that your BMI is in the overweight or obese category, take this as a sign that you now have the opportunity to start working on bettering your health.
Higher BMI numbers will indicate that your risk for diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type II diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems, and cancer, are all significantly increased. By working to improve your BMI, you are taking the necessary steps to improve (or even save) your life.
How to lower your BMI:
The main causes of a high BMI in the overweight or obese range is typically due to overeating, sedentary lifestyles, or poor nutrition. In many cases, genetics also plays a role in how easy it is to lower your BMI. Sometimes, certain medications and hormone disorders also affect our ability to gain or lose body mass. Despite roadblocks and hurdles that are in the way, improving your BMI is possible, and it’s not even as hard as it’s made out to be.
Work with a nutritionist
Sometimes it’s as simple as tweaking your diet. Sometimes you’ll need a whole diet overhaul. Nutritionists can help put together an exact recipe for health improvement. With the right motivation and support system, you can overcome those barriers that are in your way.
Improve physical activity
Less than 5% of Americans are getting the recommended amount of exercise per week. By adding more movement into your day, you are actively working on improving muscle tone, heart rate, and lowering your BMI. Whether you want to go the route of a personal trainer to really get you motivated, taking a yoga or pilates class, or going all in with a group of motivated friends at a fitness boot camp, increasing your fitness level leads to a decrease in BMI.
A wellness coach
Hiring a wellness coach ensures that you always have someone looking out for you. A coach will help you to synergize your lifestyle, your diet, and your physical activity. Your success in health and wellness becomes a main objective to more than just you. We can take your hand and guide you through the ups and downs of a healthy lifestyle.
