Body Fat: How To Know Your Ideal Percentage

When talking about body fat percentage, nutritionists and trainers refer to the ideal amount of fat that the body should contain according to sex and age, being that in men it can vary between 16 and 20% and in women between 20 and 24%, values that increase with age, mainly in women. In addition to this, an individual who does physical activity regularly has less body fat than a sedentary person.

To achieve the ideal fat percentage and have a defined body, in addition to reducing the amount of foods rich in fat and sugars in the diet, it is advisable to exercise regularly.

Body fat: how to know your ideal percentage

How to calculate body fat

To calculate an estimate of body fat, bioimpedance equipment such as scales are used to simply evaluate the weight, the amount of water, muscle and fat in the body, and the measurement should preferably be done on an empty stomach. See more about how bioimpedance works.

This measurement should not be performed during pregnancy, after intense physical activity, during menstruation, nor 5 days before, nor 5 days after menstruation, as the values could be altered.

In addition to this, there are formulas that take into account the circumferences and skin folds in the regions with more body fat such as the abdomen, back, arm and thigh, which are measured by a nutritionist using an instrument called a caliper, helping the physical trainer to define a training plan to decrease localized fat in a region of the body.

There are also other methods but they are expensive and also give an estimate of the percentage of body fat, some of them are 3D body scanners, air displacement plethysmography, hydrostatic weighing, among others.

Learn how bioimpedance works in the following video:

The following table shows the body fat values for both male and female athletes and non-athletes according to age:

Ideal body fat values in men according to age

Ideal body fat values in women according to age

When the patient is over 60 years old, it is normal to have a fat percentage higher than the values in the tables and, for this reason, it is necessary for the nutritionist to relate the value to diet and physical activity.

The American Council on Exercise indicates the following reference values for body fat percentage, regardless of age:

Maintaining the amount of body fat within the ideal value is important to ensure health, protect internal organs and maintain ideal body temperature.

How to decrease body fat

To lose weight and decrease the percentage of body fat is important to practice physical activity regularly, ideally starting with slow walks, in the case of sedentary people, and progressively increasing the intensity, an example of a very complete and high intensity exercise is crossfit.

Use the calculator to find out what your BMI is and whether or not you are at your ideal weight:

It is important to mention that the Body Mass Index has its limitations, because it does not distinguish between the amount of muscle and fat a person has, so if you are an athletic person, this will not be the best way to calculate whether or not you are at your ideal weight.

Likewise, either way it is recommended to go to a nutritionist because the calculation of calories, ideal weight and muscle and fat percentage measurements should be done by a professional, because there are different formulas for the calculation and various parameters to take into account, and that vary from one individual to another, when developing a nutritional plan.

Read other tips to lose fat in: 5 easy tips to lose weight and lose belly.

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