It is closely linked to body fat and health outcomes. Over 50 organizations,
including the US Government and the World Health Organization, have adopted
BMI guidelines. BMI is inversely related to fitness, meaning that the
higher your BMI, the less likely you are to be fit. Every time your body fat monitor
reads your weight and calculates your body fat, it also calculates your BMI.
Along with your weight and your body fat measurements, the BMI reading
gives you yet one more tool to monitor your health and fitness.
General guidelines for BMI are as follows:
BMI less than 19: underweight
BMI 19–25: healthy weight
BMI 25–30: overweight
BMI over 30: obese
About BMI Levels
In order to make your body fat and body water readings more accurate, your
monitor automatically calculates a BMI level for you, based on the personal data
you have entered, as well as measurements the scale takes. Why is that important?
People with different BMIs have differences in muscle mass and body water levels.
Do not be alarmed if you do not see rapid changes to your category level:
generally, your level will change as you lose weight and become more fit.
These changes happen gradually, though, and you may not see them reflected
for a few months of consistently following a diet and exercise regimen.
BMI/Fitness Levels
1
2
3
4
5
Less Fit More Fit
L3 is the “normal” mode and is often selected at the start of a training/weight loss
program. Most people fall into this category. Its activities are characterized by:
• low level aerobics
• limited physical activity: less than 2 times/week
• less than 20 minutes per activity
L4 is used by people who have improved overall wellness and fitness:
• moderate daily exercise: 20 minute workouts, 5 times/week
• activities: cycling, jogging, brisk walking, raking leaves, tennis, aerobics
L5 is used by highly active individuals whose workouts are based both on
endurance and strength over an extended period of time:
• daily workouts to include the activities below
• 5-10 minute warm up; several 20-30 minute workouts per week dedicated to
muscular strength (often weight lifting), muscular endurance (pushups, sit-ups,
weight training for all major muscle groups), cardio respiratory endurance (jog-
ging, swimming, rope-jumping, rowing, racquetball); 10-12 minutes of stretch-
ing; 5-10 minute cooldown
Make the most of it!
To summarize, make the most of the body fat analysis feature by:
• Tracking change over time and not day to day.
• Using the same scale as much as possible.
• Being extra-consistent in the time of day, day of the week, time before or after
food and fluid consumption, before or after exercise, etc., when measuring body
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