November 13, 2013
There are many determinants to being in shape. Going to the doctor and getting an annual physical with blood pressure, heart rate and blood test to measure cholesterol, sugar, salt, hormones and more are very important. How you feel like energy you have to complete tasks and do what you love is also very important.
The scale alone should not be taken to show if you are in shape. Muscle weighs more than fat and you can actually gain weight if you lose a clothing size. Having high endurance, strength and flexibility must be taken together as indicators of being in shape. Body mass index is also very important. Another important measure of fitness is waist to hip ratio. Measure your waist at its smallest circumference. Measure your hips-buttocks at the largest circumference. Use the same measurement, centimeters or inches, for both. Divide the waist measure by the hip measure. The ratio 0.80 and below is healthy for women. According to the AAFP, a small waist to hip ratio is an even better predictor of health than BMI. Women naturally have more fat than men or female primates. Keep fat off your midsection. Abdominal fat for both men and women is more dangerous than hip fat.
A 2008 study showed that lower body fat may even be healthy for women. William D. Lassek of the Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh and Stephen J. C. Galli of department of Anthropology, University of California at Santa Barbara conducted a study in 2008 about the waist to hip ratio. They concluded that women with a waist to hip ratio of about .70 are not only more attractive to men, but may be smarter than women with a smaller waist to hip ratio. The study included more than 16,000 women aged 18 to 90 years between 1988 and 1994. Scientists pointed out that excess waist fat is more dangerous than fat on legs and hips. Waist fat tends to contain omega-six fatty acids such as linoleic acid that may lead to inflammation and depression, while leg and hip fat tends to be composed of omega three fatty acids, which are healthier. A 1991 University of Pittsburgh study showed that a larger waist compared to the hips in middle-aged women was similar to with cardiovascular risk caused by smoking, low exercise levels, weight gain during adulthood, and higher caloric intake, and was linked with anxiety and anger.
So do your cardiovascular work to keep your weight down, lift weights to keep muscle mass up, stretch for healthy muscles and circulation and do sit-ups and other abdominal exercises to keep your tummy area strong and lean!
