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Why You Need to Pay Attention to Body Composition

Thrive Carolinas / Exercise  / Why You Need to Pay Attention to Body Composition

Why You Need to Pay Attention to Body Composition

Understanding your body composition is essential for long-term health and fitness.

While many focus on the number on the scale, this approach can be misleading—especially if you’re building muscle through strength training. Recent research highlights the importance of strength training for health, longevity, and metabolic well-being. However, body composition, not just weight, is a more accurate measure of your progress and health.

What Is Body Composition?

Body composition refers to the fat and lean mass percentages that make up your total body weight. Unlike weight alone, body composition breaks these elements into key components:

  • Fat Mass: Includes subcutaneous fat (under the skin) and visceral fat (around internal organs).
  • Lean Mass: Comprises skeletal muscle, bones, organs, fluids, and other non-fat elements.

Understanding your body composition can give you a more accurate picture of your overall health.

Why Weight Alone Isn’t Enough

When trying to lose weight, the goal is to reduce body fat and improve appearance. However, relying on the number on the scale can give you an incomplete picture. Here’s why:

  • As you lose fat and gain muscle through strength training, your weight may not change significantly.
  • Muscles are denser than fat, meaning you can look and feel healthier without seeing much difference on the scale.
  • Without assessing body composition, you might miss that you’re reducing fat and gaining metabolically beneficial muscle.

For example, you could be at an “ideal” weight for your height. Still, a body composition assessment might reveal low muscle mass and high fat levels—making you metabolically unhealthy or “skinny fat.”

The Benefits of Measuring Body Composition

Instead of tracking only weight, assessing your body composition offers:

  1. Accurate Health Insights: It provides a detailed look at your fat percentage and muscle mass, which are better health indicators than weight alone.
  2. Motivation: Seeing measurable reductions in fat percentage and increases in muscle mass can be more motivating than fluctuating numbers on a scale.
  3. Better Goal Setting: By focusing on body composition, you can set goals prioritizing muscle gain and fat loss, improving metabolic health.

How to Measure Body Composition

One of the most accurate tools to measure body composition is the InBody scale, which uses Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA) to estimate:

  • Body Fat Percentage
  • Skeletal Muscle Mass
  • Body Water Ratios (helpful for identifying inflammation or fluid retention)

This non-invasive method sends electrical currents through the body to measure fat and lean mass. It’s quick, easy, and provides detailed insights to track your progress.

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How Often Should You Measure?

  • For most people, measuring every 6 weeks to 3 months is ideal to see meaningful changes in body composition.
  • If you’re part of a weight management program, more frequent measurements can help fine-tune your progress.

Why Strength Training Matters

Building lean muscle through strength training not only improves body composition but also:

  • Boosts metabolism, as muscle burns three times more calories than fat.
  • Reduces the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
  • Supports better functional movement and long-term health.

Special Offer

Ready to track your progress? Try the InBody scale to get a detailed analysis:

  • Add an InBody scan to your annual labs for $25 ($10 off).
  • Get 3 InBody scans for $75 (save $30).

Focusing on body composition rather than just weight offers a more accurate and motivating way to assess your health. Understanding your fat and muscle percentages allows you to set realistic goals, track meaningful progress, and improve your overall well-being.

Talk to your provider about incorporating body composition assessments into your routine, and start your journey toward better health today!

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