Measuring up to the task

THE human body is great at adapting. For instance, running a 10km marathon might seem like an impossible task for someone who has never exercised a day in his life, but with the right training and time, it can be a walk (in this case, run) in the park.
Though the human body is excellent at adapting to physical stress, after a while, it will stop responding to the same routine.

Therefore, it is crucial to keep track of how far we have come since we started working out to avoid being complacent.
By tracking progress, goals can be constantly reassessed and this can be motivating. Weaknesses can also be identified and adjusted accordingly.
Tape yourself
One of the easiest and cheapest way to measure progress is by taking girth measurements of the body.
Fitness trainers are moving away from complicated machines that measure so many different vitals on a human body to something much simpler: a measuring tape that can be bought in any stationery store.
Using the tape, one can correlate centimetres gained to fat gained, and centimetres lost to fat lost.
These measurements also can be used in determining body size and composition, and to monitor changes in these parameters.
Chest, hip-to-waist ratio, upper arms and thighs can be measured easily and monitored over time.
This method is relatively accurate and very reliable but it is only suitable for those who have an average to above-average body fat. Those who are lean may have to use other instruments for accuracy.
Percentage wise
Weighing scales and body mass index (BMI) do not tell the whole story. If it did, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson along with several other professional athletes will not be classified as obese.
Although BMI is a globally-accepted measuring system for healthy living, weight alone is not a clear indicator of good health.
This is because the number on the scale does not distinguish between kilogrammes that come from body fat, and those that come from lean body mass or muscle.
This also means that skinny people are not necessarily healthy, as they might have a high body fat percentage.
A healthy level of body fat depends on several different variables including gender and fitness goals. It is considered healthy to keep body fat percentage anywhere below obese and above essential fat levels.
For men to be considered healthy, body fat percentage should be below 25%, and for women, 31%.
Let me take a selfie first
Millions of selfies have been uploaded on various social media platforms, and while some of you may not be down with it, they are actually a very useful tool for measuring progress, and for keeping you motivated.
When it comes to fitness, a photo speaks a thousand measurements.
Using measurements such as body fat percentage is useful but pictures add a valuable, and often brutally honest, visual element to the data.
The key to taking a good fitness selfie is by being consistent. Take multiple pictures (front, sideways and back) in the same room, in front of the same mirror, under the same lighting.
Make sure the room is well lit and do not flex or suck your gut in.
There are also apps specifically for fitness progress selfies that will show you a faint version of the previous day’s photo to stay perfectly aligned in-between days.
A visual timeline of the body’s gradual transformation is highly motivating and it makes a great before and after story.
Remember that embarking upon a fitness lifestyle is a never-ending journey. It is important to record every single step to see how far we have come since day one

Nevash Nair is currently on his own fitness journey in Thailand. Contact him via email at lifestyle.nevashnair@thesundaily.com.