The perfect body fat percentage differs for a number of populations. Your gender, athletic ability and goals all have an influence on what your body fat percentage means to you. There are guidelines set out for the best body fat percentage based on all of the aforementioned factors. If you are trying to improve your condition, there are steps you can take to change your body composition.
Average Body Fat Percentage
The optimal body fat percentages vary by gender. Women, due to their reproductive capabilities, generally have a larger amount of body fat. Two types of fat, essential and non-essential, compose your fat percentage. Since women must produce, birth and feed their young, they require a larger amount of essential body fat. A normal healthy woman should have 25 to 31 percent body fat. While a normal, average man should have 18 to 24 percent body fat.
Athletic Body Fat Percentage
If you are interested in fine-tuning your body composition for fitness or athletic purposes, your perfect range is different from the normal range. For a female that is looking toward fitness, 21 to 24 percent body fat is ideal. If a female is looking to be as athletic as possible, 14 to 20 percent body fat is perfect. A male that has fitness-related goals should aim for 14 to 17 percent body fat or if he has athleticism in mind, six to 13 percent is best.
Measuring Body Fat
There are several methods for measuring your body fat percentage. The easiest way to estimate body fat, in the comfort of your own home, is use the bioelectrical impedance method. This involves a special scale that when you step on, sends a small electrical current through one foot. It then measures the amount of current returned through the other foot. This is perfectly harmless and tells the scale your body fat percentage because the current cannot travel through fat, the feedback indicates how much fat the body has.
Improving Your Body Composition
The American Council on Exercise reports that it is safe to lose about one percent of body fat per month. To achieve this, simply add regular exercise and diet to your daily life. Limit your calories to equal less than the energy you use to burn the fat you have. Daily aerobic exercise also burns calories and fat, while resistance exercise helps build lean body mass.
References
- "Exercise Physiology"; George A. Brooks, Thomas D. Fahey, Kenneth M. Baldwin; 2005
- American Council On Exercise: What are the Guidelines for Percentage of Body Fat Loss?
- "Health Fitness Instructor's Handbook"; Edward T. Howley and B. Don Franks; 2003
- "Exercise Testing and Prescription"; David C. Nieman; 2007
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