Thinking about health and fitness, tracking and monitoring your progress through effective and accurate means is essential. Traditional weighing scales measure the overall weight of your body. It can’t differentiate between fat muscle mass and skeletal muscle mass. That is why using a body composition monitor to investigate your current physical state is critical. A body composition monitor can differentiate between your body’s fat and skeletal mass. It allows you to understand the total amount of fat in your body clearly. Body composition monitors (BCM) offer information on one’s body composition in fitness centres, medical clinics, and even at home. Body composition analysis provides a more accurate picture of your health by measuring your body fat percentage, fat mass, lean mass, and bone density.[1] 

Body composition monitors have several functions that are important for maintaining one’s health. The functions and importance are mentioned as follows: 

How Do They Work?

Most body composition monitors use bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to measure body composition. This involves sending a small electrical current through the body and measuring how quickly it travels through different tissues. Fat tissue drives the electrical current slower than muscle tissue so that the monitor can calculate the fat percentage in the body according to the difference in resistance. The rate of electric signals varies depending on the amount of water, muscle and fat in your body. The different fat and muscle percentage spread from your body represents this variation.[2] 

Why Are They Important? 

Accurate measurement of body composition:

Body composition monitors provide a more accurate measure of body composition than traditional methods such as BMI (body mass index), which only considers weight and height. Accurately measuring body composition can allow for better judgement when planning a future course of exercise and diet, bringing about more excellent health and fitness in daily life.[3] 

Tracking progress:

Monitoring changes in body composition can help individuals track their progress and adjust their diet and exercise routines. Through a body composition monitor, the effectiveness of different diets and exercises can also be measured and from them, the most effective exercises and diets can be selected for optimal weight loss and muscle gain.  Using a body composition monitor once a week enables effective weight loss and muscle-building tracking. 

Identifying health risks:

A high percentage of body fat can be a risk factor for many health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Body composition monitors can assist in identifying those who are at risk and providing advice on how to reduce that risk. 

Improving athletic performance:

Body composition monitors can be a valuable tool for athletes and fitness enthusiasts looking to optimize their training and nutrition plans. By tracking their body fat percentage, muscle mass, and bone density, athletes can better understand their current fitness level and adjust their training and diet accordingly.[4] 

Motivation:

Seeing progress in body composition can be a powerful motivator for a healthy lifestyle. Seeing the progressive decrease of weight and muscle growth through a composition monitor can provide a stronger sense of success. 

Wrap-Up

Overall, body composition monitors are an essential tool for individuals looking to improve their health, fitness, and overall well-being. Providing a more accurate measure of body composition can help individuals make informed decisions about their diet and exercise routine, identify potential health risks, and track their progress towards their goals. 

References: 

1. Body Composition Analysis: What Is It and Why Is It Important? | Spren 
2. Are Body Fat Scales Accurate? | Houston Methodist On Health 
3. https://www.omronbrandshop.com/product/digital-weighing-machines/hbf-702t/  
4. Assessment of Body Composition in Athletes: A Narrative Review of Available Methods with Special Reference to Quantitative and Qualitative Bioimpedance Analysis – PMC (nih.gov)