How old are you? How old is your body? Believe it or not, there’s a difference, and it’s known as Metabolic Age. This metric factors your body structure, BMR, fat, and muscle mass and gives you an accurate picture of how healthy your body is by informing you of your body’s age relative to your actual age. You want this number to be lower or at least the same as your actual age. If it's higher, it means that some lifestyle changes may be helpful. If it’s lower, you’re on the right track!

Body Fat Percentage is the proportion of fat to your total weight. Understanding your Body Fat Percentage is essential when evaluating your health. Knowing your Body Fat Percentage will help steer you towards the steps you need to take to improve your health. It can help you analyze and better manage your routine and decide if you need to make changes to your diet or exercise routine.

Body Water Percentage is the percentage of water found in the body. This metric is vital to avoiding dehydration and making sure your body has what it needs to function healthily. Keep in mind that hydration level may fluctuate through the day and night due to exercise, medications, caffeine, alcohol consumption, and even bathing. That said, most people fail to drink adequate amounts of water so aim for at least eight glasses a day.

BMR is the minimum daily calories your body needs to function while at rest (how much energy your body would burn if you stayed in bed all day). This metric will help you achieve your fitness goals, whether you want to lose, maintain, or gain weight. Think of it as a baseline in setting your daily caloric goals—by knowing how much you burn at rest, you can begin to plan how many calories you should consume throughout the day by considering your activity levels. The more active you are, the more calories you should consume above your BMR.

Regular exercise, including cardiovascular and weight-bearing activities, will help raise your BMR. Raising your BMR is critical if your goal is to lose weight, as you’ll increase the number of calories your body naturally burns throughout the day.

Visceral Fat surrounds the organs and is located deep in the abdominal cavity. It is the type of fat that cannot be seen or touched—the mirror won’t tell you how much visceral fat is in your body. Ensuring that you have a healthy level of Visceral Fat reduces your risk for diseases such as stroke, high blood pressure, and heart attack. This metric is key to understanding what’s happening inside your body and gives insight into changes you may need to take to improve your overall health.

Subcutaneous Fat is the fat stored beneath the skin that you can see in the mirror. For women, breasts also contain Subcutaneous Fat. Subcutaneous Fat is less harmful than Visceral Fat and is sometimes referred to as the “stubborn” fat because it can be harder to lose. Understanding the vital difference between Visceral Fat and Subcutaneous Fat provides knowledge of your body’s fat distribution, which can help predict any risks of illness.

BMI is a standard metric FitTrack calculates using your height and weight. It can be a great starting point to get a quick snapshot of your bodily health. According to the World Health Organization:

• A normal BMI is between 18.5 to 24.9.
• A result of 25- 29.9 is considered overweight.
• A BMI of over 30 is considered obese.

These numbers may seem misleading if you have an athletic build, which is why metrics like Body Fat and Muscle Ratio are essential.

Muscle Mass percentage is an excellent indicator of health because your muscle mass will naturally decline as you age. By monitoring it closely, you can effectively gauge how healthily your body is aging! A higher percentage of Muscle Mass reflects a lower rate of body fat. For people on a diet or training regularly, knowing and monitoring your muscle mass percentage can be a great tool in assessing its effectiveness. This metric is critical for anyone looking to increase muscle, improve fitness, and reduce injury or illness risk.