Understanding Your Health Readings: A Guide to Optimal Wellness

At Skelian in Cheltenham, we believe health is our most valuable asset, and understanding your body’s readings can be the first step towards maintaining and improving your overall well-being.

In this guide, we’ll explore the key health readings – blood pressure, BMI, body fat percentage, water percentage, bone density, and muscle mass – and provide you with the scales for what’s considered optimal, healthy, average, and unhealthy. We’ll also offer some general explanations and advice on these areas for both adult men and women of all ages.

Blood Pressure

Blood pressure measures the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. It’s recorded as two numbers: systolic (pressure during heartbeats) over diastolic (pressure between heartbeats).

• Optimal: Less than 120/80 mmHg
• Normal: 120-129/80-84 mmHg
• High Normal: 130-139/85-89 mmHg
• Hypertension: 140/90 mmHg or higher

Advice: Maintain a balanced diet, exercise regularly, manage or reduce stress and monitor your salt intake to manage blood pressure.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.

• Underweight: Less than 18.5
• Normal weight: 18.5–24.9
• Overweight: 25–29.9
• Obesity: 30 or greater

Advice: Aim for a balanced diet and regular physical activity to achieve a healthy BMI.

Body Fat Percentage

This indicates the amount of fat relative to your total body weight.

• Athletes: 14–20% (women), 6–13% (men)
• Fitness: 21–24% (women), 14–17% (men)
• Average: 25–31% (women), 18–24% (men)
• Obese: 32%+ (women), 25%+ (men)

Advice: Combine strength training with cardio exercises to manage body fat percentage.

Water Percentage

Water percentage is crucial for bodily functions and varies by age and gender.

• Healthy Adult Women: 45–60%
• Healthy Adult Men: 50–65%

Advice: Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily and more if you’re active or in hot climates.

Bone Density

Bone density is a measure of the amount of minerals (mainly calcium) contained in a certain volume of bone.

• Normal: T-score above -1
• Osteopenia: T-score between -1 and -2.5
• Osteoporosis: T-score below -2.5

Advice: Ensure adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D, and engage in weight-bearing exercises.

Muscle Mass

My apologies for the confusion. Here are the correct muscle mass percentage averages based on a study from the Journal of Applied Physiology:

For men:

• Age 18–35: 40–44%
• Age 36–55: 36–40%
• Age 56–75: 32–35%
• Age 76–85: < 31%

For women:

• Age 18–35: 31–33%
• Age 36–55: 29–31%
• Age 56–75: 27–30%
• Age 76–85: < 26%

Advice: It’s important to maintain a healthy muscle mass through regular physical activity and proper nutrition. If you’re looking to improve or maintain your muscle mass, consider consulting with a healthcare professional or a fitness expert for personalised advice and guidance.

Maintaining optimal levels in these health readings can significantly contribute to your overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Remember, these are general guidelines, and individual circumstances may vary. It’s always best to consult with healthcare professionals for personalised advice.

For more detailed health advice and lifestyle tips, visit the NHS Live Well page¹ and consider regular health checks². Stay active, eat well, and listen to your body – it’s the key to a healthier, happier life.

For more information please speak to your chiropractor or physio at Skelian in Cheltenham.