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Your Health - Hints & Tips

At Westpark Fitness, we are passionate about getting you moving. And to get moving, you need to get inspired. Now, that’s where we come in. Read our articles for some expert insight into upcoming exercise innovations, new classes, training tips, plus common pitfalls to avoid so you can reach your exercise and wellness goals.

What is Bodyfat?

A person’s total fat percentage is the total weight of the person’s fat divided by the person’s weight and reflects both essential fat and storage fat.

Essential fat is that amount necessary for maintenance of life and reproductive functions. The percentage for women is greater than that for men, due to the demands of childbearing and other hormonal functions.

Essential fat for men is 2-5% / women 10-13%. Storage fat consists of fat accumulation in adipose tissue, part of which protects internal organs in the chest and abdomen.

Muscle cannot “turn into fat”

It is a common myth that toned muscles can turn into fat if you stop training. If you stop training, your muscles will return to normal size. But if you continue to consume the extra amount of calories that were required during your training programme then you will be consuming more calories than you need and will increase you body fat score as a result.

It is not possible to “spot reduce” fat

Individuals carry excess body fat in different areas of the body. In women extra fat is more prone to settle on the arms and buttocks (pear shape), while men may be prone to carrying extra fat around the waist (apple shape). Unfortunately, it is not possible to spot reduce fat on one area of the body. To lose excess fat from your tum, bum, thighs or chest you will have to do a combination of aerobic training and muscle strengthening exercises that work the whole

A mix of aerobic and strength training is best for burning fat

If you want to burn fat, you need to practice full body aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling, jogging or swimming. Strength training for all the major muscles on the body will also help to achieve good muscle tone or definition as the fat loss takes place. Strength training exercises include pilates, circuit training and body conditioning classes, free weights and weight machines.

Two sessions of aerobic training, combined with two sessions of muscle strengthening per week will get excellent results. Aerobics will burn up excess calories and fat. As you lose weight, strength training will help you build muscle and tone up, and a well-toned body needs extra energy (calories) just to maintain itself so you will be burning more calories even when resting!

For even better results, combine your exercise programme with a well-balanced weight loss diet.

Body fat is more important than body weight

The body is made up of fat and fat-free tissue. Fat-free tissue includes bone, muscle, water and ligament. When we step on a weighing scales, we measure the weight of our complete body. If the scales show that we have lost weight, we cannot be sure where the weight loss has come from. Yes, we may have lost fat tissue but equally we may have lost body water or muscle, which would not be in our best interest. Measuring body fat levels is a better way to measure fat loss than using a traditional weighing scales.

Body fat can be measured by a number of methods:

• Skin fold callipers are a device used by fitness instructors to measure the thickness of the layer of fat underneath the skin (adipose tissue). Measurements from certain points on the body are added together and compared to a table to give a reading for percentage body fat. These measurements can be monitored over time to detect an increase or decrease in body fat.
• Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). These machines send a small, safe electrical current through the body. The time taken for this electrical current to travel through the body is used to estimate the level of body fat.

Body Fat Recommendations