How To Achieve Healthy Body Fat for Women

Did you know that you can be thin and still be fat? Did you know that you can be heavy and not fat where you still have a healthy body fat percentage meaning you don't need to lose any fat? This is a very important concept to keep in mind when you are trying to determine healthy body fat for women.

The general practice among professionals trying to help women establish their level of healthy fat is to find out what a woman's body fat percentage is. This is because it is the gauge of her body's composition of fat to lean mass ratio. Most people have no inkling what this means and why it's important to know.

Body fat percentage is different from Body Mass Index or BMI. The fat percentage only measures your fat ratio as compared to your weight. BMI on the other hand is your weight and height formula. Thus a BMI of 29 is unhealthy while a body fat percentage of 29 is considered healthy.

Women really have to face the fact that they need more body fat compared to men. If she does not have enough fat, she loses certain "privileges" like her monthly period that could mean fertility issues or other complications.

To achieve health body fat, you need to know your fat percentage so you can preserve enough to stay healthy. Finding out your body fat percentage is relatively easy. Here are some methods:

· The Pinch Test is pinching certain areas in your body to find out if you need to lose weight or not. Unfortunately, to get an accurate reading, you can't do it to yourself. You will have to approach an experienced nutritionist or dietician, if not your doctor to pinch you

· The Navy Tape -This method is used by the Navy and military and is very simply. Measure your middle section (if that is the area you want to work with) and take a reading using the centimeters (not inches). Do this 3 times and get the average result

· DEXA scan - This is a full body X-ray and will also measure bone density. It costs to get it done but it is 99% accurate

For women, the healthy body fat is anywhere from 14 to 17%. This percentage can change depending on age, sport, level of physical fitness, and existing medical conditions.

Usually as you age, your body fat percentage increases as your metabolism slows down. However, it does not have too! There are many things that can be done in later life to prevent this shift in fat to muscle ratio! This is a VERY important fact!

A woman should always aim for a healthy levels of fat because it will prevent her from getting sickly and prone to health problems like cancers, high blood pressure,heart disease and diabetes. One can enjoy life with more zest and less fatigue. Self-esteem will also improve and not cause as much stress on a daily basis.

To get a ton of free weight loss and fat burning information, please visit http://www.howtolosefatforwomen.com. You will also find a great wealth of information about fat loss, diets, exercise programs, and recipes to achieve the level of health that you are looking for regardless of age. I will only put things on this site that I have personally tried and approved. All information is scientific and proven. Hope you enjoy it and come back again and again!

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How to Keep Your Hips Healthy As You Age

Every year more than 150,000 people in the Untied States alone undergo hip-replacement surgery. Many of these surgeries could be postponed or avoided altogether, however, with proper hip care. Here are the essentials.

1. Get a bone density scan if you are a woman over 50 or a man over 60.

The leading cause of hip fractures is osteoporosis, the gradual thinning of bone that strikes both men and women as they age. In its early stages osteoporosis does not cause pain, so medical diagnosis is essential. As your doctor to order a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) procedure if you have risk factors, especially if you are a man or a woman who has ever used steroids, you have fair skin or work at night, or if you are a woman past menopause. The DEXA scan detects bone loss at its earliest stages and will give you an early start on treatment.

2. Do your best to maintain a healthful weight.

With every step you take, your hips bear three times your body weight. Every pound you lose takes three pounds pressure off your hips.

3. Avoid high-impact exercise.

Jogging, running, basketball, and squash can cause problems if your hips are weak. That's why you need low-impact exercise at least half of your sessions during the weak. Walking strengthens the abductor muscles in the outer thigh that hold the body straight and upright. Moving the hips gently helps maintain the circulation that nourishes cartilage.

4. Try water exercise.

Workouts in the pool are the safest form of exercise for fragile hips. You get all the benefits of moving your hips through their full range of motion while water holds up your body, minimizing stress. Standing in waist-high water reduces the stress on hips by about 50 per cent. Standing in chest-deep water reduces the stress on hips by about 70 per cent. Just walking backward and forward in a swimming pool is great exercise for your hips. If they begin to hurt, just move to deeper water.

5. Watch your posture.

Try not to sway or stoop when you walk. Poor posture adds pressure to the hips, and the additional pressure increases risk for fractures and falls. To see if posture is a problem, try walking toward a full-length mirror. If you sway from side to side, there is a high probability that the abductor muscles of your outer thighs need conditions.

And finally, don't ignore hip pain.l When pain flares up, try gentle moist heat several times a day to reduce inflammation to injured hip joints. If you have persistent hip pain, go to your physician for advice.

Read more about anti-aging topics such natural skincare and how to get younger looking skin with facial treatment and home use facial machine.

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