The following will be performed by a trained weight room instructor or certified personal trainer:
- Measure height and weight to determine body mass index (BMI)
- Blood pressure
- 3-site skinfold measurements
*Appointment required! Sign up at the weight room desk.
For more information, ask a weight room instructor or contact Janes Dreamweaver, the Fitness-Wellness Director, at dreamweaver@truman.edu.
Recommendations before arriving for fitness assessment:
- Wear short sleeved shirt and shorts.
- Make sure you are well hydrated before arriving for your assessment. Do not exercise any time before the assessment and do not eat 2 hours before the assessment (all of these variables affect the accuracy of bioelectrical impedance and thus your body fat percentage).
What does Body Composition mean?
To begin to understand what body composition is we must first recognize that the human body consists of fat and nonfat components. The fat component is termed fat mass or percent body fat. The nonfat component is termed lean body mass.
What are essential and storage fats?
The total fat in the human body is classified into two types: essential fat and storage fat.Essential fat is defined as the fat needed to maintain normal physiological functions. Essential fat is found in such tissues as muscles, nerve cells, bone marrow, intestines, heart, liver, and lungs. This essential fat constitutes about 3% of the total weight in men and 12% in women. The percentage of essential fat is higher in women as it includes sex-specific fat, such as breast tissue, and other sex-related fat deposits.
Storage fat is the fat which is stored in the adipose tissue, mostly beneath the skin (subcutaneous fat) and around the major organs in the body. The storage fat is used as an insulator to retain body heat and as an energy substrate for metabolism. It also serves as a form of protection against physical trauma to the body. Unlike essential fat, there is no real difference in the amount of storage fat between men and women. However, men tend to store fat around the waist while women more so around the hips and thighs.
CAUTION:
Truman State University’s Student Recreation Center staff STRONGLY recommend that if you are undertaking an exercise program that you see your physician for a complete medical exam, particularly if you have a family history of high blood pressure or heart disease, are over the age of 45, or if you smoke, have high cholesterol, are obese, or have not exercised regularly in the past year. If, at any time while exercising, you feel faint, dizzy, short of breath, or pain, stop immediately.