La operación bikini de este año ha quedado sepultada bajo cantidades indecentes de bizcochos y panes caseros. El cierre de los gimnasios por el estado de alarma tampoco ha ayudado, aunque muchos le hayan alegrado el confinamiento al vecino de abajo a base de saltos al ritmo de Patry Jordan.
But it's okay, taking care of our health doesn't have to be linked to any time of year, any time is good. And none better than this, when we have more in mind than ever that health is everything, to start exercising and becoming aware of what we eat.
In order to measure our small achievements, it is best to control weight and body measures, because not everything is limited to what the scale says, at least not the ones that (almost) we all have in the bathroom collecting dust. If we want to do it right, we should bet on one of bioimpedance, not just give us the kilos.
And why? Because the traditional Body Mass Index (BMI) that tells us whether we are in our weight or are overweight, underweight or obese, is not the most reliable figure, as it only takes into account body weight and does not distinguish fat from another such as muscle mass.
For example, people who do forceful sports may have a high BMI and even indicate obesity when they Don't. This is because of muscle mass. It may also be the case of someone who, by weight according to BMI, has more visceral fat than advised (it is the most dangerous and associated with cardiovascular pathologies).
Once it has become clear that weight is not everything, what can we expect from this kind of scale? What exactly are they measuring? How do they work? Are they all reliable? Let's split it up.
What biotechnology can tell us
How does it work?
The measurement of our body fat is done through electrical impulses (calm down, it does not involve any electrical discharge, nor does it cause any pain). This type of scale has two inlet electrodes and two exit electrodes and is usually placed on the feet (you have to weigh barefoot) or on your hands. So, the electrical impulse that comes in and out of our body is in charge of collecting that data. And how? Because this ordinary type travels faster by water than by fat, where they find more resistance and take longer to pass. So, the more body fat a body accumulates, the longer it takes that electrical impulse to finish its round, and the higher the percentage it will give us.
Do not forget that bioimpedance is an approximate measurement method and works quite well at home level. If you need to increase accuracy, it's best to go to a professional who measures these percentages through skin folds using a chalper.
I want to buy one: what minimum should be fulfilled?
The options on online trading platforms like Amazon are many, but if you Don't want to go to three-digit figures, an excellent option is this Renpho brand scale, a firm specializing in healthy gadgets such as water purifiers, massage appliances and body meters of all kinds, such as tensiometers.
You can buy it here for 45.99 euros (it has an 8% discount).
The great advantage of this bioimpedance scale is that, for a more affordable price than the average, it offers each and every one of the characteristics we have already commented on. There are cheaper options, yes, but neither with so many functions nor with these opinions that almost get the five stars (and the apparatus now totals almost 40,000 positive reviews).
It offers up to 13 measurements including body weight, body mass index, percentage of fat, water, muscle mass, bone mass, basal metabolism... It has an automatic calibration operating using precision measurement sensors in increments of 0.2 kg. It lasts up to 180 kilos and its base, non-slip and tempered glass, consists of four sensitive electrodes of 6mm, two inlet and two output. The bottom is made of quality ABS plastic.
Buy it here for 45.99 euros.
It features Bluetooth and drips all results to a mobile app that is compatible with IOS and Android. In addition, the app is synchronized with other platforms such as Apple Health, Google Fit, Fitbit app or Samsung Health. You can share the scale smoothly with the people you live with, as it is able to recognize and store several profiles. It operates on three AAA batteries (including).
