There is more to being healthy then just the number on the scale.
BMR
Basal Metabolic Rate uses your muscle mass to gauge your healthy caloric needs, but even that’s not foolproof as calories are not equal. Your body type, age group, and muscle mass can change the meaning of the number.
Waist Size
Breathe out, and wrap a tape measure around yourself midway between your hip bone and ribs. No matter your height or build, if your waist measures more than 34 inches (32.5 inches for women who aren’t pregnant), you probably have extra fat around your heart, liver, kidneys, and other organs.
Blood Pressure
Ideally, you want your upper, or “systolic,” (top) number to be below 115, and your lower “diastolic” (bottom) number to be below 75. Once the numbers are 130 and 80, or higher, you have high blood pressure. You may not have any symptoms, yet it can damage your heart and blood vessels.
Blood Sugar
When you’re healthy, it should be under 100 mg/dL before you eat and less than 140 mg/dL a couple of hours later. (Your doctor will set your targets, which may be a bit higher, when you have diabetes.)
Exercise
You should get at least 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, of moderate exercise (heart is pumping, lungs are working) like walking or gardening. It’s best to spread the activity out, over the week and even the day, as long as you’re doing it for at least 10 minutes.
Sleep
Adults usually need 7 to 9 hours a night. Our bodies use that time to fix tissue, make hormones, and grow muscle. Our brains use it to process the information and learning of the day into memories.
Water
Most people can stay hydrated by drinking water when they’re thirsty. To set a baseline, drink at least one glass of water with and between each meal. You may need more if it’s hot or dry outside, or when you’re pregnant. Drink before you work out, every 10-20 minutes during exercise (depending on the weather and how much you sweat), and within 30 minutes afterward.
This post is a small sample of the information covered each week in the StayConnected™ Mini-CE Coaching Calls. All coaching calls are recorded and StayConnected™ members have access to the entire archive through their StayConnected™ dashboard. It’s just one of the many benefits of staying connected to HLS.