Measuring your WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE is very important for your health along with building up confidence. At present according to Safefood.eu over 50% of women in Ireland are overweight or obese.

This is a dangerous figure and not because of social stigma but the health risks involved with being overweight. Too often women are more concerned with the outside, when in fact the real issue is what’s going on inside.

The human body is fantastic though and will often indicate when action needs to be taken.

One of those indicators is the size of your waist.

This measurement is important to know as it indicates your level of  abdominal fat which is significant to your health especially your heart’s health.

A woman’s health is at risk if her waist circumference is 32 inches or more.

A measurement of 35 or more puts you at high risk for a heart attack or stroke.

People with a high level of abdominal fat have a much higher chance of developing  cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

How to do it?

1. Remove or raise clothing.  You will need to do this as to get a correct measurement the tape needs to be resting against your skin. If your pants are in the way, undo them and pull them down around your hips.
2. Find your bellybutton. Use your fingers to find your bellybutton, which is located in the centre of your stomach.
3. Wrap the measuring tape around your waist. Breathe normally and stand up straight. Hold the end of the tape measure at your navel and circle it around your back to the front of your waist. The measuring tape should be parallel to the floor and fit snugly around your torso without digging into your skin.
   • Make sure that the measuring tape is straight all the way around and is not twisted anywhere, especially in the back.
4. Read the tape. Check the measurement on the tape. Your waist measurement will be at the place on the tape where the zero end meets the slack end of the tape measure. The number indicates your waist measurement in inches and/or centimeters, depending on the type of measuring tape you used.
5. Double-check your measurement. Repeat the measurement once more to ensure the accuracy of your original measurement. If it is different from the first time, measure for a third time and take the average of the three numbers.

A very good indicator of if you are at unhealthy risk is to divide your height in half.

An example of this would be a 5ft 4in (64 inch) woman should keep her waist under 32 inches for a good, healthy reading.

 

In Womens Fitness, our qualified nutritionists will meet you in a private consultation, take your weight, measurements and height. They will then go through the findings with you and develop a correct eating plan along with practical hints and tips will be given to you.

A good way to start is our Kickstart Plan, which involves 6 personal training sessions, a tailored gym program, 2 fitness classes per week, 1 nutrition consultation, tailored food plan, 6 weekly weigh ins, unlimited gym, member’s app and Free parking and all for the unbelievable value of €199.