Using bathroom scales are one of the best ways for you to monitor your body weight at home. Although they are extremely convenient and easy to use, the down side to the regular bathroom scales is accuracy. Simply put, they are not reliable measurement sources. Readings can vary with room temperature fluctuations, repetitive use and their portability makes them very prone and vulnerable to damage. But aside from that, mere body weight measurements are not also accurate parameters to determine your actual body fat. A good solution to this is to get a body composition scale.
A body composition scale looks just like your regular bathroom scales but can give you more than just weight measurements. It can provide you with information about your muscle density and the most important of all, your body fat content. Data provided for by the composition scale will give you an idea on just how much calories you need to burn to get to the recommended range for your body height.
One of the very first things that you should look for in body composition scales is of course, quality. Just like the ordinary bathroom scales, they are lightweight and portable and can be very vulnerable to damage. Finding the best quality scale will give you that much needed assurance of reliable and accurate data in spite of repetitive use.
Next, know what kind of data you need. The scale makes use of bioelectrical impedance which is run through the body and the amount of resistance produced is measured by the machine. Electrical currents can have varying speeds when they pass through different kinds of tissues such as bone, muscle or fat. And this information will be used to calculate just how much you have for each - whether the bulk of your frame us made out of bone, muscle or just plan fat tissue. This is the basic data that the machine can provide.
The more complex models that can give you more than just body composition data. Some newer models can also give you information on the recommended body weight composition that you should be having for your height, the amount of calories you need to loose or maintain, and many others. But the down side to this is: these more complex models can be quite pricey, so weigh things out first before you go shopping for one.
Aside from that, good digital scales should be able to give you clear and wide screens to display the results in and should also have a stable, non-slip base for safety purposes. Last but not least, good scales should be able to stand heavier weight limits.
But remember, digital scales can be subject to errors as well, mostly when they are mishandled, so make sure that you handle them with care at all times. Although a body composition scale is without a doubt a better way of monitoring weight gains and your over-all body condition, they may also come at a more expensive price compared to the usual bathroom scales. But for those who are serious about taking that shift to a healthier lifestyle, then this kind of equipment is worth the investment.
