Your health and fitness: 10 numbers you need to know - Women's Agenda

Your health and fitness: 10 numbers you need to know

Ok – so everybody knows you should keep your weight under control, maintain a healthy blood pressure and watch your cholesterol. But what does this mean in terms of numbers?

    This week’s list gives you the targets you need to watch out for.

  1. Blood pressure

    Blood pressure targets consist of two numbers, the first relates to your ‘systolic’ reading that is measured just as the heart has pumped blood into the system. It’s the highest pressure experienced within your blood vessels. The second ‘diastolic’ reading is taken when the heart is refilling, when the pressure is at its lowest. The Heart Foundation says that we should be aiming for a blood pressure under 140/90 mmHg, even lower if you are at increased risk of heart disease (for example if you’ve got diabetes).

  2. Cholesterol

    Cholesterol is the broad term we use for measuring the amount of fat in your blood stream. In general you want this measure of total cholesterol kept under about 5.5 mmol/L. Again if you are at increased risk of heart disease this target will be much lower. Just to complicate things you can check the various components of this total fat reading. Basically you want the most dangerous component namely low-density lipoproteins (LDL-C) to be below 3.0 mmol/L and the ‘good’, cardioprotective fat, the high density lipoproteins (HDL-C) to be higher than 1.0 mmol/L.

  3. BMI

    Your body mass index is a measure of your total body fat. It is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared (kg/m2). A healthy BMI is between 18.5 – 24.9 kg/m2. Below this range is underweight, above this is overweight, and over 30kg/m2 is generally considered obese. The BMI range is not applicable to children.

  4. Pulse rate

    The pulse rate of healthy Australian adults is generally between 60-100 beats per minute. The fitter you are the slower your resting heart rate will be. Certain drugs can increase or decrease your pulse rate. When exercising your maximum heart rate should not exceed 200 minus your age. The American Heart Association suggests you should aim for a heart rate of between 50-75% of your maximum heart rate when exercising.

  5. Blood sugar

    If you get your blood taken after fasting your blood sugar should be less than 5.5 mmol/L. If it’s between 5.5 and 6.9mmol/L you will probably be advised to have another test (the oral glucose tolerance test –OGTT) to check if you have diabetes. And if it’s 7.0mmol/L or more, the doctor will just repeat that same test to confirm you have diabetes. If your blood has been taken and you weren’t fasting, over 11.0mmol/L is usually considered diabetes that just needs confirmation. Random blood sugar levels between about 8mmol/L and 11mmol/L will probably result in further investigation with either a fasting blood sugar level or an OGTT.

  6. Waist circumference

    Your waist measurement has been found to correlate with your risk of heart disease. Research shows central obesity is a far bigger danger than a fat bottom or thunder thighs. So the target? Less than 94cm for men and under 80cm for women.

  7. Diet

    Every diet guideline known to mankind recommends lots of fruit and veges if you want to be healthy. But how much is lots? Well the latest nutritional guidelines have put a figure on it – five serves of vegetables and two of fruit every day!

  8. Exercise

    Australian guidelines recommend 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days as a means of maintaining good health. Moderate intensity is said to be a level of exercise that makes you puff.

  9. Breaths per minute

    In general healthy adults take between 12-18 breaths per minute. Children take up to 20 breaths per minute and babies and toddlers can take up to 30. This rate increases if you’re unwell and, of course, if you exercise.

  10. Temperature

    What’s considered a normal temperature varies according to where you place the thermometer. If you take your temperature under the tongue the normal range is between 35.5oC-37.5oC, if you take it in the armpit the range is 34.7oC to 37.3oC, and if your are using an ear thermometer between 35.8oC and 38oC is considered normal

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