Why get an Inbody assessment alongside my health and fitness-related New Years’ resolution?

inbody assessment

Firstly, well done for considering what you want to improve in 2021 – most people are unlikely to be wishing for a re-run of 2020! There is plenty of good evidence to suggest that New Year’s Resolutions do work – we’ve written previously on the topic here. Your chances of success are boosted by two key factors;

  1. Setting goals – the WHAT – and making those goals SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed).
  2. Having an Action Plan – the HOW – that lights the way from A to B.

An Ethos Health physio, dietitian, or exercise physiologist can help you on both fronts, but particularly the action plan (the HOW). Wanting to lose a few kilos, get stronger in the gym, or manage the local walking track without knee pain are all great things to strive for, but we can help you understand precisely where to invest your effort in order to get the best possible return from your valuable time.

If part of your goal is going to involve stepping on the scales, we strongly recommend an Inbody body composition assessment, because the scales only tell a very limited part of the whole story. While weight overall is important, it’s what lies underneath – your body composition – that is more significant. Compare the two examples below to see what we mean:

Kath and Kim (not their real names, but real patients) are both 55 years old. Both started the new year at 85kg and were keen to lose weight. After 3 months, Kath weighed in at 78kg while Kim was at 84kg. It seems simple to say that Kath did really well, and Kim less so.

But…

Both had inbody scans before they started, and again after 3 months, which showed relative change in their muscle mass and body fat.

Kath did lose 7kg, but only 2kg of that was fat, and 5kg was muscle mass. Her approach was to really minimise her food intake, but she was largely sedentary during this time.

Kim on the other hand lost 6kg of fat and gained 5kg of muscle. While the bathroom scales say she only shifted one measly kilogram, underneath that her body is in profoundly better shape and she is much healthier and fitter than she was before commencing her program.

This is why an Inbody assessment is valuable. Kath came in happy with her progress, but seeing the nature of her results prompted her to change her approach to include more exercise and broaden her focus to better health, rather than less weight.

Kim came in pretty down in the dumps, having tried really hard for minimal return on the bathroom scales at home. But seeing the shift she had made in her body composition was a huge boost, and she left very happy and motivated to continue.

So what have you got to lose? (pun intended). An Inbody assessment only takes 10 minutes and at a cost of $40, a private health insurance rebate (if you have extras cover) will usually cover most if not all of the cost. If you have a large group, such as your workplace, ask us about bringing the machine to you for a few hours as part of a workplace health initiative to get 2021 started on the right foot.


Contact us here or book an online appointment to book your inbody scan today!


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