Resting Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, And Waist Size: Do You Know Your Numbers?
Approximately 78.6 million American adults, or more than one-third of the population, are obese, and the number keeps rising. But being healthy is more than just the number someone sees on the scale; it’s a compilation of several health numbers.
Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is made up of two numbers, the systolic and diastolic — top and bottom, respectively. The systolic number measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart muscle contracts. The diastolic measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart muscle is resting between beats and refilling with blood.
While most people can test this at home, many clinics and pharmacies will have free blood pressure machines.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that a person’s systolic be less than 120 and diastolic be less than 80. A blood pressure higher than this could signify different stages of hypertension, which could lead to blood clots and strokes. Some people may even fall below the 120/80 rule, but the AHA recommends that everyone be diagnosed individually.
Resting Heart Rate
This ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. You can figure out your resting heart rate by locating your pulse — usually on your wrist or the side of your neck — and counting the number of times you feel a beat within 60 seconds. This will give you your resting heart rate.
The pulse can change when a person ages, according to the AHA, which may signify a heart condition such as coronary artery disease, or some other hear-related failure.
Weight
Some people believe that avoiding the scale avoids the problem, but being overweight can lead to stroke, mental health issues, and even fertility issues. Some research shows that tracking your weight can be associated with maintaining weight loss.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that a person’s ideal weight should be determined by their body mass index (BMI), which is a screening tool that uses a person’s height and weight. Underweight people have a score less than 18.5; normal weight people range between 18.5 and 24.9; overweight people have a range of 25 to 25.9; and obese people are more than 30 on the scale.
However, it’s important to take into account all of a person’s health numbers because recent research has found that there are alternative and potentially better ways to calculate a healthy weight.
Waist Size
A person’s waist size should be no more than half of their height. It’s important to monitor this number because if you’re carrying more weight around the waist, it could be a trigger for diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and other health risks associated with being overweight.