Taking Measurements FAQs

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No. Just relax. Loosen any tight clothing. You only need to take a deep breath and off you go. Follow the series of onscreen instructions. It's always good to take your measurements before your workout, at a consistent time of day, and on days when you're well rested and not highly stressed. And keep in mind that caffeine and salt do quickly raise your blood pressure, as does stress.

Just as you have different health measurements to someone else, so too will you use the HealthZone differently to the next person!

Let's look at the actual measurements you take:

Some people just want to monitor their weight occasionally. This is absolutely fine. If you are trying to lose weight, try not to weigh yourself more than once a week. Healthy and maintainable weight loss during the week should average about 500g. Remember to weigh yourself under similar conditions each time such as:

• wearing similar clothes,
• with, or without shoes,
• at a similar time of day, etc.

As with weight, body fat percentage won't change much in one week. If you are exercising regularly aim to measure your body fat every 3–4 weeks. This way you are more likely to see some changes as your body tones up.

Now blood pressure is different. If you are a healthy individual and have no problem with your BP, then there's no need to take it more than once or twice a week. If you have higher BP, are on medication for BP or have noticed that your readings have been higher lately, then we recommend you spend a bit more time investigating it.

In order to find out what's happening with your BP, try the following:

• Take your BP before exercise when you are relaxed.
• Then take it directly after exercise.
• And finally – after your exercise session - after you've rested for 15 minutes, take it again.

Generally, a typical pattern for BP will start off with a certain value (e.g. 135/80 mmHg) before exercise; go up to a certain value (e.g. 145/95) directly after exercise, and then drop (e.g. 130/75 mmHg) approximately 15 minutes after stopping exercise. You needn't take your BP more than 3 times per week this way. Should you notice your BP values are consistently higher than 140/90 mmHg at rest, then we suggest that you should consult your medical practitioner. Just keep in mind that it is normal for BP to go up during exercise so your middle reading will probably be a little higher.

After scrutinising millions of measurements from our members, studies showed that those people who take their health measurements regularly are becoming healthier. Yes, it's true. Those people who monitor their health on a regular basis are able to identify any possible “problem areas” and focus on improving them, and – it works!

Currently, only principal members have access to the HealthZone. The calculations that are used on the HealthZone to generate body fat percentage and BMI take the member’s details (height, weight, gender, etc.) into consideration. This means that if you allow someone else to use your HealthZone access, they won’t get the correct readings and it will also affect your ability to track your own data. Also, the norms that are used on the HealthZone do not currently include norms for children.