Late last year, I found out about the Active Health screening programme from a friend. I was told that I would be able to obtain an accurate body composition analysis free of charge. My interest was piqued as I always wanted to measure my body fat percentage and this was perfect for me! As weekend slots were limited, I made an appointment several weeks in advance to visit the Active Health Lab at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) on a Saturday morning.
There was not much preparation required except to dress in comfortable sports attire, and to avoid caffeine and strenuous exercise 30 minutes prior to the appointment, as it could affect the blood pressure reading.
On arrival, the Active Health Lab was rather empty as there were only four other participants, a receptionist and an Active Health Coach. It was well-furnished and filled with sports equipment. We were told to download and register on the My Active Health app. Then, the Coach gave us a short briefing on how to navigate the app, before elaborating on the various components of the screening programme.
First, my blood pressure was measured using a digital blood pressure monitor. It was slightly elevated, likely due to the fact that I was brisk walking from the bus stop to OTH. I made a mental note to leave my house earlier for the next appointment…
Next, I stepped onto a body composition analyser to measure my height. I was then told to hold a wired controller on each hand and position my arms at an angle of around 45 degrees to the ground for a couple of minutes, before my results slip was printed out on an A4 sized paper.
Subsequently, the Coach sat us down again and explained our body composition analysis results. Some of the key variables include:
1. Body Mass Index (BMI) = Weight (kg) / [Height (m) x Height (m)]
Ideally, a BMI of between 18.5 and 23 is considered healthy. Anything below this range is underweight and anything above is overweight.
2. Percent Body Fat (PBF) = (Body Fat Mass / Weight) x 100
The body composition analyser is able to measure your body fat mass and weight to generate your PBF. According to Active Health, a normal PBF is 15% for males and 23% for females.
3. Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM)
For this particular analyser, the SMM is computed based on the muscle mass of your limbs, which contributes about 70% of total body skeletal muscle. Nonetheless, it is definitely a useful parameter to track muscle growth if you are currently doing strength training.
4. Visceral Fat Area (VFA)
The VFA shows how much body fat is surrounding your internal organs in the abdominal region. A VFA of below 100cm2 is considered healthy, while anything above that increases your risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart disease.
At the end of the session, I stayed back to ask the Coach some questions regarding recommended protein intake, caloric surplus and deficit, and intermittent fasting. She was very professional and patiently answered all my questions.
Overall, I had a very enriching experience with the Active Health screening programme. It is quite straightforward to make an appointment online on the website and you will be sent reminder emails prior to the actual appointment. There are several Active Health Labs set up in various parts of Singapore. The session did not take more than 45 minutes and I felt that the entire process was carried out efficiently.
I believe that it is very important to take those body parameters with a pinch of salt and not be obsessed over the numbers. I believe that this is a helpful tool that can identify certain aspects of your health that require attention, depending on the goals that you set for yourself.
Three months after your first session, you can book a post assessment check-in appointment to perform a repeat analysis and check if any of your parameters have changed. Having started lifting weights again and monitoring my diet for almost half a year now, I am very keen to attend a second session to track my progress. Unfortunately, as of 25 July 2021, the Active Health Labs are currently not accepting any appointments in lieu of the current COVID-19 measures.
Once the measures are relaxed, I would highly recommend everyone to attend this complimentary Active Health screening programme to gain some insights about your body!
Kaiser 