During the pandemic, the threat of the coronavirus has encouraged people to focus on their health and wellness while staying home. With extra time on our hands, exercise has catapulted to a daily priority for you and your family. Before you embark on an exercise program, stock up on your baseline numbers including scale weight, circumference measurements and body mass index.

Since I was home-bound, I decided to get serious with my exercise program by setting goals and taking measurements. I realized that although the pandemic restrictions have limited my social activity, it did not hamper my physical activity. Here are 3 steps to access your measurements, embrace your fitness goals and achieve success.

• Let’s begin by documenting your measurements: whether you use a computer program, cellphone app or a plain notebook, write down your scale weight, date/time of day and current age.

• Step #1: measure the diameter of the following sites: Chest (@ nipple line), ribcage, bellyline, and thigh (8 inches from the knee) You want to particularly note your waist measurement. Using your waist circumference as a primary risk factor for not only cardiovascular disease, but also metabolic syndrome, hypertension and diabetes is effective when calculating your overall health. Studies have shown that a waist circumference of 40 inches or more (102 cm) in men, and of 35 inches or more (88 cm) in women, is associated with a higher risk.

• Step #2 :Calculate your waist-to-hip ratio, measure both your waist and hip circumferences, then divide the waist measurement by the hip measurement. In women, the ratio should be 0.8 or less, and in men, it should be 1.0 or less. (This means that in women the waist should be narrower than the hips, and in men, the waist should be narrower or the same as the hips.)

• Step #3 : The most commonly used measurement is BMI (body mass index). The measure most commonly used to assess weight-related risk is BMI, a ratio calculated from your weight and height. Specifically, your BMI equals your body (in kilograms) divided by your height squared (in meters).A “normal” BMI is 18.5-24.9 kg/m2). A BMI of 25-29.9 kg/m2 is considered overweight, from 30 - 34.9 kg/m2 is obese, and 35 kg/m2 or higher is very obese.

  ** However, BMI is not always accurate in every individual. It can overestimate body fat in people with a lot of muscle mass and may underestimate it in elderly people (who often lose muscle mass).

After you have your baseline measurements, then pick a date, preferably after 6- 8 weeks, to measure yourself again. You can use your calendar to map out the days for exercise and rest. Also, make sure you think nutrition. Stick with healthy, clean meals full of protein, whole grains, and lots of vegetables. Let’s make the most of this “stay-at-home” fitness plan and come out stronger, leaner and healthier.