Fit offers a number of free tools and calculators to help you determine everything from your body mass index (BMI) to your target heart rate zone, your blood pressure, body fat composition, daily caloric needs and more. Each of those tools will help you find an exercise program that fits your individual needs and goals, whether that be losing weight or increasing your strength with weight training.
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BMI is not used for muscle builders, long-distance athletes, pregnant women, the elderly or young children. This is because BMI does not take into account whether the weight is carried as muscle or fat, just the number. Those with a higher muscle mass, such as athletes, may have a high BMI but not be at greater health risk. Those with a lower muscle mass, such as children who have not completed their growth or the elderly who may be losing some muscle mass may have a lower BMI. During pregnancy and lactation, a woman's body composition changes, so using BMI is not appropriate.
This calculator uses the Devine 1974 ideal body weight equation to describe a patient's "ideal" body weight.1 Although this equation lacks a scientific basis,2 it is extensively used in medicine for a variety of purposes, including drug dosing, mechanical ventilator settings, nutritional requirement assessment, and measurement of renal function body mass index.
