Measuring body fat without equipment is a process of determining the percentage of fat in the body relative to its weight and lean mass. A common method employed for this is the use of skinfold calipers, which assess the thickness of subcutaneous fat at specific bodily sites.
Accurately assessing body fat is essential in health and fitness contexts since it assists in monitoring weight management progress, tailoring exercise programs, and estimating the risk of chronic diseases. Historically, underwater weighing served as a precise method for body fat determination, but advancements have led to the development of accessible and cost-effective techniques like skinfold measurements.