How to Take Body Measurements: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to take body measurements accurately: where to place the tape (waist, hips, chest, arms, thighs), how often to measure, plus a simple tracking chart.
The scale won't budge, but your jeans button up more easily? That's exactly what body measurements can capture. You still need to know how to take body measurements correctly, though: put the tape 2 cm (about 1 in) too high and your numbers stop meaning anything. This guide shows you where to measure each area, when to do it, how to avoid common mistakes and how to organize your tracking in a simple chart.
In short
- Equipment: a soft sewing tape measure (or a retractable body tape), a mirror and, ideally, a second person.
- Main areas: waist, hips, chest, arms, thighs; optionally neck, calves and belly at the navel.
- Conditions: in the morning, on an empty stomach, in your underwear, standing, relaxed, at the end of a breath out.
- How often: every two to four weeks, at the same time as your photos and your weigh-in.
- Golden rule: always the same landmarks, the same side of your body and the same tape tension.
Why take body measurements?
Your weight is a global indicator. It doesn't tell you where your body is changing, or whether you're losing fat or water. Measurements show your progress area by area.
They're especially useful when:
- you're losing inches without losing weight, something we explain in our article on losing inches but not weight;
- you lift weights and want to check that your arms or thighs are growing without your waist getting too much bigger;
- you want to keep an eye on your waist size for health reasons.
They're one of the body measurements worth pairing with BMI, as covered in our guide on how to calculate BMI.
What you need and the right conditions
Equipment
- A soft, non-stretch tape measure: a sewing tape works perfectly. Some retractable models lock at a constant tension, which helps when you measure on your own.
- A mirror, to check that the tape is level.
- A notebook or an app to log the values right away.
- A skin marker or a landmark (a mole, your belly button) to find the right spots again.
Conditions
For measurements you can compare from one time to the next:
- measure yourself in the morning, on an empty stomach, after using the bathroom;
- stand with your feet together or hip-width apart, weight on both legs;
- stay relaxed: don't suck in your stomach or flex your muscles (unless it's a deliberate "flexed" measurement);
- measure your waist and chest at the end of a normal breath out;
- avoid measuring right after a workout, which temporarily pumps up your muscles.
How to take body measurements, area by area
How to measure your waist
This is the most important measurement, because it reflects belly fat.
- Reference method (WHO): place the tape halfway between the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone (iliac crest), on the sides of your body.
- Simplified method: many people measure at the belly button. It's not the same number, but it's fine for personal tracking, as long as you never switch.
The tape should be level and snug without pressing into your skin. The health cutoffs linked to waist size are covered in our article on the waist-to-height ratio and healthy waist size.
How to measure your hips
Wrap the tape around the widest part of your buttocks, feet together. Check in the mirror that it's level at the front and the back: this is the measurement people get wrong most often.
How to measure your chest
- For tracking a transformation: measure under your armpits, across your nipples, arms by your sides, at the end of a breath out.
- Option for women: the underbust measurement (just under the breasts) varies less with your bra and your cycle, and can be a more stable benchmark.
How to measure your arms
Find the midpoint of your upper arm, between the tip of your shoulder and your elbow. Measure with your arm relaxed at your side. If you're tracking muscle gain, you can add a flexed measurement, at the fullest point of your biceps.
How to measure your thighs
Two options:
- at the widest point of your thigh, just below the buttock crease;
- at a fixed distance above the knee (for example 15 cm, or 6 in, above the top of the kneecap), which is easier to find again each time.
Stand with your legs slightly apart, weight on both legs.
Optional measurements
- Neck: just below the Adam's apple, useful if you estimate your body fat with the US Navy method, covered in our comparison of ways to measure body fat.
- Calf: at the widest point, standing.
- Belly at the navel: if you measure your waist with the WHO method, this extra measurement can show changes in your lower belly.
What are the most common measuring mistakes?
| Mistake | Consequence | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Tape slanted (higher at the back) | Several centimeters off | Check in the mirror or get help |
| Tape too tight | Artificially low number | Snug without marking the skin |
| Stomach sucked in | Skewed waist size | Measure at the end of a breath out, relaxed |
| Changing landmarks | Comparisons become impossible | Note the exact landmark (e.g. "15 cm above the kneecap") |
| Measuring the left side, then the right | Natural difference between sides | Always the same side |
| Measuring after a workout or a big meal | Inflated values | In the morning, on an empty stomach, at rest |
One simple trick: measure each area twice and log the average. If the two readings differ by more than 1 cm (about 0.4 in), start again.
How often should you take body measurements?
Your body changes slowly. Measuring every day or every week mostly measures small shifts in water, digestion or tape placement. A rhythm of two to four weeks is a good compromise.
The most practical approach is to group everything into a single monthly check-in: weigh-in, measurements, body fat percentage if you track it, and progress photos. Same day, same time, same conditions.
In Marava, reminders tell you when your next photo and next weigh-in are due, which helps you build that ritual. The ghost overlay shows last month's photo semi-transparent on the camera so you can match the exact same pose, and the timeline then lets you scrub through the months to see the changes your measurements confirm.
A body measurement tracking chart
Here's a simple template to copy into a notebook or a spreadsheet. The values are a fictional example over three months.
| Date | Waist (cm) | Hips (cm) | Chest (cm) | Arm (cm) | Thigh (cm) | Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 84 | 102 | 96 | 30.5 | 58 | 72.0 |
| Month 2 | 82.5 | 101 | 95.5 | 30.5 | 57 | 71.6 |
| Month 3 | 81 | 100 | 95 | 31 | 56.5 | 71.4 |
| Change | -3 | -2 | -1 | +0.5 | -1.5 | -0.6 |
In this example, weight barely moved (-0.6 kg, about 1.3 lb), but the waist lost 3 cm (about 1.2 in) and the arm grew slightly. That's typical of body recomposition: losing fat and gaining a little muscle at the same time. Without measurements, you might have thought nothing was happening.
How to read your results
- Look at trends over two or three months, not the change from one measurement to the next: a 0.5 cm (0.2 in) difference is often within the margin of error.
- Cross-check with other indicators: weight, photos, how your clothes fit, performance in your workouts.
- Don't compare yourself with others: fat distribution depends partly on genetics, hormones and age.
Conclusion: a few minutes a month for real proof
Knowing how to take body measurements mostly comes down to consistency: same landmarks, same conditions, same rhythm. In a few minutes a month, you get concrete proof of your progress, even when the scale seems stuck.
To understand the health side of the most important measurement of all, keep reading with our article on healthy waist size and the waist-to-height ratio.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I measure my waist?
The reference method used by the World Health Organization places the tape halfway between the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone (the iliac crest), at the end of a normal breath out, standing and relaxed. Many people measure at the belly button instead: that's fine for personal tracking, as long as you always use the same landmark.
How often should I take my body measurements?
Every two to four weeks is a good rhythm. Inches change slowly, and weekly measurements mostly reflect small shifts caused by water, digestion or where the tape sits. A monthly measurement, taken at the same time as your progress photos and your weigh-in, gives you a clear and motivating view of how your body is changing.
Should I measure my arm flexed or relaxed?
Both are common; what matters is picking one and sticking with it. A relaxed arm, hanging at your side, is more repeatable and better reflects overall change, fat included. A flexed arm mostly interests people focused on building muscle. If you want to track both, log them separately, always on the same arm and at the same spot.
Why am I losing inches but not weight?
It's often a sign that your body composition is changing: you're losing fat, which takes up a lot of space, and sometimes gaining muscle, which is denser. Shifts in water can also hide fat loss on the scale for a few days or weeks. In these cases, your measurements and photos are better indicators than your weight.
Take the first photo today.
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