Many people are overwhelmed by the range of options available when it comes to achieving their health and fitness goals, whether it’s weight loss, fat loss, or muscle gain. There are many methods to monitor your physique and gauge your success throughout your health journey. However, easily the most accurate and best tool is the DEXA scan.
What is a DEXA Scan?
A DEXA scan measures body composition and bone density. It will reveal how much of your weight is fat, muscle, or bone.
DEXA stands for dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. It works by emitting two low-dose x-rays that are approximately 10% of the radiation used in a standard chest x-ray. The tissues in the body absorb these x-rays differently, creating a unique density profile.
A DEXA scan allows you to gain a deeper understanding of your body fat measurements, where excess fat is located in your body, your bone density, and your risk for osteoporosis. In addition to helping you determine your weight loss goals,a DEXA scan will also identify long-term health risks for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions.
Why Use DEXA Scan For Weight Loss
DEXA scans are more precise than other popular weight tracking methods such as BMI. Body mass index uses weight and height to determine excess weight. However, BMI can be affected by factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, and muscle mass. Ultimately, BMI only measures excess weight, rather than excess body fat.
Measuring your body composition is the best way to achieve your desired health and fitness goals because it takes into account factors such as how much of your weight is fat, muscle, and bone density. DEXA scans also identify where excess fat is located in your body to help you tailor your fitness and nutrition program to achieve your specific goals.
After your scan, it is often beneficial to work with a personal trainer, nutritionist, or medical expert to create a plan forward. They will be able to use your results to create a custom strategy that addresses your specific needs. For example, your workout and nutrition plan will look different if your goal is to gain muscle mass versus lose weight.
Having multiple DEXA scans over the course of your journey is also beneficial to track your progress. It can be discouraging to step on the scale and see that you haven’t lost weight when you’ve been working hard. However, having a DEXA scan may show that this is due to the fact that you have gained muscle or bone mass, rather than fat. By providing in-depth information about your body composition, DEXA scans are the best tool to help you decrease your fat, increase your muscle, and achieve a higher level of overall health.
Read to take control of your health? Find a DEXA scan location near you.