You know you need a good fitness regime, but there’s so many out there. How can you tell which is right for you, and what the best option is for the results you want this summer?

Before you decide on a fitness regime, you need to know more than just your fitness goals. Although they tell you where you want to be, you also need to know where you are at the moment. 

That’s where DEXA body composition scanning comes in.

Providing a report on your body fat levels and muscle condition, DEXA gives you an accurate assessment of your body’s baseline composition, and offers a precise measurement of body fat percentage and muscle mass. Knowing your fat and muscle measurements, composition and ratios allows you to plan an effective fitness routine that targets the areas you want to address, meaning you start seeing visible results sooner.

Based in London, DEXA offers a premium service for those new to effective workouts, who don’t want to waste valuable time on programmes that won’t work. No matter how committed you are, no matter how hard you work towards and focus on your goal, you can’t get where you want to be without knowing where you are right now. Our Central London body scan facility allows you to acquire that core knowledge, and provides the information you need to lay a firm foundation for your training plan.

DEXA: the best way to measure body fat 

Whether you’re looking to tone up, slim down, add bulk, build endurance, raise the pace or increase your strength this summer, having an accurate picture of your body’s fat and muscle ratio and composition allows you to bring tailored precision and laser focus to your workout plans. Working with what you have maximises your performance and potential, allowing you to feel the benefit, and see results, within weeks, rather than months.

The ‘fat-burning zone’ is when your body uses fat to fuel exercise as opposed to carbohydrates. When exercising, as you shift from lower to higher intensities, the amount of fat versus carbohydrate shifts from one to the other. At low intensities, you burn almost entirely fat, whereas at the highest intensities, you burn almost entirely carbohydrates. Anywhere in between, you burn a proportion of the two.

For the most part, however, the amount of fat and/or carbohydrate you burn during exercise is likely irrelevant for fat loss. Why? Because body fat loss will be determined by net fat balance (fat storage minus fat oxidation) and will not occur without an energy/calorie deficit in place.

If fat loss is the primary goal, make nutrition the priority and have weight training support it. In terms of utilising cardio for fat loss, I recommend picking what you enjoy. Cardio can be used as a tool in the fat loss arsenal if needed.

Given the fact that lower intensity exercise such as walking carries a lower injury risk and a lower requirement for cardiovascular fitness compared to a high-intensity type exercise, it may be a more feasible approach for people who are overweight or obese. This in turn may improve adherence – which is one of the biggest predictors of fat loss success.

Kevin Garde
Nurtitonist and Bodyscan Consultant
PRISM Nutrition

So, you’ve been working hard at the gym and feel and look as if you should have gained muscle. But how can you really tell? The most realistic and best way to measure body fat is scientifically, using technology that scans your body to reveal an accurate body fat measurement. 

How DEXA body fat measuring technology works 

DEXA measures the bone mineral content and the fat-free mass to work out your individual body fat measurement. If your aim is weight loss, or weight gain, the best way to keep it in check is to undergo a DEXA body scan to ensure your hard work at the gym is paying off in the correct way. 

DEXA body compositions are the most trusted and accurate measure of fat and muscle to date, and you can get yours done in London or Manchester with us at Bodyscan.

Achieve your long-term goals

Without accurate measurements and an understanding of where your weight loss or gain is being directed, you don’t know if your hard work is the right kind of hard work you need to be doing to achieve your long-term goals. However, with DEXA you will know exactly what to do, how much food you should be eating and what kind of training you need to be doing to get there. Not only does DEXA measure fat, muscle and bone composition, but visceral fat too. 

Getting to the gym and ensuring you’re exercising regularly and eating well is one thing, but making sure your body composition is in check and in line with your goals is another. Luckily, DEXA’s body composition analysis will complete the hard work for you and provide you with all the information needed to accurately measure body fat and composition.