DEXA scans

A DEXA scan is the Gold Standard way to understand the composition of your body.  It provides precise and accurate regional measurements of your muscle mass, body fat and bone density.  

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What Does a DEXA Scan Measure?

A DEXA scan gives you a clear, detailed picture of what your body is made of, not just your weight, but what’s behind that number. 

It’s one of the most accurate ways to measure body composition, showing you exactly how much fat, muscle, and bone mass you have.

Key metrics

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Body Fat Percentage

Find out exactly how much of your body is made up of fat, not just a vague estimate, and where it is stored.

This includes both subcutaneous fat (the fat under your skin) and more importantly, visceral fat (the deeper fat around your organs, which is linked to long-term health risks).

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Lean Muscle Mass

See how much lean tissue you have, including your muscles. This is especially helpful if you're working on building strength or improving fitness because progress doesn’t always show up on the bathroom scales.

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Z-Score (Bone Density)

DEXA was originally designed to assess bone health, so it also gives you insights into your bone density. That’s useful not just for older adults, but also for athletes and anyone interested in long-term skeletal health.

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Visceral Fat

Rather than just giving you one big number, the scan breaks your body down into regions including arms, legs, and trunk.. That way, you can track where you’re gaining or losing fat or muscle. It’s especially valuable for spotting imbalances, recovering from injury, or tailoring your training.

Regional Analysis

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Compare Regional Body Fat

It’s not just about how much fat you have, but where it’s stored. DEXA breaks your body down into regions — arms, legs, trunk, and abdomen — so you can see if fat is spread evenly or concentrated in higher-risk areas.

 

This matters because abdominal and visceral fat are more strongly linked to long-term health risks, while fat in the hips and legs is generally less harmful. Tracking these patterns over time shows whether your training and lifestyle changes are reducing the fat that matters most.

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Compare Regional Muscle Mass

Knowing your total muscle is useful — but knowing where it’s distributed is even more powerful. DEXA shows muscle in your arms, legs, and core, making it easy to spot imbalances that affect strength, posture, and performance.

 

By tracking these regions over time, you’ll see whether your training is building balanced strength, reducing weak spots, and improving overall fitness.

Body Fat

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Body Fat %

Go beyond the scales. DEXA gives you an accurate percentage of body fat, rather than relying on rough estimates from BMI or handheld devices. This lets you track real changes in fat loss or muscle gain over time, and see how close you are to your personal health or performance goals.

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Visceral Fat

Visceral fat is the deeper fat stored around your organs — the type most strongly linked to long-term health risks like diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome. Measuring it directly gives you insight into health risks that body weight or total fat % can’t show. Reducing visceral fat is one of the most powerful changes you can make for long-term health.

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Android / Gynoid Fat

Your fat distribution matters. “Android” fat (around the abdomen) carries higher health risks, while “Gynoid” fat (hips and thighs) is generally less harmful. DEXA measures both, so you can see your balance. Tracking this ratio helps identify whether your fat loss is coming from the right areas — particularly the abdomen, where risk is higher.

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Fat % Trunk / Fat % Legs

Comparing fat stored in your trunk (midsection) versus your legs highlights whether fat is being stored in riskier areas. A higher proportion in the trunk is associated with greater health risks, while more in the legs is typically protective. DEXA makes this distinction clear, helping you understand not just how much fat you have, but where it matters most.

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Fat Mass / Height

This index adjusts your total fat mass for your height, giving a fairer picture than body fat % alone. It helps standardise results between individuals of different sizes and is increasingly used in research and clinical settings to assess health risks linked to body composition.

Muscle (Lean) Mass

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Lean Mass

Lean mass includes your muscles, bones, and organs — everything in your body that isn’t fat. Tracking lean mass shows whether you’re building or maintaining muscle alongside any fat loss, giving a clearer picture of overall health and performance than weight alone.

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Lean Mass / Height

This index adjusts your lean mass for your height, creating a fair comparison between people of different sizes. It’s a reliable way to assess whether you have enough muscle relative to your body frame, and it’s increasingly used in research and health assessments.

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Limb Lean Mass

DEXA measures lean mass separately in your arms and legs. This is especially useful for athletes and anyone recovering from injury, as it highlights strength imbalances between left and right, or between upper and lower body. Spotting these differences helps guide more effective, balanced training.

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Limb Lean / Height

By adjusting your arm and leg muscle mass for your height, this measure gives a standardised view of muscle distribution. It’s particularly helpful for tracking whether you’re building and maintaining enough limb strength for performance, function, and healthy ageing.

Bone Density

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Bone Density

Bone density measures how strong and mineral-rich your bones are. Higher density means stronger bones that are less likely to fracture, while lower density can signal early signs of conditions like osteoporosis. Tracking it over time helps monitor bone health and the effects of diet, training, or ageing.

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Bone Mineral Content (BMC)

This is the total amount of mineral in your bones, measured in grams. It reflects the actual “weight” of mineral making up your skeleton. Together with bone density, BMC helps you understand the overall strength and structure of your bones.

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Z-Score

The Z-score compares your bone density to what’s typical for someone of your age, sex, and body size. It’s useful for spotting whether your bone health is above or below what’s expected for you personally — especially important for athletes, younger people, or those with specific health concerns.

What Is a DEXA Scan?

A DEXA scan (short for Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) is a simple, non-invasive scan that shows you exactly what your body is made of - fat, muscle, and bone.

 

Originally developed to measure bone density, DEXA has become the gold standard for body composition analysis. Unlike scales or BMI charts that only tell you how much you weigh, a DEXA scan breaks that weight down into real, meaningful data so you can understand your body on a deeper level.

 

Think of it as a full-body blueprint. In less than 10 minutes, you’ll get a precise, visual breakdown of your fat percentage, lean muscle mass, visceral fat (the fat stored around your organs), and bone density. 

 

Whether you're aiming to lose fat, gain muscle, or just improve your overall health, this scan gives you the data you need to make smarter, more targeted decisions.

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Why Track Body Composition (Not Just Weight)?

We’ve been taught to focus on weight as the main sign of health, but the number on the scales doesn’t tell the full story.

 

Two people can weigh the same but have completely different body compositions. One might have more muscle, the other more fat. One might carry dangerous visceral fat around their organs, while the other doesn’t. That’s why tracking your body composition is so much more insightful than tracking weight alone.

 

A DEXA scan shows you what your weight is made of - how much is fat, how much is lean muscle, and where it’s all stored in your body. This matters because:

You could be losing fat and gaining muscle (a great result) while your weight stays the same

You might be losing weight too quickly, breaking down muscle instead of fat

You could have high visceral fat, even with a “normal” BMI or clothing size

Your training or nutrition might be working better than you think - but the scale isn't showing it

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Health Benefits of Monitoring Body Composition

Knowing your body composition isn’t just useful for athletes or gym-goers, it’s one of the smartest things you can do for your long-term health.

 

Here’s why regularly tracking your fat, muscle, and bone levels can make a real difference:

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Spot Hidden Health Risks Early

Not all fat is visible. A DEXA scan measures visceral fat - the deep fat around your organs that’s linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other metabolic conditions. 

Even people who appear lean can have high visceral fat. Catching it early gives you the chance to make changes before problems develop.

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Build (and Keep) Lean Muscle

As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass - unless we actively work to preserve it. By tracking your lean mass, you can make sure you’re maintaining strength, mobility, and a healthy metabolism over time.

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Improve Energy, Focus & Metabolic Health

Body composition affects how your body burns fuel, stores energy, and performs throughout the day. By reducing excess fat and improving your muscle-to-fat ratio, many people experience better energy levels, sharper mental focus, and improved insulin sensitivity.

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Make Smarter Health and Fitness Decisions

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply stay on track, body composition data helps you train and eat with purpose - no more guessing. You’ll know if your plan is working and where to adjust.

 

Who Should Get a DEXA Scan?

A DEXA scan isn’t just for elite athletes or bodybuilders - it’s for anyone who wants to understand their body better and take control of their health.

 

Here’s who can benefit the most:

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Fitness Enthusiasts & Athletes

If you’re training hard, you want to know it’s working. A DEXA scan shows whether you're gaining muscle, losing fat, and improving balance across your body. It’s like performance tracking - but for your physiology.

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People on a Fat Loss or Body Recomposition Journey

Whether you're just starting out or have hit a plateau, a scan gives you the clarity to know if you’re losing fat (not muscle), and where it’s happening. No more relying on the scale alone.

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Health-Conscious Individuals

Even if you feel fine, knowing your visceral fat levels and lean mass helps you stay ahead of long-term health risks like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or osteoporosis.

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Longevity Focussed People - Live Better for Longer

As we age, muscle mass declines and visceral fat increases - often without us noticing. A DEXA scan helps you track these subtle changes and stay strong, active, and healthy as the years go on.

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People Recovering from Injury or Illness

Tracking muscle imbalances and rebuilding lean mass after a period of inactivity can support a safe and structured return to fitness.

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