What the scales don’t tell you
At Longevity in Edgecliff, Lindfield, Marrickville, and Randwick we often see clients coming for exercise physiology services step on the scale ready for a number to tell them how their new exercise regime is going, if cleaning up their diet is working or to see if they are progressing towards their goals.
If your goal is to change your relationship with gravity, then you’re in luck and this tells you everything you need to know… But (hopefully) your overall goal when stepping on the scale is to be given an accurate marker of improving health, whether that is losing dreaded fat around your tummy (organs), increasing bone density, putting on some muscle, or improving body composition overall. Unfortunately, the single number that the scale spits out is often misleading, as it doesn’t take into account the many variables comprising body composition. This poses the question: How can you accurately monitor your body composition?
DEXA scans
The gold standard of measuring body composition, DEXA (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) scans are the most accurate way to measure bone density, muscle mass, fat around your organs and total body fat. DEXA scans are not altered by hydration status, bloating, how much you have eaten that day, or any other temporary change that can affect other methods of body composition measurement.
How can DEXA complement your exercise regimen?
DEXA allows you to set better goals. You can more accurately measure changes in your body fat % or muscle mass if your goals are aesthetic, visceral fat if your goals are related to longevity, or bone density if you are osteopenic/osteoporotic.
An example of a DEXA body composition scan from Body and Bone.
Longevity Personal Training and Exercise Physiology have recently paired up with Body and Bone DEXA to allow yourself to monitor your goals through DEXA, and achieve them with a proper program prescribed by an Accredited Exercise Physiologist.
Register your interest for a Body and Bone DEXA Scan by calling Longevity Personal Training and Exercise Physiology Edgecliff, Lindfield, Marrickville and Randwick on 1300 964 002 or emailing info@longevitypt.com.au