Half an hour, and you leave knowing what it means.
Most of what people worry about beforehand isn't a factor. There's no tunnel, no injection, no fasting for the DEXA, and no waiting for a letter. Here's the whole visit, and the short list of things that genuinely affect your numbers.
You'll be greeted, asked a couple of screening questions, and shown where to leave metal. There's a changing room if you need one.
You lie on an open table, fully clothed, while the arm passes above you. Seven to twelve minutes. Nothing touches you and it makes very little noise.
The technician checks region boundaries by hand — this is the step that decides whether your follow-up scan is actually comparable.
Ten minutes going through the report together: what's typical for your age and sex, what stands out, what to do about it. The PDF is emailed the same day.
How to prepare
Preparation isn't busywork. Hydration, food, and recent training all move the numbers by more than the change you're trying to detect — which is why we ask you to keep it consistent between scans.
Book a scanDEXA scan
Body composition & bone- Wear soft clothes with no metal — no zippers, underwire, hooks, or grommets.
- Leave jewelry, watch, and glasses at home or in the car.
- Drink water as you normally would.
- Empty your pockets before the scan.
- Book follow-ups at a similar time of day for cleaner comparison.
- A large meal in the two hours beforehand.
- Hard training that morning — it shifts fluid into muscle.
- Calcium supplements in the 24 hours before, if you can.
- Recent contrast dye or a nuclear medicine study — tell us and we'll reschedule.
- Scanning if you're pregnant or might be. Let us know; there's no fee to move it.
VO₂ max test
Treadmill, to your limit- Come in workout clothes and running shoes.
- Expect to walk or run uphill and to finish genuinely out of breath.
- Arrive hydrated, and eat a light meal three or more hours before.
- Bring your inhaler if you use one.
- Eating within two hours of your appointment.
- Caffeine and pre-workout on the day of the test.
- A hard session the day before.
- Testing while ill or recovering from illness.
RMR test
Strictest prep of the three- Fast for at least five hours. Water is fine and encouraged.
- Wear comfortable clothes — you'll be sitting still under a light blanket.
- Arrive a few minutes early so you can settle before we start.
- Book a morning slot if you can — it's the easiest fast to keep.
- Coffee, tea, and any caffeine from the moment you wake up.
- Nicotine and stimulants, including some supplements.
- Alcohol the night before.
- Exercise before your appointment, including a brisk walk from far parking.
The two questions we get most
How much radiation is in a DEXA scan?
Very little. A whole-body composition scan delivers a dose on the order of a few microsieverts — a small fraction of a chest X-ray, and less than you'd absorb on a flight from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. We still won't scan during pregnancy, and we'll ask before every appointment.
Do I need a referral or insurance?
No referral. These are self-pay wellness scans, so insurance isn't involved — but HSA and FSA cards work, and we'll email a copy of your report to your physician if you'd like one on file. More questions answered here.