Carrie checks out Boditrax

I spotted the new Boditrax machine in the gym at Harvey Hadden before going to my Aqua Fit lesson, and thought it was the perfect time to take my scan, before my exercise session.

What is Boditrax I hear you ask?

In simple terms, it looks like a mechanical scale with hand and feet scanners as well as a touch screen. It measures 20 different metrics related to your body to tell you how healthy your body really is.

How do I use Boditrax?

It was such a simple process; in and out of the gym within 2-3 minutes, so it didn’t impact my day or workout session. As it was my first time using the machine, I needed to set up a free account (this is so you can log into the app or the website afterwards and track/view the results). So I added my details and then it told me to take my shoes and socks off and stand on the machine. You follow the pretty simple onscreen instructions and after 30-50 seconds you’re done and you can view your results on the kiosk screen or you can view them when it’s convenient for you as the results are emailed to say it’s captured the scan.

I also downloaded the free Boditrax app, this is pretty important so you can track your results.

Downloading the app

You can download the Boditrax app from the App Store or the Google Play store or via the QR code on the poster on the machine; please note, you need to set up an account via the Boditrax machine before using the app.

What would I use Boditrax for?

If like me you want to track your body weight and muscle mass you have, this is perfect for you. But it doesn’t just do that. See below what else it tracks:

• Body composition;
  • Water – advises how much water you have inside and outside your muscles. In my case, my levels are shown as green so I’m maintaining a healthy balance.
  • Fat – shows where I have the highest/lowest fat levels, which will help to guide my workout goals to reduce the overall fat in these areas. Obviously body fat is vital to body bodily functions so it’s important to not go overboard.
  • Muscle – as your muscle mass increases, your energy consumption increases which accelerates your BMR (helping you to reduce excess body fat levels and lose weight in a healthy way) wording taken from the Boditrax app. 
  • Bone – this feature indicates the amount of bone (bone mineral level, calcium or other minerals) in the body (wording from Boditrax app
• Scanning results;
  • BMR – Basal Metabolic Rate is the minimum level of energy your body needs when at rest to function. Increasing my muscle mass through strength training will speed up my BMR meaning I will be burning more calories at rest than a person with a low BMR. Time to hit the gym 😊
  • Visceral fat rating – this one was quite important to me as I wanted to know how much internal stomach fat I have, especially the amount of fat around the muscles in this area. My  rating was on the healthy range indicated by the green dots (between 1 – 12), so was pleasantly pleased with this but I know I want to improve on this as excess visceral fat is associated to type 2 diabetes.
  • Metabolic age – Basically calculates my BMR and the average age with that type of metabolism. So if your metabolic age is higher than your actual age (like mine :D) then it’s an indication you need to improve your metabolic rate.
  • Muscle score – Calculates the amount of muscle in an individual body and gives you a score. The higher the score the higher the muscle content in your body (I need to improve mine but I’m happy with it as I’ve not done a huge amount of exercise lately). Average score is 12.
• Goals – for me I’m tracking my muscle mass and body weight – but you can track up to 6 goals if you wish.

How often should I use Boditrax?

Boditrax recommends using the machine no more than once a week and this is the really important bit – scan yourself prior to exercising, not after and make sure you take your shoes and socks off to get the most accurate reading possible.

Final thoughts?

I loved the information available from the quick scan and can now track my progress and will visibly see the results and know what to target my workouts to. Definitely recommend using the Boditrax machine.

Check in with next month to see how I’m doing with my goals, eek!

***Boditrax machines are available for use at Harvey Hadden Sports Village. It is also available on a roadshow at Djanogly Community Leisure Centre for 3 months, where it will then move to another Active Nottingham leisure centre. Refer to the Boditrax website page for details of when it’ll move next!***