How a Body Scanner Can Help You Stay Fit: A Guide

As a society, we tend to be a little obsessed with our weight. Particularly these days, thanks to almost half of Americans gaining weight during the first year of the pandemic alone.

This fixation on weight comes despite fitness experts’ perennial complaints that such an obsession is counterproductive. Getting a complete picture of our health and fitness requires a complete image of our bodies.

Enter the body scanner.

The technology is not new. If you’ve taken a flight in the last decade you probably underwent a body scan courtesy of the TSA. But of late, it’s become the new, must-have piece of exercise technology.

But how can a body scanner help you hit your fitness goals? To explain, let’s take a look at what this piece of tech is and how it’s used.

What Is a Body Scanner?

Body scanners are devices that take a 3D image of a stationary subject.

There are a couple of different ways to accomplice this. The earliest scanners would have a platform surrounded by an array of multiple cameras, with a computer compiling the individual images into a 3D model. Some models still use this setup, but because of the added expense of having so many cameras, it’s usually restricted to high-end examples.

More common are rotating scanners.

With these, one or more cameras rotate around a subject to create an image. If you’ve ever used the panoramic function on your phone’s camera, the concept is much the same. Alternatively, some models use a stationary camera with the person instead standing on a rotating platform.

Whatever the case, multiple studies show that 3D optical scanning can be quite accurate. And when applied to fitness, it can give precise body measurements, including weight and body composition, and even the measurements for specific body parts.

How a Body Scanner Helps You Get Fit and Stay Fit

Body scanners were not originally planned for fitness applications. Instead, the intended market was the fashion world. After all, by creating a realistic 3D model of an individual, it would be simple to create clothes that fit like a glove every time.

But the fashion sphere has a reputation for being slow to adapt to new technology, and few people saw the potential. Those who did take an interest in it were high-level athletes and their trainers.

Getting accurate body dimension and compositions measurements was always a little more art than science. You can only be so precise with a tape measure and a set of calipers, after all. But 3D body scanners like the Evolt 360 body scanner presented a solution, allowing athletes to keep meticulous track of their vital statistics.

And that same precision can help inspire everyday people to stick to their fitness goals.

Logging data tends to help keep us motivated and maintain exercise routines. And having the ability to get accurate data that helps us target fat loss instead of mere weight loss can be a major advantage.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Fixating on weight loss instead of overall fitness doesn’t only make it harder to hit your goals. It could be holding you back.

So consider ditching the scale in place of a body scanner. With a complete picture of your weight, dimensions, and body composition, you’ll have a more holistic view of where you stand and the progress that you make.

Of course, exercise equipment is always evolving alongside technology. To keep current with all the new gadgets, be sure to follow our latest health and tech news and views.