I've been wanting to get a DEXA scan for awhile, but until recently, didn't have access to an affordable one. I discovered that a local university, in the interest of serving the community, offers them at a very discounted rate.

DEXA scans measure bone density, as well as muscle and fat tissue. The radiation dose is the equivalent to three hours worth of background radiation, which isn't very much.

As it turns out (and as appears from some of my photos), I carry most of my fat in my lower body, which means that my heart and organs don't have much visceral fat. My bone density, as compared to that of a 30 year-old woman--considered to be the ideal--is 1.8 standard deviations above. The person doing my scan was surprised because the measurement was almost off the chart.

I've been lifting regularly now for about three years, with some long stretches without access to a gym. It's nice to see how much of a difference it can make to one's skeletal structural, and it's reassuring to know that one of my spinal issues isn't due to early onset osteoporosis.

If you have access to DEXA scan, I highly recommend one as a basis for future comparison.