Every answer, part 20 of 145
Answers 381 to 400 of 2,899: Soma Labs' own answers about Soma, drafted from the pages of this site. Free to use under CC BY 4.0.
Soma Axon, the pod
Does Soma Axon measure bone density like a DEXA scan?
Bone density isn't on Soma Axon's list. A DEXA scan measures what you're made of, down to bone density, alongside body fat, visceral fat and lean mass, using a very low dose of X-rays. Soma Axon lists skin photos, heart and breathing, body composition, balance and grip strength among its readings, with nothing ionizing. It's a wellness product, and Soma Labs is still building the first prototype.
From Full-body scans compared, Compare, FAQ and About.
What's the difference between a 3D body scanner and a DEXA scan?
A 3D body scanner reads your body's shape and measurements, estimated fat and lean mass and posture, in under a minute and with no radiation. A DEXA scan reads body fat, visceral fat, lean mass and bone density in about 7 to 11 minutes, with a very low dose of X-rays. Soma Axon is a third kind: a weekly pod reading skin, heart and breathing, body composition, balance and grip strength, with no radiation. It's meant for general wellness and isn't available yet.
From Full-body scans compared and FAQ.
How often would I go to a clinic scan compared with Soma Axon?
Clinic scans read much more, less often. A clinic scan puts several instruments and a clinician in one visit. Soma Axon is being built for the opposite pace: a few minutes, once a week, reading the whole body the same way each time. Soma sees room for both, since it doesn't see Axon replacing a thorough check-up. It's a general wellness pod, and it isn't open yet.
From Compare, Full-body scans compared, Blog, FAQ and About.
Is a weekly pod or a whole-body MRI better for seeing gradual change?
They're built for different questions. A whole-body MRI images your organs and tissue, and providers suggest one a year. Soma Axon is built for a weekly visit, so you can see how your readings change from one week to the next, with the same readings taken the same way each time. It won't image your organs. The pod is a general wellness product still being built, and Soma says to keep seeing your doctor.
From Full-body scans compared, Compare, FAQ and About.
Does a daily wearable or a weekly pod give me more readings?
A wearable reads you more often, while Soma Axon reads more of you at each visit. Soma's comparison page says rings and watches read a few signals all day and clinic scans read much more, less often. Soma Axon is being built to read the whole body once a week, which adds up to 52 whole-body reads a year. The Soma app reads your wearable between visits, so you can have both. It's a general wellness product that isn't open yet.
Smart ring or smartwatch: how does each fit with a weekly body scan?
Either can fill in the days. Soma says a ring or a watch reads a few signals all day, like pulse, sleep and steps. It works together with Soma Axon because the Soma app reads your phone and watch between visits. Soma's shorthand is that a ring covers your nights and a watch or band covers the days, while the pod covers the week. Soma is a wellness product, and Axon isn't available yet.
What's the difference between a clinic scan and a wearable?
Soma's comparison page sums it up: rings and watches read a few signals all day, while clinic scans read much more, less often. A clinic health scan puts several instruments and a clinician in one visit. A ring or watch reads things like pulse, sleep and steps around the clock. Soma Axon is being built for a third pace, the whole body every week in a few minutes, as a general wellness product. It isn't open yet.
From Compare, Full-body scans compared, FAQ and About.
Should I get a smart scale or a DEXA scan?
They suit different uses. A smart scale lives at home and estimates body composition with a very small electrical current in about 30 seconds each morning. A DEXA scan measures what you're made of, down to bone density, using a very low dose of X-rays. Providers suggest one every 3 to 6 months. Soma Axon will read body composition the same basic way as a scale, once a week in a pod. It's built for general wellness and isn't available yet.
From Blog, Full-body scans compared, FAQ and About.
What's the difference between a whole-body MRI and a DEXA scan?
A whole-body MRI images your organs and tissue with a magnetic field and radio waves, takes 22 to 60 minutes and is suggested once a year. A DEXA scan reads body fat, visceral fat, lean mass and bone density in about 7 to 11 minutes, with a very low dose of X-rays, every 3 to 6 months. Soma Axon is neither: it's a weekly pod that doesn't image organs, reading skin, heart and breathing, body composition, balance and strength. It's general wellness, and it's still a prototype.
From Full-body scans compared, FAQ and About.
How can I tell if I've recovered from a hard week?
Your own baseline is the reference point. Soma sets each measure against your usual range, so a hard week shows up against your own normal. At Soma Axon visits, someone notes whether you trained. The Soma app's Mind score reads HRV, resting heart rate and breathing to sum up your nervous system. It's general wellness, and neither the pod nor the app is ready yet.
From Home, The same instrument, every week and FAQ.
How can I compare my fitness readings across different gyms?
The readings need to come from the same kind of instrument, set up the same way. Soma plans for that with Soma Axon. One account works at every pod, so a member's record follows them from one venue to another, and the pod, its lighting and its camera angles don't change between visits. Pods are planned for Soma's own studio, longevity clinics, gyms, workplaces and pharmacies. It's for general wellness, and no pod is open yet.
From FAQ, For organizations and Home.
Is there a quick progress check I can do before a workout?
Soma Axon is planned for exactly that spot in a gym day. In gyms and studios that host one, members could spend a few minutes in the pod before or after a session and see what their training changes in their body, week after week. Someone asks whether you trained, so the session is noted next to the numbers. It's a general wellness pod, and none is open yet.
From For organizations, The same instrument, every week and FAQ.
How do I measure strength the same way every time?
Use the same equipment in the same position each time. Soma Axon is designed around that idea: you stand in the same spot with your hands on the same two grips at every weekly visit, and the grips give the pod its grip strength reading. Soma's point is that when nothing about the setup changes, a number that moves can be trusted to reflect you. The pod is general wellness hardware, and Soma Labs is still working on the first prototype.
From The same instrument, every week, FAQ, Blog, Home and About.
What does a balance reading involve?
In Soma Axon, it's part of standing still. You keep your hands on the grips and your feet on the floor plate for a few minutes while the pod reads you, and the plate is the part that reads balance, along with body composition. The first version is for adults who can stand still that long. It's for general wellness, and the pod is still in development.
Can I check my strength without lifting weights?
A grip test is one way, and it's the one Soma Axon uses. At each weekly visit you hold a pair of grips, which give the pod its grip strength reading, next to balance and body composition. Soma singles out strength, balance and how you move as the first things to change with age. The pod isn't a medical device, and it's still being built.
How do smart scales estimate body fat?
With a very small electrical current, according to Soma's full-body scans guide, which describes a smart scale as estimating body composition that way. You step on at home, and it takes about 30 seconds. Soma Axon will read body composition the same basic way, with your feet on its plate and your hands on its grips, once a week in a closed pod. It sits in general wellness, and it isn't available yet.
From Full-body scans compared, Blog, FAQ and About.
How can I measure visceral fat?
A DEXA scan is one option Soma's guide lists: it reads body fat, visceral fat, lean mass and bone density, using a very low dose of X-rays, in about 7 to 11 minutes. Soma Axon doesn't list visceral fat by name. It reads body composition along with skin photos, heart and breathing, balance and grip strength. It uses nothing ionizing. It's a wellness product that isn't available yet.
From Full-body scans compared, Compare, FAQ and About.
How can I tell whether I'm gaining muscle or fat?
Weight alone won't say, which is why body composition matters. A DEXA scan reads both body fat and lean mass, and Soma Axon will read body composition with a very small electrical current at every weekly visit. Readings taken the same way every week show what's changing and how fast. Soma Axon is a general wellness product, and the first unit is still being made.
From Full-body scans compared, Blog, FAQ, Know thyself and About.
What time of day should I weigh myself?
Soma doesn't set a time, but it shows why the time matters. Its blog notes that weighing yourself after dinner and again the next morning before breakfast usually gives a lower morning number, sometimes by a kilo or more, mostly from water and what you ate and drank that evening. That's why Soma Axon notes when you last ate before each reading. It's a general wellness pod that's still being built.
From The same instrument, every week, FAQ and About.
How do I see last night's sleep next to my other readings?
In the Soma app, tapping the Mind score shows which measures moved it, set next to the day's stress peaks and last night's sleep. Mind reads HRV, resting heart rate and breathing against your own usual range, from what your phone and watch record. Soma Axon adds a weekly whole-body read on top of that. It's all general wellness, and neither the app nor the pod is ready yet.