 faqs faqs admin thu 6202024 433 faqs faq type all health checks coaching services dexa scan health checks i m not good with blood tests do i need to have these the blood tests we take are pretty much painless as they only involve a small finger prick to be able to take the samples we need and we ll keep chatting to you the whole way through so hopefully you won t even notice that we re doing it it is entirely up to you however whether you have these blood tests taken but we encourage you to have the blood tests so we have an objective way to determine your risk of serious illness such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes which blood tests will i have taken we will check your vitamin d levels as this is important for the regulation of the amount of calcium and phosphate in our bones teeth and muscles to ensure that they remain healthy and reduce your risk of osteoporosis we check your blood lipids including your total cholesterol hdl good cholesterol ldl bad cholesterol and triglycerides to assess your risk of heart disease and we also check your hba1c level which is a measure of your blood sugars over the last 3 months to assess your risk of developing type 2 diabetes all results will be provided to you during your online consultation with your health coach and we will discuss with you how your lifestyle choices might be influencing these why do you test my grip strength grip strength is used to measure upper body strength which gives us an indication of your overall body strength studies have shown that long term health concerns are linked to low body strength so we encourage our clients to build their overall body strength to reduce their risk of developing chronic conditions such as copd diabetes heart disease and obesity muscle strength is also important as we age for mobility balance and endurance and decreased mobility can increase the risk of falls and fractures for more information please refer to these articles  handgrip strength cut points to screen older persons at risk for mobility limitation association between handgrip strength and the systemic immuneinflammation index a nationwide study nhanes 20112014 the association between decreased hand grip strength and hip fracture in older association of handgrip strength with chronic diseases and multimorbidity a crosssectional study thresholds of handgrip strength for allcause cancer and cardiovascular mortality a systematic review with doseresponse metaanalysis pubmed grip strength is associated with cognitive performance in schizophrenia and the general population a uk biobank study of 476559 participants how often should i have my key body metrics tested the frequency of your health checks is entirely up to you however we recommend that you are rechecked at least every 3 months this will ensure that you can see the progress you are making towards your health goals in real time and make sure that the changes you are making are providing you with your expected health benefits key markers such as cholesterol blood sugars vitamin d visceral fat and vo2 max should definitely change over a 3 month period if you are making the changes that are advised by your health coach to you nutrition and other lifestyle factors what is vo2 max testing vo2 max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen someone can use during intense exercise we test this as it has been found to be a key indicator of longevity and quality of life as we age by giving us insight into your disease risk and possible level of independence based on your results there is a strong connection between cardiorespiratory fitness crf and risk of death an increased level of crf reduces your risk of heart disease high blood pressure diabetes stroke and certain cancers decreasing your risk of death someone in the bottom quartile of vo2 max for their age group is nearly four times likelier to die than someone in the top quartile if you move from the bottom quartile to the 2550th percentile you can cut your risk of death nearly in half for more information about vo2 max please refer to these sources  association of cardiorespiratory fitness with longterm mortality among adults undergoing exercise treadmill testing survival of the fittest vo2max a key predictor of longevity  what is fatmax testing and why is it important for my health fatmax testing is a measure of our metabolic health it identifies the intensity level heart rate at which you maximise fat burning during exercise by understanding how the body burns the fats and carbohydrates you consume at different intensities a training and nutrition program can be tailored to improve your metabolic efficiency this means that anytime you do spend exercising can be as efficient as possible potentially meaning less time required and your dietary intake can be fine tuned to a macronutrient split that is most suitable for your metabolism this makes weight management much easier as well as reducing your risk of obesity cardiovascular disease type 2 diabetes and many cancers by ensuring that your body is as metabolically healthy as possible why do i need to know my resting metabolic rate your resting metabolic rate rmr reflects the energy your body requires at rest just to keep the lights on so to speak ie to ensure that your heart keeps pumping blood around your body your brain continues to function your hormonal system produces the hormones to keep you alive etc to ensure that your body functions optimally we need to know this figure as a starting point to determine how much energy your body needs each day to not just exist but to really thrive based on your level of activity by providing your body with the right amount of energy at the right time of the day you can ensure that you are getting the right balance of nutrients which will support your body s metabolism to function better resulting in increased energy better management of your weight and improved metabolic health markers such as blood sugar control reducing your long term disease risk what other measurements do you take depending on the type of health check you select the measurements we take will differ we will always measure your height weight waist circumference and blood pressure and from these we will calculate your waist to height ratio body mass index heart age and diabetes risk score giving us an indicator of your risk of serious diseases such as high blood pressure type 2 diabetes heart disease and stroke we will also test your grip strength which is a key indicator of the risk of developing many long term health concerns depending on your health check you have the option of further measurements including a whole body dexa scan to determine your body composition blood testing for cholesterol blood sugars and vitamin d as well as vo2 max testing which will tell us about your cardiovascular capacity a key indicator of longevity and quality of life as we age click here for more information about each health check and the measurements included why should i have one of these health checks when my smartwatch gives me a lot of data already  limited sensors  smartwatches typically rely on sensors like accelerometers heart rate monitors and gps trackers while these sensors can provide data for basic fitness tracking they are not sophisticated enough to accurately measure metabolic rates body composition or cardiovascular fitness lack of specialised technology  tests such as rmr vo2 max fatmax and dexa scanning require specialised equipment and technology not present in smartwatches for example rmr testing often involves indirect calorimetry which measures oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production to determine metabolic rate smartwatches lack the necessary hardware and algorithms to perform such complex measurements calibration and validation  accurate testing methods require rigorous calibration and validation processes to ensure the reliability and consistency of results the specialised equipment used at numi for our testing has undergone extensive validation procedures to meet industry standards on the other hand smartwatches may not undergo the same level of scrutiny and provide less reliable data for medical or clinical purposes user variability  individual factors such as skin colour body composition and movement patterns can affect the accuracy of data collected by smartwatches since smartwatches are designed for general consumer use they don t account for these variations like specialised medical devices do regulatory considerations  medicalgrade testing equipment must meet stringent regulatory requirements to ensure safety accuracy and reliability smartwatches are not typically regulated as medical devices they may not adhere to the same standards raising concerns about the accuracy and consistency of the data they provide for clinical or diagnostic purposes in summary while smartwatches offer convenient fitness tracking features they are not equipped to perform specialised tests that we include in our health checks like rmr vo2 max fatmax or dexa body composition analysis how detailed is the report that i receive during my health check you will receive an overview document summarising all of the information you received from your health coach during your consultation this is a great reference that you can refer to regularly to remind yourself of the areas you can work on to help you achieve your health goals the report is broken up into sections that explain the results of each aspect of your health when do i receive my health check results your results will be shared with you during your online health check consultation with your fully qualified health coach you will book this when you book your health check measurement session at a time that suits you generally within 2448 hours after your measurement session so our health coach has time to fully analyse your results when you meet with your health coach during your online consultation they will provide you with personalised advice on how best to work with these so you achieve your health goals your results will be shared with you during your online health check consultation with your fully qualified health coach you will book this when you book your health check measurement session at a time that suits you generally within 2448 hours after your measurement session so our health coach has time to analyse your results fully when you meet with your health coach during your online consultation they will provide you with personalised advice on how best to work with these so you achieve your health goals are you open evenings and weekends we strive to be as flexible as possible with appointments if you can t find a suitable slot on our booking page please don t hesitate to contact us and we ll do our best to accommodate your schedule while we do offer these appointments they are typically arranged on an individual basis coaching where will my health coach consultation be held your consultation with your health coach will be held online via video call at a time that is convenient to you there is the option of daytime and after hours appointments and you will receive a link to join the video call when you make the booking we reccomend that this takes place as soon after your health check measurement as possible excluding the first 24 hours post health check to let us gather your results will the meal plans cater for my dietary requirements yes the meal plans will provide you with guidance on how to put together 5 day s worth of meals including 3 main meals and 2 snacks each day which are nutritionally balanced to provide you with the macro and micronutrients required to support your health goals the meals can be swapped out using the function of the app to provide you with other options that may better suit your personal preferences we do offer vegetarian alternatives for the monthly meal plans what is ongoing coaching ongoing coaching is provided on a monthly basis in order to receive regular advice from one of our health coaches helping to keep on track and encourage continuous positive habit forming this is invaluable in supporting you along your health journey with accountability support and advice in all areas of your nutrition sleep stress and exercise to ensure you are constantly progressing towards your health goals there is a monthly fee of 30 which provides you with a 30 minute consultation with your health coach once a month with a personalised meal plan and 10 discount off future health checks within any paid month ongoing support is only available to those who have had a health check to ensure we have all the upfront insnights needed to give you meaningful support how can i continue with ongoing coaching after you have had a health check you can continue with monthly coaching with your health coach including a personalised meal plan plus 10 discount on all health checks within the relevant paid month complete the signup process by clicking here  where you will be taken through to our partner application called practice better how long do i need to commit to a ongoing coaching support our monthly helath coaching does not have a minimum time commitment but we believe that the ongoing support is invaluable for you to make significant changes to your health you might think that you can see a specialist once and then you ll know what to do but how many times do you end up falling into your old ways our monthly checkins with our expert health coaches help you to make those simple sustainable changes that are needed to make a lifelong impact on your health and happiness how do i pay for my ongoing coaching when signing up to ongoing coaching you will provide us with your payment details via practice better that you wish to use payment will be taken monthly until cancelled when you are ready for your next health check this is simply paid for at the time of booking where your 10 discount will be applied how can i cancel or change my ongoing payment just contact one of the numi team members via email at info numiorguk with your request and we will cancel your ongoing support and stop any future payments at this date you will cease elgibility for any discount on our health checks if i can t attend my coaching checkin during the month can i carry it over to the following month we ve done a lot of research into how best our members can be supported to make the lifelong changes required to achieve a healthier and happier life and having a checkin with our health coaches every month is the best way to do this as such we really encourage you to prioritise the 30 minutes each month to meet with your health coach as the session can t be carried over services do i need a referral from my gp to access numi s services simple answer is no while we welcome referrals from our local gps anyone can selfrefer for any of our services if they feel that numi can help them achieve their health goals what is practicebetter and why do i need to use that practicebetter is the online software we use to communicate with you about your bookings we share with you any meal plans and session notes and we also use this to share with you important messages from your health coach it is an all in one hub to help you easily make your appointments it keeps all of your important information stored in one place and you can easily access the resources you need to support your health journey how do i access numi s services if i don t live in norfolk our range of comprehensive health check packages are ideal for those who live outside of norfolk over just a few hours you ll visit our hub in holt to complete a toptobottom analysis of your key health markers you will then meet with your health coach the following day or at a time that suits you for an online consultation where they will share the results of your health check with you together with advice on the changes you could implement to support the achievement of your health goals we also have a range of accommodation options available for you at our partner properties in holt and the surrounding areas at a discounted rate for clients of numi so please give us a call on 1263 800 667 for more information what if i need other services that aren t provided by numi s experts to support my health we have partnered with a range of health professionals within norfolk who support our members in a wide variety of areas and your numi health coach will be able to refer you to one of these professionals if this is required during the term of your membership dexa scan is a dexa scan safe absolutely the dexa scan uses a tiny dose of ionising radiation xrays to measure your body composition the amount of radiation exposure during a scan is minimal and it s actually less than one day s normal background radiation that we each receive every day from outer space and the earth s natural radiation that we are all exposed to as we go about our daytoday activities in life however to be extra cautious we do not scan pregnant women and children under the age of 18 years of age how long does a dexa scan take the total dexa session is around 30 minutes but this includes the time we take to get your ready for the scan ask you some follow up questions get you into position conduct the scan and then generate the report the actual scan is only around 57 minutes in total so it s very quick what do i wear while being scanned we ask that you remove your clothing except for underwear and we provide you with a gown to wear while the scan is taking place this is to ensure consistency in scan conditions and outputs for comparison purposes what does the dexa scan tell me about fat distribution the scan and the postscan consultation will show you how your fat is distributed around your body in your arms legs and trunk torso both men and women can have the fat characteristics of either sex where the fat is held mainly in your upper body male distribution appleshaped or limbs lower body female distribution pearshaped we can t do anything about our fat distribution sadly but it s good to know fat in the upper body can lead to high levels of internal visceral fat which is more harmful for our health as it surrounds the internal organs such as your heart lungs and liver and is associated with obesityrelated diseases such as type2 diabetes heart disease colon cancer and stroke what does the dexa scan tell me in terms of body composition the report shows the following for each arm each leg and trunk and head and total fat mass lean mass bone mass bone mineral content total mass fat lean bone the scan also gives you these metrics for your whole body body fat percentage bf fat mass divided by total body mass fat mass index fat mass divided by heightsquared android gynoid ratio bf in the android belly region male fat area divided by bf in the gynoid hipthighbuttock region female fat area fat mass ratio fat trunk divided by fat legs trunktolimb fat mass ratio fat mass of the trunk divided by fat mass total of the legs visceral fat this is an estimate of internal fat in a section of the android region lean mass index total softtissue lean mass divided by heightsquared appendicular lean mass index softtissue lean mass on the limbs divided by heightsquared the scan will also provide an indication of your bone density bmd with these data points for each arm each leg leftside ribs rightside ribs thoracic spine lumbar spine pelvis and head note you should not track bone density with wholebody scans the bone density results are just an indication only what is the maximum height weight that you can scan our dexa scanner has a maximum weight limit of 204 kg that s 450 pounds or 32 stone if you are very heavy and very large your whole body will probably not fit within the width of the scanning table the dexa software is ready for this and enables us to position you with your left arm outside the scanning area and then mirrors the data from your right arm to your left this is standard practice for clients who are physically very big height is not an issue although the table has a scanning length of about 198cm about 66 if you are taller than this we will leave part of your head outside of the scanning area this is fine because we are interested in the composition of your body not your head can i have a scan if i am pregnant or breastfeeding it is absolutely fine to have a scan while breastfeeding however it is not ok to have a scan while pregnant we will ask you to confirm your pregnancy status and will not scan you if there is a chance you may be pregnant who is a dexa scan suitable for a dexa scan is suitable for anyone looking to get in better shape achieve weight loss or better performance or just secure your quality of life as you age by understanding your body composition and working with our health coaches you will have the knowledge and tools to make lifestyle changes that will help you achieve both your short and long term health goals how do i prepare for the scan to prepare for your dexa scan please do not eat or eat very light for four hours beforehand and be normally hydrated with water tea etc don t over or underdrink also do not do any heavy exercise eg a gym workout or long run for the same period please remove as much jewellery as you can before you arrive at numi for your scan can i have a scan with a pacemaker or metal implants if you have any implants of any material or a pacemaker the scan can go ahead as normal metal implants will show up as dense bone on your numi dexa report but they will not affect the fat and lean mass data there is no risk to the operation of your pacemaker there is no risk to the structure of operation of your implant the dexa is a very low dose xray and xrays either pass through objects or they do not how often can i have a dexa scan we recommend about 1216 weeks 34 months between scans this is long enough for changes in body composition to have occurred and for you to know that you can stick to your plan but short enough to keep you motivated and give you a shortterm target we will not scan you more frequently than once in every 6week period and not more than 6 times in any year why is a dexa scan important for my health a dexa scan is the gold standard of body composition measurements and bone density measurement this will provide you with powerful insight into your current metabolic health and give really clear direction as to where you need to focus your attention in order to reduce your risk of serious illness and disease as well as a possible low quality of life as you age you will gain insight into your bone density which is important to assess your fracture risk you will better learn where you are storing fat across your body and how this is impacting your risk of serious disease such as cardiovascular disease type 2 diabetes alzheimer s dementia and many cancers as well as how much lean muscle mass you have on your body which can impact your quality of life as you age and your risk of death the scan will give you a baseline measurement of where you are right now and then after you have put lifestyle changes in place it s an invaluable tool to keep track of your progress and ensure that your actions are working to reduce your risk of illness find out more here  bone mineral density tests what the numbers mean niams does the dexa scan measure bone density and give me my risk of osteoporosis whilst the dexa scanner is the same for measuring bone density and body composition they are two very different types of scan the numi body composition report does give a good indication of your bone density but this is only an indication and not a definitive diagnosable result in other words it s not a result a doctor would make any firm decisions on nevertheless if the indication was unusually high or low then we would advise you to see your gp or a bone specialist for specialist advice if you require a dedicated bone scan in relation to low bone density and osteoporosis you can request these from your gp or get one privately want to find out more  about us contact us 