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Orange County · Test guide · DEXA and VO2 max

DEXA and VO2 max testing in Orange County

Tests that measure your muscle, bone, fat and fitness, the things that keep you strong and independent as you age. Here's what each one tells you and which Orange County clinics offer them.

Orange County photograph by Gustavo Zambelli · Unsplash
The short answer

A DEXA scan measures bone, muscle and fat, including the fat around your organs. A VO2 max test measures your fitness, which is strongly linked to long-term health. Both are most useful repeated over time, so you can see whether your training is working.

The tests, in plain English

Think of it like checking a car. DEXA looks at the frame: your bones and muscle. VO2 max tests the engine: how well your heart and lungs deliver oxygen.

DEXA scan

A low-dose X-ray that measures your fat, muscle and bone density, including the fat around your organs. You lie still for about 10 minutes.

Cash price: $65 to $249

For: Anyone tracking muscle, fat or bone

VO2 max test

Measures how well your body uses oxygen while you exercise hard, on a bike or treadmill with a mask on. Fitness is one of the strongest signals of long-term health.

Cash price: $100 to $675

For: Anyone who can safely exercise hard

Resting metabolic rate

Measures how many calories you burn at rest by analyzing your breath while you sit quietly. Useful for planning nutrition and weight goals.

Cash price: $50 to $300

For: People working on weight or nutrition

Bioimpedance body composition

A scale or handheld device that sends a tiny current through your body to estimate fat and muscle. Quick and cheap, but readings shift with how much water you have had.

For: A quick check between DEXA scans

Strength, mobility and balance

Simple tests like grip strength, standing up from a chair and holding your balance. Quick, cheap, and closely tied to staying independent as you age.

For: Everyone, especially from midlife on

Prices that clinics publish on their own websites, across all the cities we cover. Prices change, so confirm with the clinic.

Physical activity in Orange County, by the numbers

The rate of physical inactivity in Orange County is a bit lower than the national rate. In Orange County, 24.1% of adults did no physical activity outside work in the past month, compared with 25.1% nationally. That adds up to roughly 600,000 adults in Orange County.

24.1%of adults in Orange County did no physical activity outside work in the past monthUS: 25.1%
600,000adults in Orange County did no physical activity outside work in the past monthEstimated from CDC county figures
4Orange County clinics list dexa and vo₂ max testingSee them below
Orange County vs the US
Share of adults, 2023

CDC estimates. PLACES figures are modelled from a national health survey, not counted from medical records, so read them as estimates.

No exercise outside workOrange County
United States
ObesityOrange County
United States
Serious difficulty walkingOrange County
United States
↓ Data

Source: CDC PLACES, 2023 county estimates. Orange County = Orange County, weighted by adult population.

longevityclinicshub.com

Your regular doctor is the place to start, especially before a big change in how active you are. The tests above show where you're starting from, so progress is easier to see later.

Showing 4 clinics that publish dexa and vo₂ max testing in Orange County

Testing studio built around DEXA body composition, VO₂ max and resting metabolic rate tests. Testing studio

DexaFit Orange County

Sky Park Circle, Irvine
Strength, fitness & body compositionMetabolic health & blood sugar

DexaFit Orange County is an Irvine testing studio on Sky Park Circle selling a DEXA body composition scan, a VO₂ max fitness test and a resting metabolic rate test. The DEXA scan measures bone density, lean muscle and visceral fat, and staff go over results with you. The studio also offers a 3D movement assessment and red light therapy.

Tests & services

DEXA scan VO₂ max testing Red light therapy Metabolic rate testing
See if it’s a fit →
James Lindberg, MD, Hoag Executive Health
Hospital executive health program with a one-day medical, nutritional and fitness examination, including VO2 max testing and a personalized Wellness Report.

Hoag Executive Health

Newport Beach
Whole-body baselineStrength, fitness & body compositionHeart & circulation

Hoag Executive Health is Hoag's one-day medical, nutritional and fitness examination, led by Chief of Service James Lindberg, MD. The physical includes a resting electrocardiogram, an advanced lipid profile, carotid intimal medial thickness testing and a pulmonary function test. The fitness portion adds strength testing, body composition analysis and VO2 max testing, with results in a personalized Wellness Report. Led by James Lindberg, MD.

Tests & services

VO₂ max testing Advanced lipid panel Carotid ultrasound Electrocardiogram +5 more
See if it’s a fit →
Imaging center listing SimonMed Longevity whole-body MRI and MRI 3T among its procedures, booked directly without a doctor's order.

SimonMed Laguna Hills

Calle de la Plata, Laguna Hills
2 locations, also in Irvine
Cancer risk & screeningWhole-body baselineAdvanced diagnostics & emerging care

SimonMed Laguna Hills is an imaging center on Calle de la Plata listing SimonMed Longevity whole-body MRI and MRI 3T among its available procedures. SimonMed publishes three whole-body MRIs, from a chest, abdomen and pelvis scan to one adding head, neck and spine, each reviewed by radiologists. The scan is booked directly, with no doctor's order, and followed by a one-on-one consultation and a digital report.

Tests & services

DEXA scan Full-body MRI Breast MRI Mammography
See if it’s a fit →
Next Health, Newport Beach clinic
Health optimization center at Fashion Island, Newport Beach, with wellness technology, plasma exchange, IV therapy and an executive physical.

Next Health, Newport Beach

Fashion Island, Newport Center
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careWhole-body baselineCancer risk & screening

Next Health's Newport Beach center is on the lower level of Fashion Island, between Nordstrom and Barry's, and is open seven days. Its menu pairs cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen, infrared, EBOO ozone and plasma exchange with IV and NAD+ therapy. The Executive Physical lists a 500+ biomarker panel, full-body MRI and chest CT, calcium scoring and GRAIL testing. Hormone and weight optimization run through Medicine 4.0.

Tests & services

Biological age testing Comprehensive biomarker panel Coronary calcium score Bioimpedance body composition +16 more
See if it’s a fit →

How a testing visit usually goes

  1. Goals first

    Muscle, bone, fitness or weight. This decides which tests to book.

  2. The tests

    DEXA is 10 minutes lying still. VO2 max is a short, hard workout. Ask how to prepare.

  3. Results, explained

    How you compare with people your age, and what to aim for.

  4. Retest

    After a few months of training. Use the same machine each time so the numbers compare.

Good to know. A VO2 max test pushes you to your limit. If you have heart symptoms or a heart condition, ask for a doctor-supervised test. Bone density screening is recommended for women 65 and over, and for younger women after menopause at higher risk, and insurance may cover that version.

If you've had a recent injury or chest symptoms during exercise, see your doctor before a fitness test.

Go deeper

Explainer What a DEXA scan shows about your body, and what it costs

One machine, two scans. What each one measures, how to read your report, and what it costs.
Explainer VO2 max by age: what’s a good number for you?

A chart by age and sex, how much oxygen your body can use at full effort, and what the test costs.
Explainer Healthspan vs lifespan

Living longer and living well are different goals, 9.6 years apart worldwide and 12.4 in the United States. What healthspan is made of, what tends to end it, and what actually moves it.

DEXA and VO₂ max testing: common questions

Which clinics in Orange County publish dexa and vo₂ max testing?

4 in our Orange County guide: DexaFit Orange County, Hoag Executive Health, SimonMed Laguna Hills and Next Health, Newport Beach.

Is a DEXA for body composition the same as a bone density scan?

Same machine, different settings. A bone density scan looks at your hip and spine. A body composition scan covers your whole body. Insurance usually covers only bone density, and only when you meet the screening rules.

How often should I retest?

Often after a few months of training, then once a year. Use the same machine and similar conditions each time, like the same time of day and how much you've eaten.

Is my watch's VO2 max good enough?

Watches estimate it from your heart rate and pace. They're useful for spotting trends, but can be off for one person. A lab test measures the air you breathe in and out.

What does a VO2 max test feel like?

You ride or run while the effort keeps rising, wearing a mask, until you can't keep going. It's hard, but short.

What does it cost, and will insurance cover it?

These are usually self-pay. Bone density screening may be covered when you meet the screening rules. Our guides on cost and insurance go deeper.

How do you decide which clinics appear on this page?

A clinic appears here when its own published material shows it offers this kind of testing at that location.

Sources (2)
  1. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Osteoporosis to prevent fractures: screening
  2. American Heart Association, Importance of assessing cardiorespiratory fitness in clinical practice: a case for fitness as a clinical vital sign

This page is educational information, not medical advice, and it is not a recommendation to have or to skip any test. What is right for you depends on your age, your history and your personal risk, so discuss it with a clinician who knows them. If you have a symptom that concerns you, seek a medical evaluation.

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