Bod Pod tests body composition Published May 31, 2013 By Taylor Lawrence 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs KIRTLAND AFB, N.M. -- Summer is around the corner, and those looking to be swimsuit-ready should consider a stop at the Health and Wellness Center for a little help in reaching their health and fitness goals. In addition to its many nutrition and exercise classes, the HAWC provides the Bod Pod, a free service to determine how much lean mass a person has. "The Bod Pod is a tool to help people better understand their body composition and help provide targeted workouts," said Eric Neil, exercise physiologist at the HAWC. "The Bod Pod takes two minutes total and consists of three 40-second tests. It takes longer for you to change your clothes than to actually take the test." The test measures the body's density and shows the body's composition of lean muscle and body fat by percentages. "The machine measures your body in both weight and liters, plugs it into an equation, and comes up with your body's density," Neil said. The pod does more than identify body fat percentages. It also identifies other health risks and can track progress toward goals over time. "The test can show us any risk factors for chronic diseases that develop as a result of your body fat percentage being too high," said Judy Armgardt, registered dietitian at the HAWC. "The test results can tell us if you're losing fat or gaining muscle. It is a great tool to show positive changes happening in a person's body composition, and keep the person going in the right direction." After calling to make an appointment, the user must follow four Bod Pod guidelines: wear form fitting clothing, such as a bathing suit, wear thin material, refrain from wearing jewelry and do not eat, drink or exercise at least two hours before testing. Appointments for the Bod Pod are made on a space-available basis, with active-duty military having first priority.