If you live in Burnaby or North Vancouver and want a DEXA scan, your closest option is our Gastown studio — about 25 minutes by SkyTrain from Brentwood or Lonsdale Quay, and 30 minutes by car most times of day. Several other Metro Vancouver clinics offer body-composition scanning, but at three to five times the cost. This guide covers how to book a DEXA scan in Burnaby or North Vancouver, the realistic commute times, and how to make a half-day of it.

Getting there from Burnaby

Burnaby is a bigger city than most non-locals realize, so commute time depends on which corner. From Brentwood, Metrotown, or Lougheed, the SkyTrain is the fastest option:

• Brentwood Town Centre → Waterfront: 22 minutes via Millennium and Expo Line transfer. Five-minute walk to studio.
• Metrotown → Waterfront: 18 minutes direct on the Expo Line.
• Lougheed Town Centre → Waterfront: 28 minutes via Millennium Line.

Driving from central Burnaby is comparable in non-rush hour — 25–35 minutes via Hastings or the Trans-Canada. Avoid 7:30–9:00 AM and 4:30–6:30 PM. Parking near the studio: Gastown Parkade or street meters on Carrall.

Getting there from North Vancouver

From the North Shore, the SeaBus is the easiest option and arguably the most pleasant:

• Lonsdale Quay → Waterfront Station: 12 minutes by SeaBus, then five-minute walk to studio. SeaBus runs every 15–30 minutes.
• By car from Lonsdale: 20–25 minutes via Lions Gate Bridge in light traffic; 35–50 in rush hour.
• By car from Deep Cove or Capilano: 30–40 minutes via Lions Gate Bridge.

Lions Gate Bridge backs up northbound in the late afternoon — plan a morning or midday return if you’re driving back. The SeaBus avoids the bridge entirely.

Why people travel from Burnaby and North Van for DEXA

The short answer: there’s no closer alternative offering body-composition DEXA at our price point. A few options exist in greater Vancouver:

• BodyComp Imaging in Vancouver proper — single location, similar service, pricing not public but typically 3–5× ours.
• Hospital-affiliated radiology in Burnaby and North Vancouver — covered by MSP for medically indicated bone density only, not body composition. Body comp is private-pay and $200–$400+.
• Sports clinics offering BodPod or InBody scales — different technology, lower accuracy.

For most people in the Lower Mainland, the trip to Gastown ends up being faster than the booking process at hospital radiology, and dramatically cheaper. And once you’re a BodyStats client, your scans log to a dashboard you can pull up on your phone — not a paper PDF that lives in your downloads folder.

What to combine with the trip

If you’re already making the commute, it makes sense to stack the appointment with something useful:

• VO2 max test — same studio, different room. Adds 45 minutes. Best if you’re an athlete or working on cardiovascular fitness.
• RMR test — same studio. Adds 30 minutes.
• Coffee in Gastown. Revolver Coffee, Timbertrain, and East Van Roasters are all within five minutes. The neighbourhood has good food regardless.

See our packages for bundled DEXA + VO2 + RMR pricing if you want everything in one visit.

Booking and prep

Online booking takes about 30 seconds — pick a time, pay, get a confirmation email. No referral. No phone tag. Prep is minimal:

• Wear something metal-free. Athletic shorts and a metal-free top.
• Don’t load up on water in the hour before the scan.
• Skip a heavy workout on the morning of, if you can.
• Arrive five minutes early. Total appointment is 30 minutes.

Read the full Vancouver studio page for hours, accessibility, and contact info.

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