The idea of beauty and body shape ebb and flow with world changes; in times of hunger and want the round and robust are looked upon as visions of health, while during periods of plenty we look to the thin and shapeless for health cues. Kate Fox from the Social Issues Research Centre notes, "Now we try to diet and exercise ourselves into the fashionable shape." Working to enhance your natural body shape in a healthy way through nutrition and exercise is a body-friendly way to approach your health without succumbing to the fads.
Pear Shaped
Since pear shaped bodies are thicker in the hip and rear end than in the shoulders and chest, concentrate your efforts on strengthening the lower body without adding thickness. Choose recreational activities such as basketball and boxing that involve constant movement of the entire body while using the upper body for the power movements. Long distance running is also a great exercise for the pear shaped individual as you strengthen the largest muscles in the body, the rear and thigh muscles, and the core abdominal and low back muscles in the process. If you prefer to train with weights, work with lower repetition ranges of eight to 12 for the upper body exercises, while keeping the lower body exercises in a higher rep range of 20 to 25 repetitions per set.
Triangle Shaped
If you have wider shoulders and narrow hips, concentrate your fitness efforts on exercises that build up your lower body while toning your upper body without adding size. Soccer, bicycling and kick boxing are three sports that are lower-body intensive while also strengthening the core and upper body muscles. Sprinting distances from 100 m to 400 m is another terrific way to activate and sculpt the rear end, thigh, and calf muscles. When working with weights, your rep ranges for upper body strengthening exercises will be in the area of 20 to 25 reps per set, while your lower body exercises would be heavier and more intense in the eight to 12 reps per set range.
Rectangle Shaped
The rectangular shaped individual has a thicker middle that is less defined and more evenly proportioned with the shoulder and hip areas. Keys for you to remember when selecting exercises and activities is to shy away from rotation or side bend exercises that activate the outer oblique abdominal muscles and add width to your waist. Rather, work to strengthen the upper and lower body muscles while tightening up the core. Sports such as sprinting and volleyball are power-packed and will work to bring out definition in the rectangular shaped individual.
Hourglass Shaped
If your waist is naturally well defined and your shoulder to hip width is proportionate, then you have more leniency in choosing activities to best suit your body type. Focus on toning and strengthening your entire body for overall health and fitness. Kick boxing, soccer, and volleyball are excellent sports to keep your entire body tight and toned while keeping your hourglass shape intact.
References
- "Mirror, Mirror"; Kate Fox; 1997
- "Encyclopedia of Muscle and Strength"; Jim Stoppani; 2006
- "Boxing: The Complete Guide to Training and Fitness"; Danna Scott; 2000
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