Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Body Fitness Part 1: Evaluate Your Body

I know you are anxious to get started but before we get into it, you need to evaluate your body, identify the “defects” and evaluate the improvement margins.

Fitness could be described as the cornerstone for beauty and health. The benefits of being physically fit are immediately reflected in both our outer appearance as well as our psychological mood. Good looks, a sense of confidence, a state of well-being and vitality are all reflected on our face and body as a result of being physically fit.

Our aim is to improve the overall appearance of the body by setting goals within the normal limits that nature allows.  There is certainly room for improvement present, as each body type meets it’s own proportions, determined by the rules of physical harmony. 

After you objectively evaluate your body, you must identify goals that you can implement, and adjust your workout accordingly.


 
The Unchangeable elements of the body

The Body Type

While trying to improve your body you should be aware that there are some aspects that simply cannot be changed, BUT they can be improved.  

The most important basic of these is your body type. The mold of your body type is imprinted within your genes, therefore the margin for  variation is minimal.  

Before you can begin improving your body you must first determine which body type category you belong to…..AND accept the basic structure of your body.

Remember that being overweight, the lack of tone in the muscles, reduced flexibility and elasticity of the body, are all features that DO NOT belong to any body type.

 
Body types are divided into 3 major categories - ectomorph, mesomorph,  and endomorph. Let’s get to know them better.

The  Ectomorph type

It is thin and angular, with long limbs, thin joints, low body fat and minimal curves. People belonging to this type can eat without increasing their weight. Some studies explain this phenomenon to the fact that they have shorter intestines and therefore less space to digest their food.

Mesomorph type

Characterized by strong musculoskeletal system and has no special weight accumulation in any particular part of the body. The body is compact and is distinguished by wide shoulders and pelvis, and has the perfect muscles physique, especially in the arms and legs.

Endomorph type

The endomorphic type is characterized by reduced height relative to the previous two, and with a lower center of gravity, has wider hips, stronger joints, while the and fat percentage is increased so there is a tendency to gain weight. Therefore ladies,  if you belong to this body type, you should be very carefully to keep your weight at a normal level.

Let’s also touch briefly on some other common body types.

Inverted triangle

Characteristics of this type are the wide shoulders, narrow hips, and they tend to have more fat accumulation in the chest and shoulders.

Box

The upper part of the body is flat and the waist is not visible. Most fat accumulates in the abdomen, while the and waist is smaller in relation to the shoulders and the circumference.

Pear

This type is characterized by narrow shoulders and small breasts, and extra large circumference. Most fat is accumulated in the hips.

In our next article we will talk about the variable aspects of our body type.  That is, those things that we CAN do something about.

Until next time…Be Beautiful!

2 comments:

  1. OK..I now that I know my body type I am anxious to find out more. Please don't delay the next installment. Great blog. Keep it up!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Stacy,

      I appreciate your kind words. The 2nd installment is now available. The fun part (exercises)will start with part 3!

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