Decode Your Body Shape

Some Interesting Facts

1. Every woman has unique body proportions that may not exactly match with our size charts.

2. Women fall into four broad categories, but you may be slight mix of two.

3. Only 8 percent women have the classic hour glass figure.

4. Different body types respond differently to both training and nutrition.

This is why certain exercises work while others don’t. Understanding body basics is very important because it helps target problematic areas and emphasise on a workout program that will work best for us.

The Med Guru helps you decode your body shape and target the trouble spots to get that enviable body.

1. The Apple Shape
A typical apple shape closely resembles an inverted pyramid with a heavier upper body and a smaller lower body. Women who are apple shaped have a larger bust and tummy but thin legs.

Since, this kind of frame tends to store fat around the mid-section, focus needs to be on intensive abdominal training.

The best work-out plan for a toned flat mid-section would be a combination of vigorous running, stair climbing or spinning with crunches, leg presses, squats and lunges.

To build the lower region, pilates which focuses on core muscles is also a good workout.

Apple-shaped women should incorporate plenty of veggies, fruits, whole grains, and avoid processed foods in their daily diet.

2. Hour-glass figure
This body type has been touted as the perfect female form. Women with an hour glass figure have curvaceous hips and bust with a small waistline. The frame generally has weight gain and fat loss evenly distributed and requires little muscle sculpturing.

A balanced training program, with a right amount of cardio plus variety of exercises is ideal for the hour glass figure. Since a slender mid-section defines this shape, waist bends with hands, rods or light dumbbells will help maintain it.

Women with an hour glass figure need to include high quality protein, eggs, green vegetables, nuts, and skimmed dairy products in their diet.

3. The Pear Shape
A pear-shaped woman can be easily identified by large bottom. She has narrow shoulders and wide hips, thighs and buttocks. In this body shape, the upper portion is considerably smaller than the lower body.

Exercise programs need to focus on developing more physical depth and width in the upper body to balance out the upper and lower halves.

Experts suggest walking jumping ropes, elliptical training, leg lifts, dips and push ups as ideal exercises for pear shape.

The dietary recommendation for this shape is to increase calcium intake, steer clear of fat and cut down on sodium.

4. The Banana Shape
This type of body shape is quite boyish with few curves. Banana shaped women are naturally thin, fit, and have a very high rate of metabolism.

An exercise regime with emphasis on building muscle that will all add shape to the upper body will work best.

Soumya Shree, expert at Fitness Web in Bengaluru says, “Stretching, sit-ups, step classes, spinning, walking or jogging on an incline, squats and bench presses are recommended for a banana-shaped body.”

Women with this body shape need to incorporate high quality protein, complex carbohydrate, calcium, and whole wheat in their diet.

So here it is ladies … Time to confront the fact that diet and exercise alone will not yield results because your body type plays a role too!