Many people are dissatisfied with some aspect of their appearance.
With the increase of junk food intake and decrease of movement in America, it is not surprising that many do not like their body shape. Being out of shape can lead to issues with self-confidence, as well as a variety of health issues.
Here’s a quick guide on the different body types and how to change your body shape to be healthier and have more self-confidence.
Types of Body Shapes
While you can lose weight and build muscle to make changes to your body shape, you cannot change the overall structure of your body. Your body frame, for example, will remain the same, no matter what your size is.
There are three general human body types: endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph.
While people are not completely bound to one of these body types, you will likely lean towards one of them.
Ectomorphs
Ectomorphs tend to be thin and lean with long limbs. They do not gain weight easily, whether it is in terms of muscle or fat.
Ectomorphs typically can eat large amounts of food and still look just as thin as before. They also tend to be hardgainers when trying to put on muscle mass.
Mesomorphs
Mesomorphs have a tendency to be relatively fit and muscular. They have wide shoulders with a narrow waist and thin joints.
While mesomorphs cannot eat heaps of food with comparatively few consequences like ectomorphs, they tend to be able to get back in shape and burn fat more easily.
Endomorphs
Endomorphs may gain weight easily and have difficulties losing it. They typically have a thicker ribcage, wide hips, and shorter limbs.
Endomorphs tend to have more muscle than the other two body types and may even have a few strength-training advantages over them. However, they often gain significant amounts of body fat alongside the muscle mass they gain.
How to Change Your Body Shape
Any movement is better than no movement, so the best thing you can do is to find a physical activity you like and stick with it. However, to condition your body and change your body shape, you may need to add some variety to your exercise regime.
If you have trouble fitting a full workout in, here are some quick exercises you can add in small intervals throughout the day:
- Planks
- Push-ups
- Squats
- Ball twists
- Tabletop extensions
- Dead bug exercises
- Downward dog leg pulls
Aerobic exercises are recommended for those who are trying to get in shape. Running, jogging, and cycling get your body moving and heart pumping to help with calorie burn.
Weight-lifting and other forms of resistance-based training are recommended for conditioning your body. Resistance-based training lowers your risk for obesity and triggers fat burn. This makes resistance-based training one of the best ways to change your body composition and shape.
Diet Tips
Exercise alone probably will not change your body shape if you are eating loads of junk food as well. While eating healthy is not always the most appealing option, it is important to do.
When making changes to your diet, try to set small, specific, and achievable goals. Ultimately, you want these changes to last, so you can maintain your body size and shape.
If you find yourself struggling to make changes to your diet and exercise habits, or the changes you have made just aren’t doing anything, you’re not alone. There are a variety of medically assisted weight loss programs that can give you personalized guidance on how to change your body shape.
Changing Your Body Shape
Now that you know how to change your body shape, you can take the first steps towards having more confidence in your body.
It is important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all formula to change your body shape. To get the most success out of changing your diet and exercise, it is important to find what works for you.
If you found this article helpful, be sure to check out some of our other quality posts on health and fitness.