Fitness

Most People Don’t Know How to Work Out for their Body Type

5. Your Body Type Can Provide a Snapshot of Your Health The metabolic functions that determine your health all happen inside your body, but what you… Trista - January 31, 2022

5. Your Body Type Can Provide a Snapshot of Your Health

The metabolic functions that determine your health all happen inside your body, but what you see on the outside is a pretty strong indicator of what is happening inside. For this reason, your body type can be a pretty quick snapshot of how your overall health is. Being an ideal weight — a mesomorph — indicates that you probably have good insulin levels and have pretty okay metabolic functions (via Mayo Clinic). If you are underweight — an ectomorph — you may not be getting adequate nutrition or may have an underlying condition, such as a thyroid problem. And if you are overweight — an endomorph — you may have insulin resistance and additional health problems resulting from excess weight (via Ask the Scientists).

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4. Body Types Are Not Set in Stone

When Dr. Sheldon put out his theory on body types, he claimed that body types were set in stone before birth. If someone is an endomorph body type in adulthood, they were predisposed to be overweight well before birth. The idea corresponds to ectomorphs and mesomorphs, as well. However, research into the twenty-first century indicates that body types are not set in stone, while genetics certainly play a role. Endomorphs are not doomed to live their entire lives overweight; they can lose weight and become mesomorphs with ideal weight and solid muscle mass (via WebMD). Likewise, ectomorphs are not doomed to live their lives underweight. If they are malnourished due to an eating disorder, they can get the proper treatment and get up to an ideal weight. If they have a thyroid or other metabolic condition, it can get treated (via nasm.org).

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3. You Can Be More Than One Body Type

Many people identify as having more than one body type throughout their lives. Furthermore, people commonly identify as having more than one body type at any particular time. Some say that they are, for example, 20% mesomorph and 80% endomorph, or 40% ectomorph and 60% mesomorph (via WebMD). This simply means that body types are not static categories. You may do best with an endomorph diet high in protein and a mesomorph exercise routine or a mesomorph diet and an ectomorph exercise routine. Still, what is the most important thing? Make sure that you are doing what makes you feel healthy and consistent with what your doctor recommends (via Ask the Scientists).

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2. Aim to Be Healthy, Regardless of Body Type

Believe it or not, you can be a healthy endomorph, just like you can be an unhealthy mesomorph or ectomorph. Your body type can be a quick snapshot of your overall health. However, there is more to health than your size. Make sure that you limit the amount of processed and junk food you eat and get enough fruits and vegetables every day (via Mayo Clinic). Get plenty of exercise and the necessary rest in between your exercise routines. Get enough protein and healthy fats and look for complex carbs over sugar. These day-to-day decisions can help make you healthy no matter your body type (via MD Linx).

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1. Be Body Positive

Few things are more disheartening than disliking the body that you are in. Remember that just because Hollywood glamorizes ectomorphs doesn’t mean that you cannot be gorgeous as a full-bodied endomorph (via Mayo Clinic). Beauty is on the inside and shines through on the outside, no matter how large or small you may be. Having a positive view of your own body can be the greatest motivator for doing what you need to get to an ideal weight, whether that entails losing weight or gaining. Believe that you are beautiful just the way you are and love the body that you are in (via LiveStrong).

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