We are living in exciting times. We have a plethora of information right at our fingertips. We donít have to search too far to receive good, accurate information. Todayís topic is about the different body types.There are three muscular skeletal and four glandular body types. The muscular skeletal body types are the ectomorph (long and lean), the mesomorph (muscular) and the endomorph (heavy set or voluptuous). The glandular body types are the gonadal (pear shape), the thyroid (apple shape), the adrenal (box shape) and the pituitary (baby face). All of us are a combination of two; one being the muscular skeletal and the other being the glandular. The gonadal body type is gender specific to the female; only the female can be the gonadal, which is the classic female body shape to protect baby during pregnancy.It takes practice and a strong sense of awareness to decide which combination fits you. There are several ways to figure out your body type. Look at yourself in the mirror, bare body; if the majority of your weight is below the waist, you are a gonadal ó pear shape. If you are a slim pear, you are an ectomorph. If you have muscular definition through weight training or sport, you are a mesomorph and if you are buxom, you are an endomorph. Now, if the majority of your weight is neither in the upper nor lower body, you most likely will be a thyroid ó apple shape.The third glandular body type is the adrenal ó box shape. This body type has weight evenly distributed throughout the entire torso area, with no prominent waist. Adrenals, most often, are endomorph. Some adrenals can be mesomorph with the help of weight training. The last glandular body type is the pituitaryóbaby face. Most people who are from the Asian or Oriental cultures are pituitary. Some famous movie stars including Kate Winslet and Michael J. Fox are pituitary; Winslet being an endomorph and Fox being an ectomorph. The pituitary can be mesomorph through weight training or sport and can be endomorph as well.After you have decided what body types you are, the fun part begins. Exercising is very important for all body types. Usually your glandular body shape determines which exercise and sport you like most. Most pear shapes enjoy sport that utilizes the lower body such as downhill skiing, rollerblading or the StairMaster. The box shape enjoys sports such as swimming, power events in track and field or weight training. The apple shape loves to run, cross country ski or dance (ballet). The baby face enjoys all sports as long as the activity is of moderate intensity.No matter which body type you are, it is important to exercise the entire body. There are three ideal components for physical fitness. The first one is cardiovascular or aerobic activity, which includes running, hiking, cycling, power walking or the StairMaster. This activity should be done at least three days a week for one hour duration. The second is anaerobic activity, which includes exercises of intermittent activity such as tennis, basketball, soccer, golf or weight training; engage in this activity at least two days a week. The last component and the one most people often forget is stretching or the flexibility component. Yoga, dance and manual and/or passive stretching are important to do on a regular basis.We all need to prioritize and take an active role in our health. We need to be honest with ourselves, love and accept ourselves and have fun with exercise.Kelly Calabrese, MS, CFT, CCN has been working in the fitness and nutrition field for over 25 years. She educates her clients on how to live a vibrant, healthy lifestyle in all decades of life.She can be reached at 719-590-9879 or fitfocus@qwestoffice.net. Her website is http://optimalwellnessllc.com.
