How your body type differs and how that can affect you?

What are the different body types?

There are 3 different body types, endomorph, ectomorph and mesomorph. You are not set to one for life; lifestyle, genetics, history, and training style all play a part in how you look. This means that, ultimately, if you are unhappy with the way you look you are able to alter the category of your body type. Your current activity level and lifestyle will play a large role in this. This should be used to motivate you, you can change your current body shape, you are not stuck with what you have.

What characterises an endomorph body type?

An endomorph will commonly put on weight and keep it. If this is you, you will find that you’re built a little wider than the other body types. The endomorph will have a thick ribcage, wider hips and shorter limbs. With your body type you may find it is easy to put on muscle mass, but, this is often accompanied with body fat.

This doesn’t mean that you are unfit though! Many healthy sports people are classed as having an endomorph body type. You can be as strong, healthy and capable as the other body types, however, when you go to lean up this can prove difficult.

Examples of sports people who would fit into the category of endomorph are; weightlifters, wrestlers and shot-putters. These individuals all possess high levels of strength and muscle mass.

What is an ectomorph body type?

Ectomorphs will present with narrow-shaped bodies, have thin faces and with little fat or muscle. This is the ideal body type for endurance type athletes. This body type is you if you struggle to gain weight through muscle or fat. You will be able to consume a copious amount of food without the worry of putting on a large portion of weight.

The nature of your build will be lean with long limbs. Don’t panic though, you are not going to be classed as weak. You are still very healthy and strong, just without the muscles to show for it. You will just find increasing your body weight increasingly difficult no matter how much food you eat.

What are the characteristics of a mesomorph?

The mesomorph is the middle ground of the body types. The body shape you will possess is that of a wedge shape, with wide shoulders, narrow hips and will be muscular. The sports people that are best described as a mesomorph are sprinters.

Being fit and muscular will come naturally to you. This does not mean that you can get away with doing nothing to achieve the ideal body shape, like a sprinter. The key difference for mesomorphs, is the bounce back ability you bring to the table. When you put on body fat you are able to shift this pretty quickly, along with building muscle easily.

Does my body type mean I am unhealthy?

Not at all! All body types can be healthy in their own right. You can’t go out and change your genetics or family history, but you can control your lifestyle and activity levels. Making positive choices in regards to physical activity and a balanced diet can really help to assist with bettering yourself. Counting calories is a great way to take control of how much you require for a set goal you decide on. Physical health isn’t the only thing that is affected by a body type, your mental health can be affected too. If you are unhappy with your body shape, put in place SMART Goals to help you succeed.

Get the ball rolling now, how many calories do you need to eat daily to hit your newly set goals?