Female Body Shape
The festive season brings with it – not just much happiness and fun but also overindulgence in heady cocktails, pastries and other gastronomic delights. Do you need to agonize over the quantities sampled, portions consumed, or draughts imbibed at this time of the year ?
Not really. Take a few tips to see that your hips don’t accumulate all the indulgence.
Soft feminine curves exude great sensuality. Women agonize over their body shape during most phases of their lives. Surveys show that most women are dissatisfied with their body shape. The female body shape is determined largely by the genetic structure. While the hourglass figure is popularly sought after, a well-proportioned body shape is a fitness goal for most.
Are women pursuing unrealistic goals when trying to change their basic body shapes? Can they tailor their fitness regimen for specific body parts? Is there any way you can check whether your body shape is prone to health risks?
The hourglass shape is one where the shoulders and hips are nearly of equal width. A pear shaped woman is one who has larger hips than chest and arms. Large shoulders and chest with smaller hips and thighs are indicative of an apple shape. The fitness agenda for a pear shape would be to build the upper part and slim down the lower part with elliptical training, leg lifts and jumping rope.
Running and low resistance exercises can help in losing weight that would balance the larger upper torso. In apple shaped bodies, extra weight around the waist increases the risk of diabetes and cardiac disease.
Hip-to-Waist Ratio is an important determinant of body shape.
This ratio can throw light on increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. Women with waist-hip ratio greater than 0.8 and men with a ratio greater than 1.0 must take fitness measures to reduce abdominal fat. Use this ratio along with BMI to get a fair assessment of your body shape and its health connotations.