Getting in shape can be difficult if you don’t set yourself a target and see progress results every week.
You may have tried to loose weight, join the gym or signed up for a exercise class in the past and for one reason or another it has not worked.
In this article we want to point out the key elements for women to get into shape and more importantly stay in shape.
Exercise, diet lifestyle and even role models are important factors, each one needs to be taken into consideration and how it impacts your ability to keep in shape and more importantly stay in shape.
You can find a large range of helpful information on our site, start by reading this article and follow the links to the other articles to create a workout and diet plan that is perfect for you.
Body Shape
Before attempting to develop or improve your body shape it is important to do a little research to discover what exactly your body shape is. There are four female body shapes, apple, pear, hourglass and ruler. Each is different in appearance with body fat, hip width, shoulder width and waist width varying from one type to the next.
For best results each female body shape should exercise and diet in accordance to their guidelines. These guidelines alter from one body shape to the next and therefore it is vital that you are aware of your own body shape. For more information on the four female body shapes and the differences between them visit the female body shape section of this website.
Contents
Diet
As well as researching your body shape it is very advantageous to follow any advice given, including diet tips. Each of the female body shapes requires a different selection of nutrients in order to boost development. For some with a larger body shape it may be a case of cutting back on certain types of foods.
For others the suggestion may be that an increased amount of protein or carbohydrates needs to be added to their diet. Regardless of what is required, what is essential is acting on the dietary advice given; this will help with all body shapes.
Exercise
Similar to diet needs, each female body shape is required to exercise in a different manner. The two forms of exercise, weight resistance exercise and cardiovascular exercise should be treated differently depending on your body shape. Again this is a matter which needs to be researched correctly.
For those with a slighter frame weight resistance training is usually more suitable, helping to add tone and curves to an otherwise slim looking figure. Larger ladies however are advised to look at cardiovascular exercise, a good option for burning calories and shredding the pounds.
Variation
Variation is very important in terms of both diet and exercise. A lack of variety can cause boredom and this will affect results. Sticking to guidelines is important to help enhance body shape but at the same time there is no harm in exchanging particular foods for other similar foods once in a while to keep you on track.
Similarly, a variety of exercises can have a similar affect, swapping a 30 minute run for a 30 minute bike ride or swim once in a while will have positive effects, not only on your performance but your mood too. Too much receptiveness can effect motivation.
Planning
In all walks of life a little planning can go a long way towards achieving goals quickly, body shape is no different. Whether you are an apple shaped female looking to become a ruler shaped female or a ruler shaped female looking to become an hourglass shaped female, it is essential to plan.
Planning exercise regimes and diet plans is just the start, it can be effective to plan in terms of time, when are you going to exercise? Where? With who? Adding times to a plan can improve focus and help with a routine. It is extremely difficult to enrol on a mission to improve or develop your body shape if you are unsure what you are doing when.
Goals
Very similar to planning, goals help add structure to your body shape development. It is important to link goals to one another as this helps with motivation and assists with evaluating progress. The best idea is to produce a trio of short- term, mid- term and long- term goals, as stated above each should be linked.
Goals can be set and then measured in a variety of ways. Some, particularly those targeting a weight related development, choose to set weight loss or weight gain goals. Others who are possibly looking specifically at their body shape may choose measurements as a means of calculating their goals, measuring their waist or hips for example. The most important thing is that the short- term and mid- term goals contribute towards the long- term goal and that all goals are both measurable and achievable.
Routine
This links strongly to planning and there will be overlaps between the two. Embedding your body into a routine will help with its development and allow you to organise other areas of your life to fit in with both a tailored exercise routine and diet plan. Knowing what you are supposed to be doing where and when will add a little structure to your body shape programme.
Producing a weekly or fortnightly routine timetable will be very helpful; it will act as a reference point. If after a short time there becomes a problem with the routine then it can easily be amended.
Feedback
Gathering feedback from peers, close friends and family members is a great way to evaluate your progress. These people may see positive changes that you haven’t noticed yourself. However these people may have also noticed negative changes too so brace yourself, the feedback may not be as pleasant as you expected.
It can be helpful to analyse feedback in relation to your goals. Although goals and targets should not be measured using feedback it will give a big indication as to whether or not your body shape is developing the way you wish.
Clothing
In terms of image and developing the way you look it can be very useful to think carefully about the way you dress, does this suit your body shape? Developing your desired body shape via dieting and exercising is one thing but it is another thing having the confidence to show off your body shape.
With a range of television programmes now focused on dressing right for your body shape it isn’t difficult to find tips and advice on how to choose clothes that suit your body. Additional information can also be found online with a number of websites now providing similar information.
Companions
Setting out on a new venture is a daunting task for most, finding someone who is willing to share the highs and lows with you however can make this challenge a lot easier. If you are looking to combine regular exercise with a new diet to suit your body shape then why not find someone who want to do the same?
This could be a relative or a close friend. The important thing is to try and find someone with similar targets to yourself, this way you can work in tandem with each other, guiding one another through particular challenges and providing advice and support when needed.
Time Management
Some would argue that time management is the same as planning and finding a routine. This may be the case, in terms of body shape development however the focus is on how you use the time you have available. Simply things such as walking or light exercise can be incorporated into everyday family life.
For example, when dropping the children off at football practice why not use the local gym facilities rather than sitting around having a cup of coffee? Little pockets of time throughout the day should be utilised and exploited to their maximum. This is appropriate to all aspects of body shape, diet and exercise included.
Equipment
Try not to forget that there may be some small equipment needs, particularly if you are looking at following a set exercise plan over a long period of time. On the whole these needs should not be very expensive, treadmill and a bicycle are likely to be the most expensive.
Purchasing the equipment in advance is always helpful, this helps with planning, giving an indication of what can be done when.
Top money saver is to buy secondhand, there are a number of websites that sell secondhand fitness equipment including ebay.com and craigslist.com
Lifestyle
Developing your existing body shape may initially seem to be all about exercising and dieting. However in order to feel comfortable with your figure it is vital that you combine everything in this list to embrace your body shape as a lifestyle. This involves choosing the correct diet to suit your body shape, the correct exercise regime and the correct clothing to flaunt it.
As well as planning, goal setting and time management. Combine these aspects plus others will help you as an individual get the best from your body shape, be this you trying to add weight to develop an hourglass figure or trying to lose weight to progress towards a ruler shaped figure.
Role Model’s
Role models are important in all walks of life and body shape is no different. Ideally you should look to choose a role model who has the body shape you aspire towards developing. This could be someone from the world of celebrities or even a friend or family member. It is important that your chosen role model (you may choose more than one) is someone you respect and can relate to in other walks of life, not just because of their body shape.
This will help with your psychology, helping you understand that developing your body shape can be as easy for you as it was for them. This could be something which is used during goal setting.
Maintenance
Keeping up the good work is very important, not only for your body shape but also your psychology. Target setting should help with this but even still it is vital that once you start following set diet plans or exercise programmes that you keep it up.
This does not necessarily mean exercise and diet at the same intensity all the time, once you feel you and your body are at a stage where you are happy then you might wish to tone things down slightly, this is okay but it is so important that you don’t stop completely.
Feedback
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