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Everyone&undefined;s body is different and we should appreciate our individuality. No one is made the same – our bodies are not the same and so why should the same exercises work for everyone? What body shape you have depends on the size of your physical features, the distribution of fat on your body and your overall balance of your body.  Here is how to determine your body shape and what type of workout to do in order to tone your body properly.

Hourglass: This type has a smaller waist paired with a well-proportioned upper and lower body. People with this body type tend to gain weight in their hips and chest but maintain a smaller waist line.  Those with an hourglass shape shoudl spend half of their time doing cardio and half of their time resistance training. Cardio will burn fat where you need to burn it (off the legs and hips) and the resistance traning will balance out your upper and lower body. 

Pear: Pear shapes have a larger lower half and a smaller upper body. If you have a pear shape your hips are wider than your shoulders and you tend to gain weight on your hips, butt and legs. Most women with pear shapes have a smaller chest, smaller arms and flat stomachs but are curvy on the bottom half. Pear shaped bodies respond best to exercises that balance the upper and lower halves of the body. Aerobic exercises such as cycling and the elliptacle trainer are great for pear shapes to tone the lower half. As for the upper half, light resistance training such as doing push ups or lifting light free weights will give you the tone that will showcase your body perfectly.

Apple:  If you are an apply shape you have a larger upper body and a smaller lower body (the opposite of a pear).  People with this body type have smaller hips but a large chest and a larger stomach. If you gain weight it is usually in your stomach or above the waist. Those that are an apple shape should focus on exercises that will burn fat on the upper part of your body while strenghening your lower body. Stair climbing or running on an incline is great for lower body strength and any type of cardio that burns fat all over the body will keep your top lean.

Ruler: For women, this body type is generally regarded as a “boy shape”. People have have a ruler body basically have no difference between the size of their hips, waist and shoulders and have smaller arms and legs.  Individuals with this body type need to do resistance training to gain muscle mass on their arms and legs and target problem areas with specific exercises. For example if you gain weight in the stomach area, do lots of core strengthening exercises paired with weight lifting.

We are all created differently, and there is nothing wrong with that. Getting to know your body and identifying your body shape will let you figure out what areas you need to target and exactly what kind of exercises will work best for you in order to make your body it&undefined;s best.