Body Shape: How to Properly Measure Your Body

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Knowing your body shape helps you choose more suitable clothes. You can even choose a better haircut based on your body shape. However, many of us are unaware of the shape of our bodies. We either buy clothing items that look pretty to us or don't care about how they fit our bodies. Still, clothes, hair, and accessories should complement our bodies and make us feel good about ourselves.

To do that, we'll first have to become aware of our body shape. This will then inform any other decision you will want to make about your aesthetics. Learn below about different body shapes and how to calculate your own.

Short Summary

Body Shape Calculator

If you're uncertain about your body shape, you can use a body shape calculator to find out. This type of calculator can be found easily and for free on numerous websites. To calculate your body shape, you will need to insert your bust, weight, and hip circumference measurements.

Discussions about body shapes can result in negative implications related to beauty or superficial topics. Nonetheless, learning your body type is also crucial to determining the appropriate food and exercise regimens to follow in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Finding appropriate fashion styles and clothing items that make you feel confident requires an understanding of your body type. There are several parameters that decide your body forms, such as waist to hip ratio. With these online calculators, you will not have to think about ratios, and all you'll have to do is insert the required measurements.

When talking about body form, body mass index BMI may also be taken into consideration because it can assist your healthcare team in assessing your risk for certain medical conditions.

Steps for Measuring Your Body Type

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It's best to use a delicate measuring tape to ensure the most accurate results when calculating your body shape. Measure your shoulders, starting at the point of one shoulder and working your way around to the other shoulder.

Measurement of the bust should be taken at its fullest point. As the measuring tape is stretched around you, you should be able to breathe in and out without restriction. Don't keep it too tight, as it will give you incorrect measurements.

Then, take a measurement of the narrowest part of your waist, which is directly above your navel. To measure your hips, stand straight and wrap the tape measure around the hips' widest point as viewed from the side.

For the most accurate reading on all four measures, make sure the tape measure is parallel to the floor. Add all these measurements to the body shape calculator, and it will suggest the body type for you.

Body Shape Types

Now that you've inserted your measurements into a body shape calculator, it will suggest a certain body type. There are six main body types: hourglass, pear, apple, rectangle, oval, and inverted triangle shape.

Hourglass Body Shape

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The hourglass body shape is distinguished by a smaller waist and approximately equal hip and bust measurements. In other words, your physique appears hourglass-shaped. Your legs are proportionate to the upper body, and the shoulders have a modest roundness.

These are the common hourglass shape characteristics:

When you gain weight, you will probably gain all over your body instead of in certain areas.

Pear Body Shape

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A pear body shape means you have larger hips that are broader than the shoulders and your bust. People with a narrow upper body and a wider lower body will have a pear shape. A well-defined waist and correspondingly slender arms and shoulders are further features of this body type.

These are the common pear shape characteristics:

A person with a pear shape will notice weight gain mostly around the hip area and the lower body.

Apple Body Shape

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An apple body shape is characterized by a full belly, narrow hips, and large bust measurements. If you have an apple shape, it probably means that you have a flat bottom and thin legs. Unlike the pear shape, having an apple shape implies that your lower body is weaker or more narrow than your upper body.

These are the common apple shape characteristics:

Rectangle Shape

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A rectangle body shape implies equal bust, waist, and hip measurements. These measurements define the rectangular body form. The body seems to be a rectangle or a column due to the absence of curves.

Rectangles are often tall and slender. The bottom is fairly flat, the waist is not highly defined, and they are not very voluptuous.

These are the common rectangle shape characteristics:

Inverted Triangle Body Shape

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An inverted triangle body shape implies wide shoulders and a bust, narrowing down to the hips. This body type frequently has an athletic appearance due to its powerful shoulders. Although it's most common that people with this body shape have wide shoulders, they can have more narrow shoulders and a large bust.

These are the common inverted triangle shape characteristics:

Oval Body Shape

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The oval shape has rounded lines and a large belly without a defined waistline. It is frequently commented on as a soft and curvy profile. Women with this body shape will typically have a big bust, well-proportioned arms and legs, and a harmonious body type. If you have an oval shape, it typically means you gain weight around your belly area.

These are the common oval shape characteristics:

Body Fat in Upper Body Vs Lower Body

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Besides making better fashion choices, understanding your body shape is also relevant for weight loss. Depending on your body shape, you will gain and lose weight in certain areas of your body. For instance, having a pear shape means you'll probably gain weight around your hip area.

Knowing where your body fat accumulates can help you create a fitness and diet plan that matches your goals. Body fat can lead to certain health risks, so being informed about your body shape and any body shape change that occurs can have a positive impact on your health.

Instead of focusing only on broader shoulders or your waist size, look at your body as a whole to learn how to take care of it better. These female body shapes have an impact on your overall health, and ignoring them could lead to health risks like heart disease and body changes such as a so-called beer belly.

Conclusion

Your unique body shape will depend greatly on your bone structure. Learning your shoulder, bust, hip, and waist measurements can help you make better-informed decisions. For example, a person with a narrow waist will probably choose a different dress type than someone struggling with belly fat.

Although we've mentioned the most common body shapes, there are so many diverse body shapes. More importantly, you can fit more than one body type description. Your waist and hips might fit the pear body shape, but your shoulders might not be narrow or wide.

Having balanced proportions and respecting your natural waistline is your first step towards a healthy life. Make sure you celebrate your body and give it the attention and care it deserves.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Know Your Body Shape?

To determine your body shape, you will need to use a body shape calculator that can be found on numerous websites. Such calculators are typically free, and they require your measurements to calculate your shape. With this information, you can learn which potential health risks you need to be aware of based on the area where your body stores fat. You can also make better fashion and aesthetic decisions that suit your physique better.

How Do You Lose Weight Based on Your Body Type?

Sometimes, a balanced diet and exercise are not enough to lose weight. This is because we ignore our body type and don't personalize our workout routines. For instance, if you're aiming for a healthy waist size and have a rectangle body shape, it might require more effort in the waist area than for someone with an hourglass shape. Your body shape could be the explanation for abdominal fat, so it's important information for your weight management.

Is Your Body Type Related to Health Issues?

Taking precise measurements is important to learn your shape because certain shapes can put you at risk for certain health issues, such as cardiovascular disease. If you store fat easily, you will have a higher risk of this fat affecting vital organs. That is why it's important to have a healthy diet to get rid of belly fat or any additional fat your body has been accumulating around the waist and hips. Use a body-type calculator frequently to track changes and celebrate improvements.