Body type

Great post from Andreas Moritz 🍃

“Conventionally, there are three body types - ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph. These body types are based solely on muscle mass and body shape. The ectomorph is lean and skinny, the mesomorph strong and muscular, and the endomorph round and soft. Thanks to the media, advertising and social conditioning, it is obvious which body type most people long for and try to achieve through dieting and exercise.

Weight-reduction programs promising 'quick-fix' solutions; Conventional weight-loss programs, with their infamous ‘before-and-after’ pictures, suggest that with an appropriate diet and set of exercises, every woman can possess a coveted svelte figure and every man can acquire a sculpted muscular physique. It is a great sales pitch aimed where it hurts most - at overweight and obese individuals, many of them desperate to clutch at straws.

But there is a fundamental flaw in this so-called reasoning and classification of body type. It is based solely on external morphological characteristics - shape and size or body mass. Any fitness approach that does not view obesity as a disease but as a physical aberration cannot succeed.

Indeed there are different body types and each one responds differently to food and exercise. But a holistic and natural approach views each one as a sum of the physiological and biochemical processes that constitute each one and the doshas that keep the body alive and breathing. According to Ayurveda, are three psycho-physiological body types. Named after the three doshas, they are Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

Vatas generally do well with Yoga, Tai Chi, and Chi Kung. Since Vata types experience energy in bursts, they should be particularly careful not to overexert themselves. When their energy suddenly drops, they can feel depleted for a long time afterward. This often results in depression.

Individuals with a Pitta body type are competitive and are equipped with more drive and energy than Vatas. They prefer a goal-oriented exercise program. However, they also do not have boundless energy and are better off exercising in moderation. Pittas feel challenged by hiking in the mountains, skiing, jogging, swimming, playing tennis or engaging in other sports that generate in them a sense of achievement. The unbalanced Pitta type is also a sore loser. Pittas who are easily thwarted should opt for a less competitive exercise program to increase their level of satisfaction. Since excessive heat is a sign of unbalanced Pitta, swimming, which has a cooling influence, is one of the best forms of exercise for them. A walk in the cool forest is another excellent way to pacify an unbalanced Pitta type.

Kapha types are best suited to a good or moderately heavy workout. Weight training, running, rowing, some aerobics, long-distance bicycling, and playing football, basketball and tennis are all suitable for a Kapha. The Kapha type’s steady energy gives him the necessary endurance and stamina to last through long competitive games without feeling tired. Exercise clears out any excessive Kapha congestion, removes excessive water and fat, and improves general circulation.

No two people can exactly be the same because the three bodily doshas are each represented in varied degrees in every person living on the planet. There are, in fact, 10 different body types, most of them a combination of any two doshas.

Having understood that exercise is not about exertion but about energizing the body, it is easy to follow the logic to the next step that along with the correct dietary habits and lifestyle changes, exercise helps rebalance your energies, helps your body self-regulate and restore itself to its optimal weight.”

(This is a selection from the book ‘FEEL GREAT, LOSE WEIGHT’ by Andreas Moritz)