The condition known as hour-glass stomach is one where there is a constriction between the cardiac and pyloric orifices. It may be either congenital or acquired. The former is said to be extremely rare, while the latter is much more common than we believe.
“Hourglass syndrome is the result of performing stomach gripping often or for an extended period of time,” Dr. Browning says. “The muscles of the upper abdomen become hypertonic, or tight, and the muscles of the lower abdomen become weak and underused.”
muscle relaxation to address overtightening of the muscles due to stress. exercises to treat imbalances in abdominal muscle strength. physical therapy to correct postural and muscle-tone issues. psychological therapy to help treat body-image concerns.
There are a few reasons that someone's stomach can stick out. The first is body fat levels, and the second is metabolic dysfunction (linked to heart disease, diabetes, etc.), and the third is related to posture.
It's all about proportions. In other words, you can have an hourglass body and be tall, short, slim or curvy. The ideal body doesn't exist, the important thing here is to recognise the specific features of our body and learn how to show it off with clothes that we feel comfortable in and identify with.
If you have an hourglass shape with extra fat clinging to your stomach area, strengthening your abdominal muscles will help, but it cannot be the only way you attack the fat. Consuming fewer calories than you expend is the only way to get rid of the excess fat. There is no way around this simple fact.
Usually, the treatment suggested is physiotherapy. Exercises also help in relieving abdominal muscles. Exercises like core plank and wall posture help in strengthening core muscles. It is important to check for correct posture while exercising; otherwise, it will be a muscle spasm.
Exercises such as oblique twists, planking and crunches will also tone the lower stomach area. Everyone is sure to like the idea of burning fat even when you are resting! You can do this by weight training.
Avoid boxy and straight skirt styles as well as stiff fabrics. Keep away from skirts with big voluminous pockets, ruffles, darts or other embellishments around the hips unless you balance them with details around the chest. Finally, stay away from low-waisted skirts since these would add bulk to the lower body.
This type of fat is located just below your skin and keeps you warm and is a source of energy for your body. They are not as harmful as hard belly fat and are considerably easy to lose. When you start exercising and following a healthy diet, soft belly fat melt on its own.
Is it healthy to have an hourglass figure? 'Genetics play a role in the "hourglass figure" however, only 8% of women have a naturally small waist and wide hips,' cautions Dr Perry. 'You can be ultra-slim and yet be unhealthy, and likewise have an hourglass figure and be fit and healthy.
"If you tend to gain weight around your waist, you'll likely lose weight from your midsection first as well," says Brill.
What is the rarest body type? The hourglass body shape is the rarest body shape as it requires equal bust/shoulder and hip proportions with a dramatically smaller waist size. While this body type is frequently coveted, ideal body shapes are always changing and one body shape should never be looked at as superior.
Yours is the least common female body shape, with only 8 percent of women having an hourglass figure, but probably half of all women think they have one (ok I made that last figure up, but it's a LOT).
Ectomorph women often have small breasts. Ectomorph and weight loss: Ectomorphs tend to have fast metabolisms, meaning they burn calories quickly and easily. As a result, it's harder for them to gain weight.
Endomorphs body type
Endomorphs typically have higher levels of body fat and have a difficult time losing weight and they also have a wider physique when compared to ectomorphs and mesomorphs.
Apple Shape
Also called a “beer belly,” it means you have more fat stored around your stomach, while your lower body stays thin.
Hourglass Shape
Weight gain tends to accumulate on the chest, arms, hips and bum rather than the abdomen.
When excess visceral fat is burned, the body then begins tackling excess subcutaneous fat. Unfortunately, subcutaneous fat is harder to lose. Subcutaneous fat is more visible, but it takes more effort to lose because of the function it serves in your body.
As against areas such as legs, face and arms, our stomach and abdominal regions possess beta cells that makes it difficult to reduce the fats easily and lose weight in these areas. However, as per research, belly fat is the most difficult to lose as the fat there is so much harder to break down.
Fat cells in the stomach area have a higher amount of alpha receptors, which makes them more stubborn to get rid of. This is why when you start a fat loss program, you see results in the face, arms and chest before you lose the belly fat.
As far as body shapes go the round or pear shaped body can be one of the hardest to style but you can achieve a flattering look with a few simple tricks and tweaks. A lot of women often make the mistake of trying to cover their pear shaped body with baggy clothes.
While most women in their teens and early 20s define themselves as a neat hourglass shape, women in their 30s and 40s consider themselves as full hourglass and those in their 50s and 60s are most likely to be apple. 'Your body shape changes as you age, partly as women put on weight in different places,' said Jedinak.