Article written May 2005 by Helga Marin
Question: I am a 27 year old unmarried woman cursed with a pear-shaped body. When studying myself in the mirror all I can see are those awful fat deposits on my upper thighs and buttocks while my upper body is thin. Of course, I exercise regularly, drink plenty of water and eat sensibly. Is there anything else I can do? I am seriously contemplating liposuction. “Pears belong on trees, not on me”.
C.R. , Dubai
If your lifestyle is healthy and you are not overweight, then take a look at your mother’s backside. Is she pear-shaped too? Genetics have a lot to do with our body shapes, irrespective of our lifestyles and exercise efforts. Some women tend to store more fat on their bottoms and thighs than others who may have thinner legs but a paunch. Perfection is only for angels.
What we know for certain is that the body burns the fat last from the place where it stores it first. The good news is that in your case, a physical effort will force your body to take fat from your legs and buttocks, as you don’t have anything to lose from your upper body.
The bad news is, you can’t do anything about your bone structure, and if you have wide hipbones otherwise known as ‘childbearing hips’ thank your stone age ancestors.
As a personal trainer I have worked with many pear-shaped women and with the right exercises, you can change your shape dramatically. I managed myself to lose over 20cm from my hips after I started exercising and I’ve even seem more dramatic results on my clients.
I suggest that you do following:
Run 3-5 times a week 20-30 minutes that is if you don’t have any physical weaknesses or injuries. If you are not used to running build it up slowly. As running is quite strenuous on the body don’t overdo it as you might risk overtraining and injuries.
Weight training is another magical way to change the shape of your body. You can shape your legs and build up the upper body to give the illusion of smaller hips. To do so: Train your legs relatively light (high reps with light weights) and workout your upper body with heavier weights. If you haven’t trained with weights before, I suggest that you see a qualified personal trainer who can assist you. As a beginner you should always train light for at least 1-2 months before moving to heavier weights.
Helga Marin
Health Mind and Body