Asthenic physique implies natural thinness and fine bones. People with this body type are practically not, but also muscle mass they have a hard time recruiting. Usually such people have narrow shoulders and chest, and are often too tall, which does not harmonize with thinness. Long limbs, elongated face, pale skin. Pallor is caused by low blood pressure; asthenics have constantly cold extremities.
Asthenics have an accelerated metabolism, which also complicates the process of gaining weight. If such a person wants to gain weight, he needs to eat very often and in large quantities. These are sick and weak people, but they sleep very little. By nature they are sensitive and impressionable, often with low or painfully high self-esteem.
They are easily offended, but they are not prone to torment and analysis of what happened. Asthenics are not prone to shocking behavior and do not strive to show themselves in society. IN difficult situation get lost, don’t like changes to the usual life situation, strangers. From positive traits we can mention meticulousness and conscientiousness in work, decency and care, balance.
Normosthenic physique
A normosthenic has a proportional muscular figure, and the muscle tissue is naturally developed. It is easy for these people to achieve an athletic figure. Their metabolism is also fast, but with a sedentary lifestyle, fat will be deposited. They need to eat more protein foods than fat and carbohydrates. In this case, they will not get better.
By nature, normosthenics are quite proud and strive to become leaders in everything. They are not afraid of dangers and quickly find a solution in a difficult situation. Many of them are aggressive and tough, and behave relaxed and noisy in society. They are usually full of emotions, they are quick-witted and witty.
Hypersthenic physique
Hypersthenics have rounded shapes and have a wide skeleton. Prevails fat mass over the muscle. Limbs are usually short, metabolism is slow. They type easily overweight and have difficulty building muscle mass. These people, as a rule, shy away from sports, but they need it. Without physical activity, their figure will inexorably blur over time.
At the same time, their appetite is moderate, they are prone to diseases of the digestive and circulatory systems. By nature, they are good-natured and sincere people, calm and self-confident. They become strongly attached to people close to them and care about them, sometimes to the point of possessiveness. Hypersthenics need to monitor their health more carefully than others.
There is a clear relationship between a person’s psychotype, as well as his emotionality and temperament. There are three main psychotypes: asthenic, normosthenic, hypersthenic. An asthenic person is distinguished not just by certain proportions of figure and body, but also by his attitude towards people, himself, and a specific way of thinking.
Features of asthenic
Asthenics look sophisticated and fragile. They are typically thin and tall, have difficulty gaining weight due to their high metabolism, and have a low fat content. The muscles of asthenics are weakly expressed, and the contours of the body are angular. A slight stoop predominates, the face is elongated and narrow. Outwardly they make an impression weak people, not only by character, but also by medical indicators. The skin of this psychotype of people is dry, thin and pale. Blood pressure – low or normal. Asthenics do not tolerate climate change well; their feet and hands are often cold. People of this type love sweet and sour foods and have a weakness for hot drinks and alcohol.
Character
Asthenics are quite vulnerable and impressionable; they can easily faint at the sight of blood or an animal caught under the wheels of a car. They worry for a long time if someone says a rude word to them. Such people are not ready to analyze this or that situation, they do not want to delve into themselves and look for, he must do this and not otherwise. They do not like increased attention to themselves and live secretly. Asthenics simply adore animals, often acquiring a large number or. In the event of a threat or trouble, they do not know what to do, they become as if amorphous, and cannot do anything. Often asthenics become withdrawn and highly vulnerable.
Such people are demanding of themselves and others, so it is often difficult for them to communicate with representatives of a different psychotype. But asthenics are capable of constant and deep feelings for loved ones, relatives, and friends. The sensitive nervous system contributes to fairly rapid fatigue, which manifests itself in the form of hot temper and irritability, suspiciousness and anxiety. This condition is generally called asthenic.
Asthenics are susceptible to stress, they are less resilient than other psychotypes, so you should adhere to a certain lifestyle so as not to overload nervous system, relax and work as efficiently as possible, at a convenient pace and mode. Asthenics are contraindicated in excessive physical exercise, saturated social life. It is recommended to get proper rest, sleep, walks fresh air to restore spent mental energy.
This psychotype includes creative people, who are prone to painstaking mental work and research, they are focused on the process rather than the result. Asthenics are valued for moral principles, kindness, high conscientiousness, responsibility.
The mental world of every person, regardless of gender, is inextricably linked with the body. Psychologists once noticed that outwardly similar people demonstrate the same similarity of character. What causes this phenomenon? At birth, each of us already has certain body proportions. The size and shape are programmed by the genotype, which means chest circumference, waist, height, weight. Their ratio determines the constitution of the body, and then it remains to correlate the data with the existing classification. Do your proportions indicate that you have an asthenic type?
Three body types
To begin with, experts have identified the three most common and typical structures of the human body: strong, thin, plump. Basic categories, which can have completely different names, created the basis for the classification of body types: athletic, asthenic, picnic. The external signs characteristic of each type are noticeable to everyone, in many ways typical, and they differ from each other in endurance, amount of energy, tendency to be overweight, coordination of movements, which determines a person’s predisposition to science, sports, and hobbies.
Asthenic physique in men and women
A man with an asthenic physique differs in appearance from other types because his muscles are not very developed. Even regular exercise in the gym will not help change this innate feature; his body will remain wiry and lean. High level self-control, ability to plan, developed attention, but at the same time a predisposition to alcohol, drowsiness, impressionability, restraint - this is what can be general characteristic representatives of the stronger sex with an asthenic type of body structure.
An asthenic woman can be identified by the following external characteristics: long neck, thin nose, narrow chest, length of arms, weak muscles, above average height. A thin physique, characteristic of the asthenic type, affects endurance, so such young ladies often lack strength. But this external sign also indicates that asthenic women are always perceived by others as graceful persons. Due to their special physique, such ladies do not suffer from a tendency to be overweight, so they are not threatened with extra pounds.
Features of the character and temperament of asthenics
All asthenics are united by one succinct phrase - these are Thinkers. A characteristic physique leaves an imprint for both better and worse. These are people who do not let things take their course, are focused, like to calculate everything down to the smallest detail, are scrupulous, they do not like wasting time on empty chatter or being in the public eye. On the other hand, the vitality of asthenic people is reduced, so they get tired quickly, cannot work productively in a busy schedule, and their endurance is below average. They are at risk of early wrinkles, but their appetite does not affect their figure.
Asthenics have a high metabolic rate; they can eat any food, but they prefer sour, salty and sweet foods. At the same time, extra pounds do not threaten them; in order to gain weight, asthenics must include daily diet sweet dishes in large quantities. Among the predispositions to diseases, people with this body type suffer from gastritis, gastric ulcers, and tuberculosis.
Each body type leaves its mark on the development or course of the disease. If, when normo- or hypersthenics contract tuberculosis, the disease proceeds without complications, then in asthenics everything is exactly the opposite: the disease often takes a severe form, and they take much longer to restore strength. An increased concentration of oxygen in the blood is typical for asthenics. From a medical point of view, body type helps determine predisposition or conduct early diagnosis of a disease, which helps to start treatment on time.
Regarding the character of asthenics, the combination of high pride and feelings of inferiority is inherent in both men and women. They are able to worry for a long time about rudeness expressed towards them, but they do not like to conduct an internal dialogue, draw hasty conclusions, analyze actions, analyze the situation in detail and delve into themselves. Asthenics also don’t like to stand out in the crowd, but they sincerely adore animals, so they often become pet owners.
Photos of people with asthenic physique
Thinness, thin dry skin, pallor, tall stature, long arms - this is a typical description of an asthenic. Vulnerable, taciturn, and at the same time resistant to stress, restrained from showing emotions, they differ from other types in many ways. By appearance, photographs of people with an asthenic type of body structure will help to accurately determine this type of constitution. Characteristic features - from a narrow chest to delicate facial features - appear clearly, so others do not associate people of this physique with good health.
Depending on what habitual state a person is in, he develops certain personality traits. If a person experiences joy, then most likely he will be considered optimistic. If a person is sad, then most likely his views will be pessimistic. Asthenic personality disorder - what is it? It has characteristic symptoms and causes that are treated.
Asthenic disorder
A progressive illness with manifested exhaustion, decrease or loss of physical ability, a tendency to prolonged mental work, and constant fatigue is called asthenic disorder. It can manifest itself both in mentally or physically ill people and in healthy individuals.
Characteristic features are:
- Painful condition.
- Chronic fatigue.
- Impatience.
- Unstable mood.
- Impotence.
- Restlessness.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Partial loss of self-control.
- Muscle pain.
- Intolerance to strong odors, bright light and loud sounds.
The main human complaints are weakness, fatigue and soreness of the body (something constantly hurts). Fatigue occurs almost immediately after waking up, irritability and excitability arise, which is why exhaustion develops, which leads to tearfulness, low mood, displeasure and moodiness.
Common causes of the disease are physical disorders, illness, poor diet, lack of rest, overstrain (mental, physical or emotional), and neuropsychiatric illnesses. An asthenic disorder that arose as a result of excitement, protracted conflicts, anxiety, and nervous overstrain is called neurasthenia.
All factors and signs of the disorder form a certain type of personality, which in psychology has several names:
- Asthenic personality disorder.
- Asthenic psychopathy.
- Dependent personality disorder.
- Personality disorder of asthenic type.
- Dependent personality disorder.
About him characteristic features Let's talk further.
Asthenic personality disorder - what is it?
A person with asthenic personality disorder has quite unique and common qualities. What it is? It manifests itself in weakness and passivity, as well as an inadequate response to surrounding reality. Reduced activity manifests itself in the lack of development of the emotional or intellectual sphere, and the inability to enjoy life.
This condition should be distinguished from ordinary fatigue or weakness, which is quite possible to observe after a hard day at work or after an illness. The duration of the condition can distinguish them. Typically, a healthy person returns to normal after rest, good nutrition and quality sleep. If the condition does not normalize after the measures taken, then we are talking about a disorder that can be eliminated with medication.
Hypersthenic asthenic disorder is characterized by agitation, aggressiveness, mobility, and irritability.
Hyposthenic asthenic disorder is characterized by lethargy, depression of mental activity, fatigue, and difficulties in active movements.
The causes of such disorders are:
- Violation of metabolic processes.
- Partial or complete absence necessary vitamins and microelements.
- Overstrain of mental activity.
- Somatic diseases.
- Injuries or disorders in the nervous system.
If we divide the diseases leading to the development of asthenic disorder, we can indicate the following groups:
- Heart and vascular diseases: hypertension, heart attacks, arrhythmia.
- Neurological disorders.
- Infectious diseases: food poisoning, viral hepatitis, ARVI, tuberculosis.
- Gastrointestinal diseases: enterocolitis, ulcers, dyspeptic disorders, gastritis, pancreatitis.
- Diseases of the respiratory system: pneumonia, chronic bronchitis.
- Renal pathologies: chronic pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis.
- Body injuries.
- Postoperative consequences.
- Heredity.
Psychological causes of asthenic disorder are:
- Workaholism.
- Lack of rest and sleep.
- Moving, changing jobs.
- Prolonged experiences.
- Suffered a severe shock.
- Unfavorable family environment.
Treatment of asthenic disorder
How correctly doctors interpret the results obtained after diagnosing the condition will determine the treatment tactics for asthenic disorder. Initially, anamnesis and all information about the patient’s experiences are collected. Blood pressure and pulse are measured, and laboratory tests are performed. Other diagnostic methods are:
- Fibrogastroduodenoscopy.
- CT scan.
- Echocardiography.
- Ultrasound examination of cerebral vessels.
Treatment of asthenic disorder occurs in three main directions:
- Medication.
- Psychotherapeutic.
- Behavioral.
Drug treatment involves eliminating the disease that led to the development of the disorder. This also includes adaptogens, nootropics, atypical antipsychotics, antidepressants, and antipsychotics.
Psychotherapeutic treatment is aimed at eliminating the causes of emotional or psychological nature that provoked the disease. If there is constant stress or unwanted stimuli in a person’s life, then the environment should be changed.
Behavioral treatment is aimed at creating comfortable and favorable conditions for one’s existence:
- Complete nutrition.
- Rest.
- Change of job or place of residence, environment.
- Moderate sports activity.
- Walking in the fresh air, etc.
Training to develop qualities that suppress asthenic behavior has a significant impact. For example, it is important for a person to learn to take responsibility and decisions, and not always need other people’s help. Here it is necessary to increase your self-esteem, which is most likely underestimated by the circumstances and environment in which a person currently resides.
Bottom line
Asthenic disorder is a mental illness that does not affect life expectancy, but reduces its quality. The result of this condition can be isolation, dependence on others, lack of self-confidence, and the inability to survive alone. A healthy person can seek help from others, but his life does not worsen because he was denied support.
People don't always help when needed. They are often confused about when to help and when it is beneficial. Wanting to be good and seem kind, they help everyone they can. It is not always necessary to help, but help is useful and appropriate.
The student must come to the teacher himself, otherwise he will not change and will not do anything, which will be a waste of time. Where have you heard of a person changing and becoming a better person under pressure from other people and a fair amount of criticism and moral lectures? In this way, you can only cultivate aggression and anger in a person, but not about any good qualities out of the question.
In order for something to change, a person himself must want it, ask for help and receive it. Then the actions of all participants in the process will be useful. The help of the “teacher” will be appropriate when the “student” himself asks for it. But when you impose your help yourself, it is useless and causes anger and a desire not to accept it.
When is help appropriate? When you give it to someone who needs it and asks for it. In other cases, you simply force others to accept what you give. Often these actions are not appreciated, but, on the contrary, are rejected. And then it seems that “you do everything for others, but they do not appreciate your efforts.” But your only mistake is that you forgot to ask those you help if they need your help and if they want to receive exactly what you give them. If they don't need your help and don't want to accept the "gifts" you give them, then all your efforts will be unappreciated, no matter how good they are.
The German scientist Ernest Kretschmer, famous for his achievements in the field of psychotherapy and medical psychology, actively worked towards the development of a theory about the connection between the typology of temperaments and the human physique. And as a result of his research, the professor was still able to prove the relationship between the structure of the human body and his character.
Promoting his theory, E. Kretschmer identified a new psychotype, called asthenic. Who is he, what could be his description and character traits, we will describe in detail below.
Research by a German professor
Before Kretschmer could identify the relationship between temperament and body structure, and also identify three main types of temperament, he had to study many people. And it is worth noting that his works on studying the relationship between physique and personality make up the majority of all the scientist’s publications (and he has more than 150 of them).
Around 1918-1920, Kretschmer had several brilliant ideas that made the professor world famous. One of the most notable results of the scientist’s active work and research was his main work, published in 1921, a publication entitled “Korperbau und Charakter,” which translated means “Body Structure and Character.” Thanks to her, the whole world learned about the German psychiatrist.
The basis for this division of somatotypes was the results of studies of absolutely healthy people, as well as the diagram of the relationship of tissue structures in the body, originating from the three germ layers. Taking into account the degree of expression of a particular type of tissue (endoderm, ectoderm or mesoderm) and using a 7-point scale, Kretschmer derived formulas to describe “pure” character types:
- 7-1-1 – picnic type.
- 1-7-1 – asthenic type.
- 1-1-7 – athletic.
Relationship between body structure and temperament
Studying the body configurations of the subjects, the scientist divided them into four main groups, correlating each with mental disorders that Kraepelin once described. The analysis showed that people with a certain body type suffer from the same diseases. Thus, in the course of developing his theories, Kretschmer found that individuals with a picnic physique are more prone to psychoses of a manic-depressive nature. At the same time, people whose body structure is leptosomal are more susceptible to schizophrenia.
According to Kretschmer, distinctive features between the state of a healthy and a sick person are only quantitative in nature. That is, for each of the psychotypes there are three variants of mental structure:
- Healthy.
- Psychopathic.
- Psychotic.
In addition, each mental pathology is characterized by one or another form of psychopathic disorder, and it also corresponds to a specific psychotype of personality with no pathologies: cyclothymic or schizothymic.
Thus, it turned out that people who have a picnic and psychosomatic type are more susceptible to mental disorders. If the severity of the cyclothymic temperament is excessive, a tendency to bipolar affective disorder may develop if a person has pathologies of a cyclical nature. In turn, if a person with a schizothymic temperament exhibits abnormal deviations, this is fraught with the development of schizoidia, which gradually develops into schizophrenia with the rapid acceleration of signs of the disease.
Classification and description of psychotypes
Returning to the main classification of psychotypes, according to Kretschmer, it is worth noting that the characteristic features of a certain personality temperament can be identified already during the first communication with a person. The fact is that inner world not only influences human behavior, it appearance and mood, but is also reflected in many other nuances.
In the same way, you can get your idea of a person’s character by the composition of his body. The specificity of the body structure of a particular type is expressed in certain characteristics. If you are interested in body types, you can identify the following temperament characteristics for each of them.
Normosthenic (athletic, or more commonly known as mesomorph). This is a man with excellent physical fitness given to him by nature. The character of a person with a similar disposition will be dominated by such traits as the desire for dominance and leadership.
Typically, normosthenics are happy, energetic, self-confident people. They are good speakers and conversationalists, and they also enjoy physical activity and enjoy completing tasks. Although a normosthenic person is sociable, due to his constant desire for leadership, communication with representatives of the same somatotype does not work out for him.
Hypersthenic (also known as endomorph, picnic type). Unlike normosthenics, hypersthenics are people with a dense physique who usually have problems with overweight. It is worth noting that such a person is impressed by diets and specially designed menus, while the prospect of visiting a sports or gym is completely joyless for her. However, despite his excess weight, hypersthenics know how and love to communicate with other people. Therefore, they are excellent at maintaining relationships and making new connections.
The above classification of people according to their physique is conditional. IN real world we can observe how body types and character traits are mixed. That is why each person is a unique personality, even if his figure resembles a specific description and character type.
Characteristics for asthenics
Asthenics are individuals with a thin physique. People who belong to this type can be identified by their long arms and legs, narrow shoulders and small chest, long and narrow face with a thin nose. As part of his research, Kretschmer argued that such people are prone to complex psychological disorders.
In most cases, asthenics have a temperament (or a schizothymic character). It, in turn, will be characterized by:
- Closedness.
- Suspicion.
- Modesty.
- Scrupulousness.
- Weakly expressed (or absent) emotionality.
- Attentiveness.
- Lack of willpower.
- Uncertainty.
- Reasonableness.
- Coolness.
People who are asthenic in nature are considered weaker than normosthenics and hypersthenics. And this confirms the appearance of representatives of this type, because they have paler skin, almost always cold extremities and low adaptive abilities.
When you first meet an asthenic person, you can notice his craving for sweet, salty, sour and strong drinks. Perceiving the “incoming” information quite quickly, he will leisurely prepare a response. In stressful situations, such people show calmness, and therefore never “cut from the shoulder.”
Typically, those with an asthenic type of character prefer loneliness. They are very comfortable being alone with themselves. However, if an asthenic disorder develops, a person no longer feels safe being alone. Feeling an urgent need for the approval of people around them, as well as needing the care of loved ones, asthenics often become overly submissive. They become attached to people, tormented by the fear of loneliness and separation. Author: Elena Suvorova
There are several types of human constitution (physique). Among them is the asthenic (or hyposthenic, ectomorphic) type. People with this body structure usually “don’t know” what excess weight is. The other side of the coin is a lack of muscle mass. Why is it not easy for so-called asthenics to develop a muscular frame? How can they get their body in order? Let's talk about everything one by one.
Who are asthenics: distinctive features of ectomorph people.
A typical sign of asthenics is thinness. Even a rich diet that includes a significant proportion of sweets and baked goods does not always contribute to weight gain. Ectomorphs are usually tall, but occasionally people of average, even very short stature are also found. They have a poorly developed muscular frame, and there is almost no fat layer. The torso, face and limbs are elongated, elongated, and the shoulders and pelvis are narrow.
Asthenic men always suffer from underweight. Their bones are thin, their chest is sunken, and their ribs protrude. Female representatives with an asthenic body structure look more like teenagers. Such persons age early - due to too fast metabolism, muscles and skin atrophy untimely.
Surprisingly, body type also affects psychological characteristics person.
Asthenics are characterized by the following distinctive character traits:
- punctuality, scrupulousness and accuracy;
- conscientiousness and decency towards others;
- emotionality;
- shyness (even modesty), a tendency to instantly “flush” in awkward or tense situations;
- delicacy;
- sensitivity, vulnerability;
- suspiciousness and thoughtfulness;
- lack of self-confidence, increased susceptibility to stress.
Interesting! Among asthenics, introverts and artistic natures are more common.
A hyposthenic body type creates a predisposition to diseases of the respiratory and digestive organs. For example, asthenics are often diagnosed with gastrointestinal ulcers and gastritis with reduced acidity. Exists high risk arterial hypotension, vegetative-vascular dystonia.
What factors prevent an ectomorph from accumulating muscle mass?
Asthenics, as you know, find it more difficult than other people to build muscle mass and develop its strength. There are reasons for this:
- Firstly, initially there is a noticeable lack of muscle and fat tissue - their starting volume is significantly lower than normal.
- Secondly, all asthenics have accelerated exchange substances (metabolism), due to which consumed carbohydrates are instantly burned, without having time to transform into a fat resource. This happens even in a state of complete rest.
- Thirdly, the muscles of an ectomorph are not particularly prone to growth due to anatomical and physiological characteristics.
A person with a hyposthenic physique is forced to make significant efforts and spend a lot of time so that his muscular frame acquires relief outlines. In addition, the achieved result fades away much faster than for people of other types of constitution.
To increase the volume of muscle tissue, you need A complex approach. It involves adjusting your diet and choosing the right sports exercises.
The right foods for an ectomorph
It is advisable for asthenics to reduce the amount of high-fat foods in their diet. This is about pork meat, mayonnaise, fast food, chips, overly sweet and fatty desserts, sausages, whole milk, etc.
The menu is formed with an emphasis on proteins and other healthy nutrients. Their optimal ratio is considered to be:
1) complex carbohydrates – from 50 to 55%;
2) proteins (proteins) – from 30 to 35%;
3) healthy fats – about 15%.
You can satisfy an asthenic person’s need for carbohydrates with nuts, various vegetables, and rice. A source of quality protein in in this case are poultry (turkey, chicken), eggs, kefir. Olive and flaxseed oils, shrimp, mussels and sea fish.
Maintaining a balance of essential nutrients, a person helps his body synthesize in a more or less sufficient volume its own protein, necessary for the formation of a muscular frame.
What exercises should you pay attention to?
Training for asthenics should be combined with long periods of rest. This is due to the fact that ectomorphic people take much longer to regain strength. Excessively intense and frequent exercise can lead to exhaustion of the body, instead of making the figure fit.
Important! “Lazy breaks” during sports are simply necessary for asthenics - they help increase the effectiveness of the exercises.
The set of mandatory exercises includes adequate power training. Thanks to them, you can significantly increase muscle mass. Varieties and features of such exercises:
- monotonous muscle work with free weights;
- gradual increase in intensity of loads;
- improvement of execution techniques.
Endurance and strength need to be trained regularly, since muscle mass in ectomorphs is lost faster than it is gained.
Cardio exercise will also be useful, especially for eliminating stress to which asthenics are susceptible. In this case, it is necessary to comply simple rules:
- Perform aerobic exercise for 15 (maximum 30) minutes no more than three to four times a week.
- The training is carried out in a “corridor” of values from 60 to 80% of the personal maximum heart rate (or heart rate), to prevent burnout and loss of valuable calories.
It’s good to do yoga, Pilates, martial arts, tai chi. They help tonify and stretch muscles, optimize local blood flow and muscle trophism.
So…
Due to increased metabolism, asthenics are slim, which is often excessive. To make the body look harmonious, nutritious (mainly carbohydrate-protein) nutrition alone will not be enough. It is necessary to play sports, but this also has its own nuances. In most cases, asthenics are not faced with the task of losing excess weight, but aerobics is just as necessary as strength training.