The Nine Body Types

“One body, one plan” is not a slogan — it is a method. No generic templates. No copy-pasting someone else’s plan. We listen first, then give you a direction.

The national standard GB/T 46939—2025 on Body Constitution Classification, developed under the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, came into effect on April 1, 2026. Its core value is shifting health management from treating illness to preventing it — laying a scientific foundation for personalized wellness.

Songke translates this national standard into daily direction you can actually understand and act on.

Because every body is different. Different body patterns call for different focus in daily care and wellness.

The same symptom can have completely different roots. Take poor sleep — for some, it is low energy; for others, internal heat rising; for others, stuck emotions. The same herbal tea that helps you may do nothing for your friend.

It is not the tea’s fault, and it is not your fault. The method simply needs to match your body. That is what we mean by “one body, one plan.”

Nine.

According to the national standard GB/T 46939—2025, the nine body types are: Balanced, Low Energy, Cold, Dry, Dampness, Damp-Heat, Stagnation, Stress, and Sensitive.

Balanced is the ideal type. The other eight are “tilted” types — each corresponding to a different sub-health pattern. Most people are not one single type, but a blend of two or three tendencies.

Body type assessment is a standardized method. Accurate determination should be made by a licensed TCM practitioner through full consultation.

[ Core Traits ]The only one of the nine constitutions that is healthy and ideal. Yin, Yang, Qi and Blood are in harmony: moderate build, a healthy complexion, steady energy, and fairly regular sleep, appetite and digestion. You adapt to changes in weather and surroundings more easily than most.

[ Why ]Being Balanced does not mean you never get sick. It means your body regulates itself well. If you get tired or overeat for a day, you bounce back quickly. You rarely stay run down for long, and you seldom tip into obvious heat, cold sensitivity or puffiness.

[ Daily Direction ]

• Food：No special regimen is needed. Eat three regular meals and keep them varied and balanced.
• Rest：Keep a regular rhythm. Sleep early and wake early.
• Movement：Move moderately. There is no need to overdo it.
• Note：Do not take tonics just because you want to “nourish” yourself. Over-supplementing can break the balance you already have.

[ Core Traits ]The core trait is insufficient original Qi. Typical signs are easy fatigue, shortness of breath and spontaneous sweating — your voice stays on the quiet side, you sweat at the smallest effort, you are winded after a few flights of stairs, and you still feel tired after a full night’s sleep. The tongue often looks pale and swollen.

[ Why ]Think of it as a weak energy foundation — like a phone with a small battery that never lasts long even when fully charged. This is not laziness. The reserve itself is low.

[ Daily Direction ]

• Food：Eat on a regular schedule and never skip staples. Favour gentle Qi-supporting foods such as Chinese yam, millet, jujube and astragalus. Go easy on raw, cold and cooling foods.
• Rest：Sleep early and do not stay up. If your energy is low, recovery after a late night is especially slow.
• Movement：Choose gentle movement: walking, Baduanjin, Tai Chi. Avoid intense workouts that leave you drenched — the more you sweat, the more Qi you spend.
• Note：Do not diet aggressively to lose weight. Cutting food short only leaves you feeling worse.

[ Core Traits ]The core trait is insufficient Yang Qi. Typical signs are aversion to cold and cold hands and feet — air conditioning bothers you even in summer, your hands and feet stay icy in winter, and your lower back, belly and knees feel chilly. You prefer hot food and drinks, and cold water upsets your stomach. The tongue often looks pale, swollen and coated white.

[ Why ]Yang Qi is the little sun inside you, making heat and driving circulation. When that sun burns low, the coldest places — your hands and feet — feel it first.

[ Daily Direction ]

• Food：Favour warming foods such as fresh ginger, lamb, longan and red dates. Avoid raw, iced and cooling foods.
• Rest：Sleep early and skip late nights. Be in bed before 11 p.m. Staying up late is like burning lamp oil you cannot replace.
• Movement：Spend daytime hours outdoors and get some sun. Movement generates Yang, but avoid intense exercise late at night.
• Note：Keep three areas especially warm: your lower back and belly, your ankles, and the back of your neck.

[ Core Traits ]The core trait is depleted Yin fluids. Typical signs are dry mouth and throat and hot palms and soles — your mouth dries easily, especially at night, and you like cold drinks but may not want much of them. You may sweat in your sleep and feel your face flush in the afternoon or early evening. The tongue often looks red with little coating.

[ Why ]Yin fluids are the body’s coolant, moisturising and cooling it down. When there is not enough, you dry out and heat up: dry mouth, dry eyes, dry skin, and hot hands and feet.

[ Daily Direction ]

• Food：Favour Yin-nourishing, moistening foods such as snow fungus, lily bulb, mulberry, ophiopogon and pear. Cut back on spicy, fried and grilled food.
• Rest：Not staying up late comes first. Be asleep before 11 p.m. Late nights drain Yin faster than anything.
• Movement：Avoid workouts that leave you soaked. Heavy sweating uses up even more of your Yin fluids.
• Note：If you tend to get irritable, learning to slow yourself down matters a great deal here.

[ Core Traits ]The core trait is accumulated Phlegm-Damp. Typical signs are a heavy build, a full belly and a sticky, greasy tongue coating — your body feels weighed down, you wake up feeling unrested, the tongue coating is thick and greasy, and your mouth feels sticky. You sweat easily and the sweat is tacky; you may feel chest tightness and have a lot of phlegm.

[ Why ]Think of it as slowed fluid metabolism: extra water is not cleared out and gradually gathers as Phlegm-Damp. It is like a damp room where the walls start to mottle.

[ Daily Direction ]

• Food：Keep it light. Cut back on greasy food, sweets, milk tea and fried food. Eat more Job’s tears, adzuki beans, winter melon and white radish.
• Rest：Do not sit for long stretches. A 15-minute walk after meals helps a lot with this pattern.
• Movement：This is the constitution that most needs to move. Aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity a day; sweating helps move the dampness out.
• Note：Avoid staying in damp places for long. Keep your living space ventilated and dry.

[ Core Traits ]The core trait is Damp-Heat brewing inside. Typical signs are an oily, dull complexion, a bitter taste and a yellow, greasy tongue coating — your face gets oily and breaks out, your mouth tastes bitter and sticky, your stools are sticky and hard to pass, and your urine runs dark. You get irritable easily and your skin is prone to eczema.

[ Why ]Dampness is the fluid problem; Damp-Heat is that same dampness with heat added. It is like a sauna day — damp, muggy and hot — and your body sits in that same climate.

[ Daily Direction ]

• Food：Keep it light, low in oil and low in sugar. Eat more mung beans, winter melon, bitter melon and celery. Give up alcohol completely: it is fuel for Damp-Heat.
• Rest：Do not stay up late. Late nights make Damp-Heat worse, especially in the Liver and Gallbladder.
• Movement：Move moderately and work up a sweat, but do not overdo it. Drink water promptly after exercise.
• Note：Keep clean, but do not strip oil from your skin too aggressively. Over-cleansing only pushes the oil glands to produce more.

[ Core Traits ]The core trait is sluggish Blood movement. Typical signs are a dull complexion and a dark purplish tongue — your face looks dark, dark circles come easily, your lips are deep in colour, and bruises appear easily. You may get sharp, stabbing pain that stays in one fixed spot. Women may also have painful periods.

[ Why ]Blood is not moving freely, like a river silted up, so some areas get less nutrients and oxygen. That is why the complexion dulls, aches settle in, and cuts and bruises heal slowly.

[ Daily Direction ]

• Food：Eat more foods that keep Blood moving, such as hawthorn, black wood ear, onion, peach kernel and rose.
• Rest：Cold makes Blood congeal, so keep warm here — especially hands and feet, lower back and belly.
• Movement：Regular exercise works best for this pattern. Brisk walking, jogging and swimming all count; consistency is what matters.
• Note：Long-term suppressed emotion also deepens stagnation. Learning to let it out is important.

[ Core Traits ]The core trait is stagnant Qi movement. Typical signs are a low mood and a tendency to worry — you sink into low spirits easily, sigh a lot, feel tightness in the chest, and feel as if something is stuck in your throat. Sleep is light and easily broken. You handle mental pressure less well than most.

[ Why ]Qi is the energy flow that keeps the body running. When that flow is blocked, it is like a traffic jam — hence the tight chest, the sighing and the mood swings.

[ Daily Direction ]

• Food：Eat more Liver-soothing, Qi-moving foods such as dried tangerine peel, rose, finger citron and citrus fruit. Go easy on coffee and strong tea: caffeine feeds anxiety.
• Rest：Five to ten minutes of deep breathing a day makes a real difference here.
• Movement：Aerobic exercise suits this pattern best. Running, swimming and dancing all help things move.
• Note：Find someone to talk to, something to do, somewhere to go. Do not keep your feelings bottled up.

[ Core Traits ]The core trait is an inborn sensitivity of this kind. Typical signs are allergic reactions — you react easily to pollen, dust mites or certain foods, sometimes alongside allergic rhinitis, asthma or hives. Your constitution simply responds to outside triggers more sharply than most.

[ Why ]Think of it as a recognition system that is set a little too finely: harmless things get flagged as threats, so the body overreacts to them.

[ Daily Direction ]

• Food：Keep meals light and simple, and identify your triggers one by one. Try only one new food at a time and watch how you respond.
• Rest：A steady daily rhythm helps keep things stable. Late nights tend to make reactions more obvious.
• Movement：Keep your living space clean and reduce contact with dust mites, pollen and pet dander.
• Note：If reactions are severe, see a doctor — do not manage it on your own. This constitution needs guidance from a qualified physician.