From Instagram to Game of Thrones, corsets and waist training are everywhere. Celebrities are doing it. Fashion magazine editors are trying it out for their readers. And now us regular folk are getting into the act. Why? Because we want some way to cut back on the sight of our belly fat, whether it is from a poor diet or if it is a mommy belly.
But much of this trend is against medical advice. You see, waist training may benefit our immediate appearance, but too much of a good thing can actually weaken our core and can cause us some serious health issues. Will this stop us from giving it a shot? Probably not.
Waist training has been around for centuries. Women of all classes have done it and so have the guys. Some men, in fact, still undergo waist training to attain a more masculine, domineering figure whereas women undergo waist training to accentuate their curves and flatten their stomach. Whatever the reason is behind wanting to try out waist training, there are certain facts you need to know to get into the trend safely.
16 Can Cause Heartburn
The trick to waist training is to not go too tight. If it does fit too tight, it can push your stomach into your diaphragm and cause heart burn. When you will need to do is get fitted for a properly sized waist trainer. This can involve taking your own measurements and working with a fitting person online or visiting a boutique specialized in fitting women for intimate apparel.
15 They Can Boost Your Self Esteem
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Let’s face it. If something can give you a thinner looking waist, wouldn’t you try it out? Well, many women are getting into waist training because it does make them look thinner and, as a direct result, these women are feeling good about themselves. Waist training is like an automatic boost to the self esteem because you see immediate results.
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13 Waist cinchers
Special waist trainers, called fitness waist cinchers, are designed to be worn while you work out. While experts say they do nothing for the fat, the cinchers do help you lose water weight around your stomach. This is great news for women who want to get rid of their bloating. Toxins are also said to exit the body this way, but keeping the cincher on for too long can also cause an acne breakout and may, in the long run, reduce your core strength.
12 Restricts Breathing
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Wearing a tight waist trainer does restrict your breathing, so keep it off when you practice yoga or anything that requires deep breathing exercises. You will only be able to take shallow breaths while wearing the trainer and that can cause dizziness. For deeper, belly breathing, the waist trainer will have to come off because it will prevent your abdomen from expanding.
11 Only Worn for 2 to 10 Hours a Day
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Waist trainers are not meant to be worn every day, 24 hours a day. In fact, doing so will weaken your core muscles and your stomach will become flabby instead of strong the was you would like it. If you are going to start waist training, begin by wearing the trainer for only 2 hours a day. Gradually work your way up to, at most, 10 hours a day.
10 Can Cause Back Acne
Wearing a corset or a waist trainer can cause a severe acne breakout on your back. When you have your trainer on, sweat and body oils become trapped next to your skin. Your skin can’t breathe properly, and the results can range from a rash or an acne breakout. To avoid the acne, only wear the trainer for a small amount of time, keep your skin washed, and your trainer dry and clean.
9 Feels Comfortable After Giving Birth
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After having a baby, you will have a soft, belly skin. This post baby tummy makes a lot of women feel uncomfortable and celebrities, such as Jessica Alba, have used waist training to go back to their pre-baby tummy. The trainer, or corset, helps hold the belly in place, gets rid of water weight, and according to some, helps reduce uterus swelling.
8 Restricts Blood Flow
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Wearing a waist trainer or corset can restrict your blood flow back to your heart. It can also affect your blood pressure. If you already have any pre-existing problems with your heart of blood pressure, you should seriously reconsider the dangers of wearing a waist trainer. This blood flow restriction can also cause fainting and wearing a waist trainer is something you will want to avoid while driving your car.
7 Helps Improve Posture
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Waist trainers and corsets force you into a straight posture. You simply cannot slump your back when wearing one because there is not enough room to do so. This is one of the positive benefits to wearing a trainer, although with a bit of perseverance, you could achieve a better, straighter posture on your own without the help of a trainer.
6 Makes You Take More Potty Breaks
One of the biggest complaints among women who are just starting out in waist training is that they always have to go to the bathroom. The waist trainer puts a lot of pressure on your abdomen and their is not enough room in there for your bladder to fill up. Instead, any small amount of urine has to come out immediately or you will feel a constant, uncomfortable need to go pee.
5 Can Cause Constipation
While it seems like your body can’t keep any pee in it and you have the nonstop urge to go to the bathroom, the opposite seems to be true with your bowels. Wearing a corset or trainer can cause constipation. The best way to beat this is to eat a healthy diet that contains fiber and to give yourself breaks from wearing a corset.
4 Weakens Core Muscles
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One of the biggest complaints from fitness trainers is that wearing a waist trainer can weaken your core muscles. From my research, this is true if you would wear the corset without implementing any form of exercise. Some women are wearing fitness waist trainers to get speedy results on their weight and fitness training. Still, other women do not wear a waist trainer while they exercise, believing that they are giving their core muscles better training without the trainer. Whether you decide to try out a waist trainer or not, exercising core muscles is essential for a healthy body.
3 Can Help You Eat Less
Many women are claiming that wearing a waist trainer or full corset is like a non-surgical lap band. These devices restrict your eating because there simply isn’t enough room for your stomach to expand inside the trainer. Many women feel that trainers are safer than getting surgery and they can put the trainer on whenever they feel the need to curb their eating.
2 Has No Lasting Effect
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A drawback to wearing a trainer is that doctors say it has no lasting effect. Your waist will return to its normal shape shortly after your stop wearing one. In other words, to keep a flat stomach or an hourglass figure, you will need to continue to wear a trainer or corset for the rest of your life or until you grow tired of wearing one.
1 Has Been Around for Centuries
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The history of the corset is a fascinating journey through women’s trends and fashion. Women have been using corsets since the 1500s as a form of body modification. By wearing one, their midsection fitted into their dresses better and they were able to either push up their breasts with a full corset or flatten their breasts with one, depending on the fashion. The waist has always been a target, from the hourglass figure to the wasp waist to the simple desire to make the stomach appear flat, the corset in its many forms will probably never fully vanish from our wardrobe.
Sources:health.com, huffingtonpost.com, thefashionspot.com
