Uncovering the Dangers of Waist Training

The 750,000 pictures on Instagram that are currently tagged with the words “waist training” is a small indication of the popularity of one of the world’s newest fitness fads. So, what is waist training exactly? Waist training is a practice involving the use of corsets, cinchers, or body shapers in order to achieve a smaller waistline. Women all over the globe have been ordering them by the boatloads especially after they have been worn by A-List celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Amber Rose, and Jessica Alba. However, contrary to Hollywood’s endorsements, waist trainers aren’t the best investment you can make in your physical fitness. Why, you ask? Let’s take a look.

Short History of Waist Training

Interestingly enough, we have already seen the rise and relative fall of waist training practices that are similar to those used today. Corsets began gaining popularity during the 16th century, but reached its peak during Great Britain’s Victorian era. However, in the early 19th century, tight-lacing began to become linked to many health-related issues which led to the Victorian Dress Reform Movement. Reformists were mostly middle-class women involved in the first wave of feminism in the United States and Great Britain.

Now, there have been some slight differences between waist training of the past and present that deserve to be noted. First, most of today’s waist trainers are using a device called a waist cincher – not a corset. Corsets are held together by lace usually located in the back. When using a corset, you are forcing your ribs beyond their natural point which will also cause your organs to shift in order to accommodate the corsets constriction. This is a very extreme form of waist training that can cause severe health problems including constipation, elevated blood pressure, and uterine prolapse. Waist cinchers do not use lace which puts less pressure on the ribs and internal organs. They are typically made of latex and spiral or plastic boning. These materials do a slightly better job at flexing with your body to cause less restriction. So, in essence, today’s waist trainers affect health at a lesser degree than that of their 18th century counterparts. Still, while the side effects have decreased, this doesn’t make modern-day waist training an action to be praised or practiced.

Health Issues of Modern-Day Waist Training

Users believe that by wearing waist trainers, often for hours at a time, they can gradually train the shape of their body into the form of an hourglass. After tightening the device, which will cause an individual to squeeze their ribs, stomach, and lungs together, serious discomfort and obvious difficulty breathing could shortly follow. Furthermore, by having your stomach compressed, it can be pushed up into the diaphragm causing acid reflux and heartburn. Some people even work out in their waist trainer which is highly discouraged. Breathing will become even more difficult while lack of mobility will not allow the user to move freely enough to get a good workout – ironic seeing that physical fitness is the intended purpose of the waist trainer.

Do They Even Work?

The short answer is a simple “no”. Health experts everywhere have stated that there are no long term results associated with waist training. Claims that they reshape the body or trigger fat loss are absolutely false. In fact, Christopher Ochner, Ph.D., weight loss and nutrition expert at Mount Sinai Hospital has reported that “”You can’t reduce the collection of fat in any one particular area of your body. If you push your stomach in, all the fat will go right back to where it was no matter how long [you wear the corset] for.” Furthermore, wearing a waist trainer all of the time can actually lead to decreased core strength which is quite counterproductive for someone looking for a sexier stomach.

So, if you really want to invest in your health, it may not be wise invest in a waist trainer. Every time you wear it you will be risking some kind of health issue while getting poor results in return. If you ask me, that’s not a very good trade off. If anything, as many women do, wear a waist trainer to look slimmer for the moment if you need a confidence boost. But, understand that wearing a waist trainer is a quick fix. Don’t be more worried about appearance that you are about good health. You will only be prolonging your real problem while potentially creating new ones. Stick to diet and exercise. There are no shortcuts when it comes to something as important as your health.