You must be living under a rock if you haven’t come across the photos of the likes of Kardashians and Nicki Minaj wearing what looks like corsets on Instagram. Guess what, those are not corsets, that thick fabric hugging/clinching on to their waists are termed as “waist trainers”.
Celebrities love showing it off to their followers and they swear by how it is the secret of their bodies staying in shape. However, many professionals and experts strongly suggest people to not fall for what their favorite celebrities might be propagating on Instagram and elsewhere. Some professionals call it a “hoax” and rightly so because there is no science behind these waist trainers to ascertain how helpful they are.
Additionally, one study that tried to find its effects on women’s bodies could not even get complete. It was stopped midway as the study participants stopped wearing the waist trainers citing a heightened amount of discomfort. Imagine the study participants of a scientific study stopped wearing it, then what must be the implications of using this device in real life!
What is A Waist Trainer?
A waist trainer which may be called a distant relative of the corset is a thick fabric that is worn on the midsection that cinches to the waist by way of fastening it around through hooks, zips, or lacing.
It is that relative of the corset that the entire family hates. Corsets were popularized in the 1800s when it was claimed that they help women in getting the perfect and idealized hourglass figures. Corsets were soon done away with as there were reports of massive health risks arising out of wearing tight corsets regularly. The waist trainers seem to be going on the same path, only with more disastrous results.
What does it claim?
Waist trainers’ companies claim that it helps women in losing weight as it attacks the stubborn fat of the body around the midsection and shapes the body into an hourglass figure. It vouches to aid women in reaching their goals of the perfect body. One has to wear these waist trainers regularly for months to fit into their “ideal” ideas of beauty.
These companies use big names of Kardashians, Jenners, Jessica Alba, Nicki Minaj to advertise their products. These celebrities rather than educating their followers, happily endorse these waist trainers to fill their pockets with dollars.
Do Waist Trainers work?
Short answer: No.
Long answer: There is no scientific proof to back the fact that waist trainers work. However, some women do report seeing an immediate change in their waist size after wearing waist trainers which indicates that there are short-term results (which are unhealthy, keep reading to find out how) but no long-term results at all.
Professionals believe that waist trainers might deform your natural body structure. Waist trainers will not help in losing weight or fall. They only get rid of the fluids in your body through excess perspiration but no fat loss.
Effects of Wearing A Waist Trainer
There are a wide variety of effects of wearing waist trainers. As per one user, if you wear it to spin class, you might pass out!
Restricts movement
As waist trainers are extremely tight, they restrict movements in all ways. Some people who wear waist trainers and go about their day report facing discomfort. One must never wear waist trainers to their workout sessions as advertised by a few celebrities.
Limits oxygen flow to muscles
Whilst working out or even just moving around, your muscles and body need oxygen. Waist trainers, by their way of cinching on to the body, seldom leave any space to move, hence blood flow is restricted and the muscles don’t get enough oxygen. This may lead to shortness of breath, blacking out, lowered blood pressure, etc. Adverse health effects cannot be ignored.
Affects body posture
As the waist trainers tug to your body so tight, you might have to sit straight all the time – which is good but not in the long run! Rather, in the long run, it may give you back pain and other back problems. As one professional point out, when you wear a waist trainer and sit upright you are giving passing support to your body which is unhealthy and will not help you to create any long-lasting change.
Changes in eating habits
Because of the sense of tightness around the midsection, a lot of women report feeling fuller most of the time. Another toxic trait because if you cut down on meals, or if you cut down on portion size, your body will not receive the required nutrients leaving you unhealthy, decreasing your immune capacity, and vulnerable to illnesses.
May deform body structure
As the diaphragm is restricted to contract and relax freely if you do middle to high-intensity workout while wearing a waist trainer you might end up fracturing your floating ribs. That is the last thing you would want to happen to your body.
Should you try it?
Well, there is no doubt that waist trainers come with a variety of health risks and issues. Moreover, professionals advise against the usage of the same and even science couldn’t support the claims made by these waist trainers’ companies. After all this, it will not be wise to go ahead with using a waist trainer for weight loss when we know that there are multiple healthy ways to lose weight.
Additionally, if you are somebody who already may be going through gastrointestinal issues, back pains, digestive issues, etc. you should stay miles away from waist trainers. Remember there are multiple reasons why corsets went out of fashion and waist trainers resemble corsets in many disastrous ways.
What should you do instead?
As said, there are multiple ways to lose weight in a healthy way which shall also contribute to more long-lasting results. Regular exercising, cutting back on junk food, hydrating, sleeping for eight hours, maintaining a positive and healthy lifestyle are some of the ways of taking care of your body.
Apart from this, if you want to reach your goal of losing weight sooner, rather than crash dieting and intermittent fasting – more toxic trends, you can choose to reach out to professional help.