Waist trainers are the latest version of iteration underwear garments, compression garments, in other words, made of hard metal boning and thick elastic fabric.
Most of them come in solid flexible material with velcro, laces design, and poppers that help strap it around your midriff.
For someone who wants to understand how to develop better abdominal shape using waist trainers, read this post to see the realities, how they work, and whether they pose any health benefit or risk.
Do waist trainers work?
Waist trainers only offer a temporal effect by reducing the torso to give a sleeker waistline. Still, it doesn’t provide similar results to liposuction, help you achieve weight loss, or reduce belly fat.
Contrarily, people who wear waist trainers frequently may achieve a small amount of fat loss because they eat less and drink less while wearing them.
We cannot be sure that waist trainers will do much good for you because it dates back to the ’50s (although the name changes a bit over time) and can sometimes prove dangerous even if designed well enough to reshape the body.
Now, pay attention to the purported benefits of waist trainers.
1. Hourglass shape
The main reason for wearing the waist trainer is that they mold the lowest ribs (not connected with the breast bones) and the fat pockets along the waist into a sleeker hourglass shape.
It does help to mold the waist and floating ribs into a trimmer hourglass figure by squeezing the torso. I’ve seen different studies that prove it can.
According to an international board of cosmetic surgery, the waist trainer won’t significantly change your body shape, and the hourglass figure it gives will not stick around.
2. Enhanced posture
When you wear the waist trainer (shapewear), the muscle fibers and areas of skin between your upper body and core will stretch to give you a better posture.
Again, the metal bones in waist trainers help one maintain a good sitting and standing posture, preventing slouching.
Conclusive, they reduce the tendency of straining the back by providing the necessary support the back needs.
Note: It may cause back pain by weakening the core muscles if you overuse it or clinch too tight.
For instance: Some people wear the waist trainers every other day for years while others wear them only 3-4 days per month or occasionally two weeks. Therefore, choose the occasional frequency to be on the safe side.
3. Weight loss
Waist trainer provides a quick fix for putting the mid-section in a good appearance, but weight loss with these corsets is superficial.
It’s loss of fluid from the body through extra perspiration, a professional fitness instructor says.
The waist trainer compresses the abdominal region, making you breathe faster and sweat as if your body is working out to burn fat. However, the harder you squeeze the abdominal, the more negative effects it causes.
It’s good to incorporate the wearing of waist trainer with the exercises, even if it’s yoga, to get a better weight loss result. Yes, yoga makes perfect sense.
You can begin putting that finishing touch once or twice per month with specific exercises, but during such times, make sure you do them at least 3-4 days apart.
While most women’s workouts are about an eight-week process, there is nothing like stretching out your hips and thighs every morning or even on the weekend, rather than depending on a waist trainer for weight loss.
4. Makes one feel full
Again, wearing the waist trainer makes you eat and drink less, promoting a crash diet to make you feel full. However, this method is an awful alternative to a healthy diet that is harmful to total wellness.
Still, some would argue otherwise as they have proved time after chance too frequently over the years, especially those who wear them all week long.
The important thing is to keep up with a healthy lifestyle and maintain healthy eating to keep fit and have a better appearance.
Another benefit to keeping up with your
goals and lifestyle while maintaining an active approach to weight loss is
finding different workouts during lean times where you are exercising regularly.
Waist trainers also have side effects and health risks, find out here;
People strap the waist trainer around their waistline for a maximum of 8 hours per day for an effective result,
according to the recommendation, which is risky and may cause several health problems which include;
1. Weakens the abdominal muscles
Because these different abdominal muscles feel tight when you strain them for a prolonged period using the waiting trainer, their total pull will weaken.
Again, a habitual overusing of waist trainers turns off the ab muscles rather than bringing the abs together. It does this by compressing the midsection, thereby preventing the muscles from engaging in core movements.
2. Restrict airflow
Be mindful if you’re addicted to wearing waist trainers. When you cinch them too tight, it inhibits the diaphragm from performing its functions – contracting and moving downward to facilitate air inflow.
People who wear it draw it up so high to cover the rib cages to achieve the hourglass figure without minding that it constricts airflow, making it challenging to breathe appropriately.
So, be wary about wearing the waist trainers severely to avoid hurting the diaphragm that helps breathe.
3. Musculoskeletal issues
The waist trainers hold the middle part of your spine, attached t the rib cage, so tight when you wear them, making them not move so freely.
When you compress the diaphragm with waist trainers, it signals to the small accessory muscles close to the neck, eventually leading to wearing out. It can cause headaches, jaw pain, and neck pain.
Some expert health practitioners and fitness trainers say that it pressurizes the internal organs, aggravates prolapse in postpartum women, and leads to other risks such as digestive issues.
Therefore, if all those things cause soreness during a workout, then each day is even more challenging than the week because so much tissue gets strained out in one go.
Why do celebrities and other people wear waist trainers?
The sole purpose of wearing waist trainers is to help squeeze the hip circumference for a better appearance.
Celebrities wear it most often, claiming that it helps slim their waist and aid in weight loss.
Being tighter than a girdle, waist trainers help one achieve a sleek waistline during the hours you’re wearing them but don’t melt visceral fat.
Do waist trainers reduce waist size?
Yes, waist trainers temporarily reduce the waist size, but your circumference or waistline will return to its usual size once you take them off. Note that waist trainers do not trim body fat.
How effective are waist trainers?
Although waist trainers give immediate results, they’re unlikely to offer a long-term weight loss or trimming effect on your figure.
How long will you wear a waist trainer to see results?
You have to wear the waist trainers for 8 – 10 hours for a practical impact to give a sleeker, trimmer waistline.
However, if you want to shape the body, lose weight and keep it off, you should incorporate a balanced diet and regular workout.
As popular as they are, waist trainers don’t help in weight loss as celebrities claim they do but can help reshape appearance to make it sleeker.
Final Words
People should continue to wear their best clothes and maintain healthy diets, no reason to risk your life for small waist trainers.
Wear something more comfortable or flexible, like yoga pants and regular outfits.
Remember that this type of activity does not replace exercise, but it certainly helps shape your body into its desired form momentarily.
To achieve permanent fat loss and keep it off, eat healthfully and do regular exercises.
