Waist Trainers - Benefits and Side effects

Diva - 02 Feb 22

You have probably heard of Waist trainers in some point in time, perhaps on social media by following celebrities, chances are you’ve most likely seen waist trainers somewhere on the internet lately. They are corset-like garments that supposedly give you an hourglass shape over time. We want to dive into more detail about waist trainers and if they are Dangerous or not.

While it may seem like they are trendy and everyone is wearing them these days, they’re not likely to help you lose weight around your middle at all. In fact, they honestly can be dangerous and you may be risking your health. Let's dive in and you can decide if it is worth taking the risk. 

What do waist trainers actually do when you wear them?

Waist trainers are usually made of thick elastic fabric, like neoprene. They’re meant to be worn snugly around your midsection, the back often has laces, Velcro, or hooks.Some people compare waist trainers to shape-wear, but there isn't a big difference between the two: waist trainers are meant to be worn regularly and  they are even tightened over time.

Because of that, some people claim they can help you lose weight and  you might get more of an hourglass figure. Some companies that sell waist trainers also recommend wearing one after having a baby. 

So can they really help you lose weight? 

Not quite, there are three things that happens:

  • Squeezing. Waist trainers squeeze your midsection, similar to very-intense shape-wear. But the effect disappears as soon as you take the trainer off.
  • Sweating. You might sweat more than usual while wearing a waist trainer (they’re hot!), which can make you lose water weight. But this effect is temporary too.
  • Shrinking. If you wear a waist trainer consistently, your core muscles can form muscle atrophy and shrink from a lack of use. Since your stomach is squeezed, you’re also less likely to overeat while wearing one.
All of these changes could make you look and feel slimmer without actually helping you lose any weight.


Aside from the fact that they are incredibly uncomfortable, waist trainers pose really serious health risks.


Difficulty breathing

Wearing a waist trainer makes it a lot harder to breathe. A small study was done, and it reported that wearing a waist trainer decreases  the maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV), or how much air you can inhale and exhale in 1 minute.

The researchers compared ten female participants’ MVV with and without a waist trainer during that period. They found that the average MVV decreased from 77.3 liters (L) per second to 68.8 L per second while wearing a waist trainer.

That brings the estimate that the reduction in lung capacity is even greater — likely between 30 and 60 percent.

Regardless of the percentage decrease, the worst part is that wearing a waist trainer makes it harder for your body to get all the oxygen it needs. 

That can be very dangerous, especially if you wear the waist trainer while doing some form of exercising. Physical activity requires more oxygen, not less of it. If you don’t get enough, you might feel short of breath, tired, or dizzy.  And this leads to the conclusion that you could even faint and hurt yourself badly.

Weakened core

Waist trainers provide support that would normally come from your core muscles. If you wear a waist trainer but you do not train your core, you could end up with severely weakened abdominal muscles. Weak abs can ultimately lead to poor posture and back pain. 

Weakened pelvic floor

After giving birth if you are a mother, you would have realised that your  pelvic floor muscles and the surrounding organs need time to heal. If you are to wear a waist trainer while healing, it can make matters worse for you instead of making things better. That is because the waist trainer will put additional pressure on your pelvic floor. While this damage isn’t always visible, it can lead to incontinence (the loss of bladder control) or prolapse (when your organs sag or droop out of their normal positions) 

Meralgia paresthetica

Wearing Tight clothing, including waist trainers, may cause nerve damage in your body. In particular, waist trainers may compress the nerve that runs down from the groin. This can cause something called meralgia paresthetica — burning, tingling, and numbness in the outer thigh. Meralgia paresthetica has been associated by wearing  corsets since the early 1900s. While taking off the waist trainer is usually enough to relieve the symptoms, severe cases may require medication or even surgery.

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms

We know the honest truth is waist trainers compress your stomach, wearing one may cause you to eat less yes, which can possibly lead to weight loss. But it can also lead to unpleasant digestive symptoms. One example would be that is has been shown that tight clothing worsens heartburn.  We can all imagine what happens to your stomach acids when you are wearing something that is pushing the life out of you, shifting and constricting your organs. Heartburn usually happens when acid from your stomach flows upwards from your stomach into your oesophagus, causing irritation. Waist trainers can also worsen the  discomfort caused by existing food intolerances or GI problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Rashes and infections

Waist trainers are often made from synthetic fabrics and they are meant to be worn tightly. Because of this, they tend to keep moisture — like sweat — in. Instead of allowing the sweat to evaporate off of your skin. This can cause irritation, which at the end of the day can lead to rashes and even bacterial and yeast infections.

Organ damage

This may go without saying, but there are a ton of important organs in your midsection, including the liver, kidneys, and bladder. When you wear a waist trainer, it pushes on your organs the whole time. They may shift positions or experience reduced blood flow, which can affect how well they function. If it goes on for a long time, this damage may be permanent.

A Lot of waist-training advocates suggest wearing a trainer for 8 or more hours each day. This is way too risky. It’s best not to wear one on a long-term basis, and you should definitely avoid sleeping in one. Though many waist-training brands suggest you wear their products while exercising, this isn’t recommended either as we mentioned earlier. Not only will you weaken your core muscles, but you’ll also risk depriving your body of the oxygen it needs to perform.

If you’re still interested in wearing a waist trainer, there are ways to limit your risk of complications.
For example, you could try saving your waist trainer for special occasions — like under your clothes on a night out or as part of a costume. Even so, make sure you’re wearing the trainer loosely enough that you can take a breath and move without feeling too restricted. If you start to feel dizzy or short of breath, take it off immediately.

If you’re looking for a safer short-term solution, you might want to opt for shape-wear instead of a waist trainer. It’ll give you a similar look to a trainer with less risk to your health. If you’re more interested in a long-term weight-loss solution, exercise  and a healthy meal plan or Ultrasound liposuction are your best options. 

Here are some tips for getting started:
  • Reach for natural, unprocessed foods.
  • Avoid sugary and processed food products.
  • Keep an eye on your portion sizes. We have healthy meal plans that can assist you with that 
  • Set small but feasible exercise goals, like taking a walk every day and taking the stairs instead of an elevator 
  • Burn calories with aerobic exercises as well as cardio.  
  • Get familiar and start strength training to tone your muscles.
Next, if you want to tone specific areas of your body, you can try the following:
  • Come for Ultrasound liposuction treatment with us 
  • Waistline. To get a sleeker waistline, aim for exercises that tone the oblique muscles, such as crunches and planks.
  • Hips. Exercises such as squats, side lunges, and leg raises can help to trim your hips.
  • Butt. To tone your buttocks, try activities such as climbing stairs, hiking, and doing yoga.

Waist trainers pose a variety of dangerous health risks, and their benefits are unproven. Opt for safer alternatives to trimming your midsection, like a balanced diet and regular exercise or come for our non surgical treatment. We will not ever recommend our clients to wear a waist trainer, we simply do not believe in it for all the reasons provided above. 

Contact Details:
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