Health trends come and go — move over kale, it's all about cauliflower now— but one that's sticking around is the use of waist trainers. With a name as literal as they come, there's no chance for confusion: waist trainers train your waist to become whatever shape you want. Popularised by the likes of influential celebs like Kim and Khloe Kardashian and Amber Rose, what we see looks pretty good. Wear a cute little corset for a certain amount of time each day, then say hello to measurements Marilyn Monroe would envy.
Some waist trainers are even designed to be worn during excercise, to encourage perspiration and enhance sculpting. But it's the stuff we can't see that becomes the real concern. Exactly what is going on inside our bodies when we wear waist trainers? We spoke to osteopath Claire Richardson to find out.
They're Squeezing the Hell Outta Your Internal Organs
Like, big time. "Waist trainers deliberately compress your abdomen," explains Claire. "The vast majority of our vital organs exist in the space between our hips and our rib cages, so these devices compress and squeeze these organs. That could potentially cause damaging conditions like bowel blockages or abdominal bleeding."
It's not just about your physical organs, either. Spare a thought for the stuff that keeps you going, eh? "When laced very tightly, waist trainers may also restrict your blood from travelling from the legs back up to the heart," Claire says. That can cause swollen feet, damage to the blood vessels and can even bring on fainting spells.
This isn't confirmed, but it's likely your muscles are affected by the use of waist trainers. "The waist trainer compresses our abdomen and back to the point of rigidity," explains Claire, "so it is difficult to target the muscles in our back later during exercise." Lack of use during exercise makes them become lazy and weak, which is not ideal for an area that supports your spine.
"Waist trainers do now allow our diaphragms to move the way they are supposed to," explains Claire. "If we cannot breathe properly due to the major breathing muscle being compressed, fainting or light-headedness may occur, and strains or sprains of the upper ribs and shoulder muscles are likely to occur." Further to that, Claire says it's downright dangerous to exercise while you're deliberately reducing oxygen intake.
We all know the lymphatic system is what keeps our health in check — the process moves immune cells and fluid through the body to eliminate waste and toxins. Corset-style clothing prohibits that natural system from operating correctly. "Waist trainers are likely to reduce lymphatic flow," says Claire. "Good lymphatic flow is necessary for a healthy immune system. Poor lymphatic flow can cause pimples, rashes, lethargy and fluid retention."
It Might Not Even Be Working the Way You Think It Is
"There is no evidence to show that exercising whilst wearing a waist trainer actually 'sculpts' your body to that shape," says Claire. "It's simply squashing the area around your abdomen in the same way that a hair tie leaves an imprint on your wrist — but on a bigger scale."
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