Waist training, popularized by celebrities like the Kardashians, involves using a waist-training corset, often called a waist trainer, around your middle. It's designed to promote an hourglass shape, but it's essential to weigh the benefits against the risks before deciding if it's right for you. Corsets have been worn for hundreds of years, and waist trainers have very few differences from them. A waist trainer is a modern corset designed to narrow your waistline with regular use. Rather than being laced up as a fashion statement, waist trainers are worn inconspicuously under clothing like shapewear. Waist trainers are made of latex or spandex with plastic or steel boning beneath the fabric.
What is a Waist Trainer?
A waist trainer is a type of tight-fitting undergarment made from sturdy, stretchy materials such as spandex, nylon, or latex. Today’s waist trainers are similar to corsets that people wore more than a hundred years ago to create the look of an hourglass figure. They wrap around your torso and fasten using laces, hook-and-eye clasps, or sticky fasteners. Many waist trainers also have metal or plastic supports, called boning, that provide structure around your torso. The stiff boning runs vertically to keep the fabric of the waist trainer from bunching up where your waist gets smaller. The idea behind a waist trainer is to gradually increase the time spent wearing it each day.
Purported Benefits of Waist Training
If you’re interested in waist training you might be asking yourself What are the benefits of waist training? Here at Orchard Corset, we think honesty is the best policy and that’s why we have gathered some of the positive benefits and negative side effects of corseting so you can decide for yourself if it’s right for you!
Achieving an Hourglass Figure
Waist trainers work to create an hourglass figure when they're being worn. Over time, your corset can literally change the shape of your waist helping you to achieve an hourglass shape with consistency! You’ll really notice a difference when you’re laced up though, most people see a reduction in their natural waist of 3” or more with the right size corset for their figure. You can use a Corset Calculator to find the best corset for you! Worn over time, the shape starts to rub off and stay when you're not wearing the trainer.
Improved Posture
Another way waist trainers can enhance the look of your figure is by straightening your posture. You don’t need to be an avid waist trainer to reap the benefits of improved posture while you’re laced up. You’ll notice that while you’re laced up your shoulders will be back instead of hunched forward and your lower back will love the added support! Wearing a waist trainer may temporarily help with improving posture. However, if a person wears it too much, it may instead weaken the core muscles and result in back pain and poor posture.
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Boost in Confidence
Many people say their corset gives them a coat of armor to wear through the day and we couldn’t agree more! Whether you attribute the confidence boost to your improved posture commanding respect or because you love the way your clothes fit in your corset, we think you’ll agree that lacing up in a corset gives you a little ego boost. One reason waist trainers are popular may be the "snatched-waist" effect they create when worn under clothing.
Potential for Weight Loss
When laced at a comfortable reduction, your waist training corset can act like an external lap band to help you with portion control. Contrary to many corset myths out there, you’ll notice that although you can eat and drink normally in a corset you won’t be able to eat as large of quantities in one sitting while laced up. No matter your goals, we always recommend a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lots of water! Waist trainers are often claimed to help you lose weight, burn belly fat, or permanently shape your waist, but there’s no solid scientific evidence to support this. Waist trainers do make your waist look smaller, but this effect doesn’t last. Wearing a waist trainer might lead to some short-term weight loss, but the results usually don’t last. A waist trainer squeezes your stomach area, leaving less space for food and lowering your appetite. But this isn’t a healthy or sustainable way to lose weight. Focusing on eating well and exercising regularly will have better, longer-lasting results.
Postpartum Support
Waist trainers may provide support to women whose abdominal muscles have stretched or thinned following pregnancy. The extra support may help reduce pain and discomfort. According to a study from the International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, women who wore a waist support garment after a cesarean delivery experienced less pain and bleeding than those who did not wear one.
Risks and Side Effects of Waist Training
Are there any side effects? It's important to know the potential downsides of waist training to make an informed decision.
Initial Discomfort and Practice
It takes a little practice. Like most things in life, becoming a pro at waist training takes dedication. It can feel intimidating learning how to find the perfect waist trainer and how to lace yourself in for the first time. But, we’re here to help make it as simple as possible!
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Increased Body Temperature
Corsets can make you hot. Yes, you know you’ll look sexy but you’ll also notice that you’re literally warmer when you’re laced in than not.
Muscle Weakness
If you wear your corset so often that you’re laced up more often than not and you don’t exercise, your core muscles will become “lazy” as they are being supported externally by your corset. We recommend pairing waist training with a healthy diet and exercise for the most healthy and noticeable results. While waist trainers do keep your core tight and compressed, they can actually weaken your core strength over time. This is because waist trainers do the work of maintaining your posture for you. If you’ve used one for a long time, you may even experience pain and discomfort when you’re not wearing it, as your core needs to do more work to support itself again. Muscle atrophy, restricted breathing, and other downsides make waist trainers pointless from a fitness standpoint.
Discomfort and Improper Fit
Corsets can be uncomfortable if not worn properly. Even the healthiest practices can be taken to the extreme and made dangerous. We talk to hundreds of people each week and an uncomfortable corset is almost always the result of choosing a too small corset in an attempt to achieve results more quickly. Waist training corsets have many steel bones placed throughout the design to give shape and definition, they are intended to sit certain parts of your body just so, but in a too small corset the flat back bones are intended to sit off to the side of your spine but are forced to sit uncomfortably at your sides. Corseting should never be uncomfortable, any signs of pain or discomfort are your body’s way of saying - Wait! If your corset is ever causing you pain or discomfort, first try loosening your corset and readjusting to a less extreme reduction. If that doesn’t lessen the discomfort, we suggest removing your corset entirely and reaching out to our team of sizing experts for a fit assessment.
Breathing Difficulties
Your lungs can't fully expand while wearing a waist trainer, which makes it difficult to take deep breaths. Wearing a waist trainer makes it harder to breathe. A small 2018 study reported that wearing a waist trainer decreases maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV), or how much air you can inhale and exhale in 1 minute. A reduced supply of air in the lungs means less oxygen to the muscles and organs that need it, which could make you feel shortness of breath while wearing a waist trainer. Using a waist trainer cuts your lung capacity by 30%-60%. Not only will you weaken your core muscles, but you’ll also risk depriving your body of the oxygen it needs to perform.
Restricted Blood Flow
In addition to restricting your lungs from fully expanding, waist trainers also restrict blood flow in your waist area. With less blood able to move through this vital area, waist trainers can potentially reduce organ function during use.
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Organ Damage
Pressing on your organs with enough force over time will cause them to shift, which can cause damage and lead to health problems. When you wear a waist trainer, it pushes on your organs. 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. Squeezing the midsection with constant force will likely cause internal organs, such as the liver and kidneys, to shift into unnatural positions. This shifting of internal organs may affect the blood flow, and it can change how well the organs function. It may even lead to permanent organ damage. As you’re squeezing your belly, you’re also squeezing your liver, kidneys, pancreas and spleen. And as you’re squeezing those organs, they start to shift and that can be very dangerous in the long run.
Digestive Issues
The squeeze of a waist trainer can cause acid reflux or indigestion, especially when not removed when you eat. Tight clothing has been shown to worsen heartburn. Heartburn happens when acid from your stomach flows up from your stomach into your esophagus, causing irritation. Waist trainers can also worsen discomfort caused by existing food intolerances or GI issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). With the problems explained thus far, such as circulation loss and shifting organs, it's not hard to see why waist trainers lead to digestive issues over time. If they're damaged from being pressed on for too long, organs like your intestines and liver won't function optimally to break down and extract nutrients from food. Wearing a waist trainer may also damage your kidneys, liver, spleen, and pancreas by pushing them into unnatural positions. Waist trainers also squeeze the organs in your digestive system, including your stomach and intestines. With less space, food and gas can’t move through your body as easily, which can trap it and make you feel bloated. That same pressure can push acids back up through your esophagus and cause heartburn.
Weakened Pelvic Floor
Ongoing use of a waist trainer to cinch your waistline can cause organs to shift downward, which puts excess pressure on your pelvic floor. Made up of muscle, the pelvic floor is responsible for stopping the flow of urine and acting as a "floor" that holds your rectum and vagina in place. Waist trainers can stretch the pelvic floor by pushing down on it, ultimately weakening it.
Meralgia Paresthetica
Tight clothing, including waist trainers, may cause nerve damage. 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 with wearing a corset since the early 1900s. While taking off the waist trainer is usually enough to relieve symptoms, severe cases may require medication or even surgery.
Skin Irritation
Waist trainers are often made from synthetic fabrics and are meant to be worn tightly. They tend to keep moisture - like sweat - in instead of allowing it to evaporate off your skin. This can cause irritation, leading to rashes and even bacterial and yeast infections. Another concern over waist trainers is that the material could lead to skin irritation. Because it’s so tight and it’s made of microfiber materials, it could be irritating for people with more sensitive skin. It’s not really made of a breathable material. And so as you’re tightening it, you’re also sweating in it and becomes itchy.
Safe Waist Training Practices
If you’re in the right size and style for your unique dimensions and you’re practicing safe and sane corsetry methods, a corset for waist training or aesthetic purposes is perfectly safe! While it's not healthy to wear a waist trainer for a long time, you can wear it safely on occasion. 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 breathe and move without feeling too restricted. If you start to feel dizzy or short of breath, take it off immediately.
Safer Alternatives
If you’re looking for a safer short-term solution, you might want to opt for shapewear 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 diet are your best bets.
Diet Recommendations
Reach for natural, unprocessed foods. Avoid sugary and processed food products. Keep an eye on portion sizes. Eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy products. Avoiding added sugars, saturated fats, trans fats, and salt. Eating more lean meats and protein from fish, plants, and nuts. Staying within the recommended calorie count for the day.
Exercise Recommendations
Set small but feasible exercise goals, like taking a short walk each day. Burn calories with aerobic exercise. Use strength training to tone your muscles. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommend that people get 150 minutes a week of cardiovascular exercise and activities and that they do resistance training on at least 2 days of the week.
Exercises for Specific Areas
- 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 butt, try activities such as climbing stairs, hiking, and doing yoga.
Sample Exercises
- Standing side crunches: Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-length apart, then bring your hands beside your ears, elbows facing out. Standing straight with your knees slightly bent, lower your left elbow toward the floor and return to the center. Repeat on the right side up to 30 times. To make this exercise more challenging, try lifting your left knee to your left elbow, then cross your left elbow to your right knee. Repeat on the other side.
- Side plank: Lay sideways on your mat, with your knees aligned with your hips. Position your lower arm at a right angle to support you. Press through your arm to lift your hips off the mat. Do 10 repetitions, then try to hold the last one for a minute before switching to the other side. For an easier option, keep your knees bent during this exercise.
- Russian twist: Sit on a mat with your knees slightly bent and your hands clasped in front of your chest. Then, lean back slightly, and twist your torso from left to right while engaging your core. To make this exercise more challenging, try raising your feet off the ground or holding a weight while you twist.
- Bird dog: Start on your hands and knees with your hands placed directly below your shoulders. Alternate between reaching your left then right arm directly in front of you and holding it for a few breaths before lowering it to the ground. Then do the same with each leg, extending them one at a time directly behind you. To make this exercise more challenging, you can raise your right arm and left leg at the same time before switching sides.