Waist Training – What You Need to Know About It

Corsets may have been in fashion in the 1800s, but they’re making a big comeback thanks to some daring claims made by their manufacturers. Corsets designed especially for waist training promise weight loss around the center of your body.

Before buying your own, check out the waist training pros and cons, and find out what doctors have to say about the effects of working out in a very tight corset.

What Is Waist Training?

Produced by companies like Orchard Corset and Baboosh, waist cinchers compress your waist while you work out. The theory is that wearing a corset for waist training a few hours a day will increase the efficiency of your work out and help you lose fat in your midriff.

Some manufactures even go so far as to promise that their products can spot reduce fat, a claim that has been disputed by doctors and experts.

Celebrities Who Tried Waist Training

Jessica Alba was one of the first celebrities to endorse waist training. After giving birth, the actress wanted to get her figure back quickly, so she wore a special latex corset for months. “I wore a double corset day and night for three months. It was sweaty, but worth it,” Alba told Net-a-Porter magazine. “It was brutal; it’s not for everyone”, the actress added.

Khloe Kardashian posted a picture on Instagram wearing a corset a few months back, and her sister has also tried it. Kim Kardashian made waves in social media after showing off her new corset, designed for wearing during a workout.

“Dancing with the Stars” winner Brooke Burke also endorsed waist training, by becoming the face of the Baboosh Body Unisex Sports Wrap, a “unisex core wrap made out of nylon and neoprene”.

Waist Training Pros

Most corsets designed for workouts promote intense sweating and promise to help you lose inches quickly from your waist. Unfortunately, most medical professionals disagree with the claims made by the manufacturers. Find out if the waist training pros outweight the cons.

See also: Jessica Simpson’s Weight Loss Secrets

It Can Contribute to Weight Loss

Tightly wrapped around your core during a workout, a waist training corset can actually help you lose wait, but it’s only water weight. Sweating out the water weight won’t make a difference in the long run though.

It Can Make You Eat Less

Is there any science behind the “waist training diet”? Not really. Wearing a corset will however compress your organs and it can make you eat less and feel full faster. Some fans believe it has the same effect as a gastic bypass surgery, but waist training doesn’t just compress your stomach, it also affects your lungs.

It Can Make You Look Slimmer… When You Wear It

Experts disagree that the slimming effects of the corset last beyond the time during which you’re actually wearing it. “It’s going to make you look slimmer when you have it on, but I don’t know any physiology that would explain that you’re going to lose body fat by wearing this device,” explained Steven Ball, an associate professor in the department of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri, for Today.com.

More: Most Dangerous Diets of 2014

Waist Training Cons

Whether or not it can actually affect your weight and body fat in the long run, a waist cincher also has unpleasant side effects. If you wear it tight enough, during an exhausting workout, it could also cause rib damage.

It Can Cause Acid Reflux

By compressing your stomach, waist training can cause the digestive juices to go up into the esophagus, causing acid reflux and heartburn.

It Can Be Responsible for Breathing Issues

Compressing your lungs through waist training can also lead to respiratory problems, especially for smokers, who already have a reduced lung capacity.

It Can Lead to Increased Blood Pressure

Waist training can also be responsible for increased blood pressure, which is a risk factor for a heart attack or stroke, especially if you’re exhausting yourself while working out wearing a corset.

It Can Actually Cause Weight Gain

Since lack of oxygenation has been linked to the development of metabolic syndrome, wearing a waist cincher excessively could actually cause you to gain weight.