First off – what is a waist trainer, where did this trend come from and is it good for you? Waist trainers have been brought to the public eye, mainly by celebrities such as the Kardashians. With Kim Kardashian even selling a waist trainer as part of her skims collection.
They make claims that they can help to shape your waist, improve weight loss and help to slim down your core. They’re made from a band of material that you fix round your waist, unlike corsets though they are more flexible and the material is more breathable.
Inspired by the use of corsets, waist trainers have a band of material that goes round your waist, usually also made of latex in order to encourage you to sweat more in your mid-section. However similarly to corsets there are dangers if they are not worn properly. Waist trainers are meant to be worn as part of a fitness regime, they should not be worn for long periods of time.
But do waist trainers actually work?
In the most simply way – sort of. The tightly cinched material can make it harder to use your abdominal muscles, which in turn can make them weaker and therefore make them smaller and your waist slimmer over time. This is why it’s vital to keep up a good ab work out while waist training. The immediate loss of inches from your waist is likely due to water loss.
In the same way that corsets work, waist trainers can have an immediate slimming effect when you wear them, the same way as shapewear, this can help with confidence.
Are waist trainers good or bad for you?
As with anything there are positives and negatives, the downside of waist training can be the challenge to engage and strengthen your core when training, this can be risky while exercising, especially if you are weightlifting.
However, waist trainers can help to suppress your appetite which is beneficial if you struggle with overeating and are trying to lose weight. However, there are lots of different options you can look into if you’re wanting to lose weight all of which must be thoroughly researched.
Although the waist trainer won’t make you burn more calories while exercising, it can help you to sweat more and lose more water weight at the beginning. It can also help with improving your posture, and many women also wear them for post-partum support. The extra protection can help to reduce pain and discomfort. They also don’t provide any long term weight loss support, this can only be done by eating in a calorie deficit – burning more calories than you consume.
