Is waist training a waste?

Owing to ravings by celebrities, a lot of hype is being given to waist training – a workout done while wearing a corset. We might as well be looking at the next big thing when it comes to fitness trends for the ladies. Kim and Khloe Kardashian have recently fueled the interest of young girls everywhere in this particular trend with their Instagram photos of them wearing waist-training corsets. The waist and lower rib cage are tightly bound giving them an instant hour-glass figure. Hollywood actress Jessica Alba have also credited the corset with helping her get back into shape after giving birth; so even new moms are going gaga over it. But the question is: does it really work?

Getting the facts right

Caroline Apovian, M.D., professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and a spokesperson for The Obesity Society says that while the corset does give you a slimming look, it qualifies more just as a temporary solution. For instance, if you feel like wearing that figure-hugging dress tonight but it doesn’t compliment you as well as you’d like, there’s no harm wrapping your waist and lower abs with a corset or a similar device. She further says that is actually does good to the wearer – if you look at the mirror and you like what you see, you will want to look like that every day so what the corset actually does is inspire and motivate you to exercise more and eat better to achieve that figure. Let’s be honest – you can’t change the size of your waist; what you can do is exercise to get rid of the love handles around it to give it a shapely tone. But as for the claims that these devices can actually reshape the body or aid in fat loss, there is no evidence.

Counting the risks

If the corset is too tightly bound, it will cause discomfort, interfere with breathing, or contribute to heartburn. Your stomach might get pushed up beyond the diaphragm, which could cause reflux, according to Dr. Apovian. If you should experience any or all of the above symptoms, you need to loosen the corset or take it off. Wearing such a device during a workout is not recommended by most trainers either as it restricts your mobility and your ability to take full, deep breaths. It will, more likely than not, mess up your ability to work hard. Also, you need to worry about getting back acne from wearing such a tight device and sweating underneath it.

For new moms, working out with a tight (but not too tight) waistband may help you feel more comfortable. But having some extra support around the waist should not be an excuse for you to push yourselves too hard or too fast. Keep in mind that the uterus is going to shrink when it’s time for it to shrink, and there is no way that you can get rid of water weight with a corset.

Weighing the options

The bottom line is: corsets and/or other waist training devices have no lasting effect on waist size, shape, or appearance. You will look good wearing them but you will be welcoming some health risks, even if you’re ready to take the discomfort.

If you want to achieve a flat tummy and tighter abs, it all comes down to core exercises like planks and twisting crunches that target stomach muscles. And in order to lose those love handles, proper diet and daily workout is the only way. If you’re looking for a quick fix, there really isn’t one.

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