Waist Training, Waist Trimmers, Sweat Belts - Oh my!
"Sometimes we're tested. Not to show our weaknesses, but to discover our strengths."
Train your waist. Now I know there are several different waist trainers, trimmers and I will even loop in sweat belts to choose from and it can be confusing. I know you have also heard of the possible dangers of Waist Training. I'm glad you are doing your research, but are these dangers being applied to all trainers, trimmers and sweat belts or simply a specific kind?
I've done my own investigation over the years and I plan to do one final test next month. Will you join me? The information is below for my 31-day Waist Training Challenge and it begins Oct 5th,
What are the pros and cons of waist training for me? Let's find out:
What is a waist trainer? The original premise behind waist training was simple. You wear a waist trainer that is laced tightly for a specified period – that is all. This constant constriction around your waist eventually works to reduce your natural waist size over time.
PROS:
Hourglass Figure. Waist training helps achieve an hourglass shape by cinching your waist and accentuating the curves of your hips and bustline.
Eat less. If you wear a waist trainer all the time, you will realize that it is challenging to consume large portions of food. That said, the thing to remember about waist trainers is that they cannot aid you in weight loss on their own. They only restrict the amount of food you eat.
Improves posture. Waist trainers help you maintain proper posture while standing and sitting because the boning in waist trainers make it impossible for you to slouch. They improve your position by providing the necessary support to your back.
Postpartum tummy tightening. Corsets, when worn correctly, act as a splint to physically approximate the two halves of the rectus abdominis. While corsets do not strengthen the abs or heal a separated abdominal wall on their own, they can support and speed up the healing process. I do recommend waist training to my new moms, BUT I do not suggest an ultra-restrictive trainer either. I suggest something comfortable that gives you more compression than a postpartum belt, but not as extreme as a waist cincher. A trimmer would be perfect.
CONS:
Discomfort. Wearing a waist trainer is bound to be uncomfortable because it is a garment that is tied tightly around your waist. Go easy on how tightly you wear it because if you are too aggressive, it will cause a whole host of problems.
Acid Reflux. If you are wearing your waist trainer during meals, not only will it hamper proper digestion, but it may also cause acid reflux. The way you can prevent this is by removing your waist trainer during meal times or loosening it up.
Muscle Atrophy and Weakness. If you are wearing your waist trainer regularly and for long periods, it can cause muscle weakness and may even lead to muscle atrophy. Training your waist in an unhealthy manner may result in many other complications.
Decreased Core Strength. The abdominal core muscles become lazy because they depend too much on the waist trainers to support them. When you are using a waist trainer, there is no need for your abdominal muscles to do any work.
With that said, why do I still recommend waist training?
First, there are different types of "trainers". There are corsets for an aggressive approach, there are the standard waist cinchers/trainers with the hooks - this is a less aggressive approach than corsets and are very popular with celebrities. Next, we have waist trimmers and these have become very popular recently. Sweet Sweat is a popular brand and they have titled their products as waist trimmers and sweat belts! Waist trimmers do not train your waist and shape your body. Instead, they burn the fat on your belly by increasing your core temperature. When temperature increases, your body burns calories faster – so think of them as a healthier way of reducing your waistline.
I personally recommend waist trimmers and sweat belts for all of my clients. I think they are effective in creating the compression around your stomach to burn the belly fat, but they will not get you the same results as a waist cincher or corset.
The question is are they really effective? Is the pain and discomfort of a waist cincher worth it? Do sweat belts really work?
I'm going to test this out next month. I will record my results and share it with everyone!
If you would like to join, here are some simple tips for waist training safely:
If you are new to waist training, begin with 1 hour a day and slowly increase the amount of time you wear it.
Waist training doesn't necessarily feel good, but it shouldn't be painful. If you are in pain, you should loosen it up.
Do not wear a super restrictive cincher/trainer for longer than 8 hours.
Do not wear a waist cincher/trainer or anything that will prevent you from moving freely when you are working out.
I encourage my ladies to wear waist trimmers or sweat belts during their workouts and use the more restrictive trainers when they are busy and moving around. Why switch to a sweat belt during your workouts? They are less restrictive and allow you to feel your muscles engaging when you are doing core exercises. This is essential to your muscle development and wearing anything too restrictive may not only cause harm, but will make your core workouts less effective because you will be unable to engage your core.
Hydrate your skin underneath with cream, lotion, or gel.
Do not wear a Waist Cincher/Trainer or Corset directly on your skin. Make sure you wear a shirt underneath. I do wear a sweat belt directly on my skin, but I still moisturize my stomach before doing so.
You should be comfortable enough to go for a longer period and not have difficulty breathing. If you are having trouble breathing, your cincher/trainer/corset is too small or too tight.
If you dislike the restrictive trainers, I suggest trying a waist trimmer or sweat belt. They are a lot more comfortable and though they may not give you extreme results, the results will still be effective enough.
Waist training is not a substitute for good nutrition and working out.
Trainers serve different purposes. So, you don’t have to stick with one for all of your training needs. I own about 8 different kinds of trainers and sweat belts. The most effective method of waist training may be to use a combination of all the different types as they are not mutually exclusive. Keep in mind that waist trainers may help you achieve an hourglass figure; however, they have a lot of disadvantages associated with them that may impact your health if done incorrectly. So please listen to your body.
