This Is What A Waist Trainer Really Does To Your Body – And It’s Not Pretty

How far would you go for a small waist? For many women (1 in 9 in fact, according to a survey by British Military Fitness) the desire to achieve the perfect hip-to-waist ratio has seen them turn to waist training; a craze made popular by the Kardashians, where you don a super tight corset-style garment for prolonged periods of time to achieve an hourglass silhouette.

But here’s the kicker: there isn’t actually any evidence to suggest waist trainers can change the shape of your body. Worse again, they come with a slew of health concerns.

Here are just a few of the nasty things a waist trainer can do to your body…

Expect chafing

Ouchy! Perhaps on of the most common ill effects of waist training is its effect on your skin, with many women complaining of red marks, rashes and chafing after a day spend in their trainer. The real concern? Skin irritation can lead to nasty infections that can take weeks or even months to heal.

They cause bruising

Specifically, you should expect bone bruising, which is a lot more painful than the purple marks you typically see on the skin. In extreme cases they can also lead to crushed organs, fractured ribs and compressed lungs.

They may give you heartburn

All that extra pressure around your mid-riff isn’t good news for your digestive system. In fact, thanks to the extra pressure on your stomach, you’re at an increased risk of experiencing uncomfortable indigestion and acid reflux.

You may feel faint

The restrictive nature of waist trainers reduces oxygen flow around the body and may cause you to feel dizzy, faint and light-headed. Thanks to restricted blood flow you may also experience numbness and pins and needles throughout the body.

With so many negative side effects, is it really worth spending hours feeling uncomfortable and putting your health at risk, when really it might not change your body anyway?

Yeah, it’s a definitive no from us.

• Waist Training