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Curious about the benefits to waist training? A waist trainer (also known as a girdle, waist cincher, and waist shaper) tightly pulls in your midsection to slim your waist and help you burn more calories. Waist trainers are usually made by combining hard fibers and tough fabric along with fasteners like hooks or Velcro to keep the belt tight.
Advocates say that these waist shapers give you a slim, sexy midsection and it trains the waist to stay slim, but is that true? Are there any benefits to waist training? We’ll talk about the major benefits of waist training for men and women.
Our Favorite Waist Trainers
| Sport Research Sweet Sweat | VENUZOR Waist Trainer Belt | SHAPERX Waist Trainer Belt |
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| Best For: sweating, losing weight | Best For: shaping and toning | Best For: fit and shaping |
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Do Waist Trainers Work?
Waist trainers are similar to corsets, which aren’t as popular now because they can be uncomfortable (but so can other forms of exercise, let’s be honest). The most immediate benefit is that they will reduce your waist size and circumference, but this is temporary. Taking off the trainer will remove this benefit unless you use it properly.
They also don’t remove fat, so don’t expect to lose fat just by wearing the trainer. However, exercising with a waist trainer and using it properly can lead to increased fat loss compared to not using the trainer. It can also reduce feelings of hunger by pacing pressure on the midsection, which makes one feel fuller than they normally would.
Benefits to Waist Training
Here are the major benefits you can expect from waiting a shape trainer:
Hourglass Figure/Slimmer Waist
I know we’re focusing on the hourglass figure here and most waist trainers are targeted towards women, but men will get a similar benefit with a slimmer waist (just it will look masculine, not like an hourglass).
This does have an immediate effect, but it is temporary both with waist trainers for men and women. The effect lasts as long as you’re wearing the garment. When it’s off you won’t notice a huge difference. If you just want this immediate effect, then getting a thinner one that you can wear under your clothes.
However, if you want a more permanent effect (like losing more fat and making that your true shape), then keep reading.
Weight Loss
That’s right, you can lose weight with waist training. However, we don’t want to set your sights too high. Is this going to give you immediate results? No, nothing can promise that. Will it give you faster results than just working out? There’s a good chance of that.
Wearing a waist trainer will lead to increased sweating in the midsection and this can lead to weight loss. Most people also feel less hungry while wearing a trainer. This can be especially useful if you have a hard time feeling full, which will lead to reduced calories and an easier time losing weight.
You can also wear the trainer while working out. Just make sure that you keep proper form because this can be dangerous if done improperly. If you do plan on exercising with a waist trainer, then it’s best to avoid movements that emphasize core movement. It might be better to take it off while exercising and place it back on when you’re finished.
Best Waist Trainers for Women
| Sport Research Sweet Sweat | VENUZOR Waist Trainer Belt | SHAPERX Waist Trainer Belt |
| | |
| Best For: sweating, losing weight | Best For: shaping and toning | Best For: fit and shaping |
| | |
Improved Posture
Much like the immediate waist slimming, trainers can improve your posture when you’re wearing them. However, be sure you don’t wear it too much. Your body might rely too much on the trainer and your core muscles can weaken as a result. This shouldn’t be a problem with moderate use.
Postpartum Midsection Support
There is some evidence that trainers can help support a woman’s abdominal muscles following pregnancy. The muscles tend to be thinned and stretched postpartum and the support can reduce pain and discomfort. This should only be done temporarily until the muscles are properly aligned again.
Waist Trainer Risks
Even the best exercise equipment poses some risks. Some of the possible risks include:
- Internal Organ Damage: most likely when worn constantly and too tight. Trainers can shift the internal organs unnaturally, which can lead to damage. Make sure you give yourself room to breath and don’t wear the trainer all the time.
- Breathing Difficulty: this happens most often when wearing the trainer while exercise. It can reduce lung capacity by up to 30-60% and even lead to lung inflammation. Just be careful when wearing one and you should be fine.
- Digestive Problems: the pushing on the stomach can worsen symptoms of GERD and can cause heartburn. Once again, these aren’t meant to be worn all the time.
Best Waist Trainers for Men
| Sport Research Sweet Sweat | Mcdavid Waist Trimmer Belt | ActiveGear Waist Trimmer Belt |
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| Best For: sweat, losing weight | Best For: sculpting | Best For: trimming and strength |
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Waist Trainer FAQs
Common waist trainer questions include:
How Waist Trainer Works?
These work by compressing your muscles and making you sweat more, which can lead to further weight loss both in and out of the gym.
Do Waist Trainers Burn Body Fat?
The extra sweating can lead to reduced body fat as long as you watch your diet and exercise. While this won’t reduce fat on its own, it can help reduce fat when paired with proper diet and exercise.
Can I Wear Waist Trainer While Working Out?
Honestly, it’s best if you don’t. This can push your body in unnatural positions and restricts your movements. It’s usually best to keep it off when exercising. If you are dead set on wearing one, then it’s best to use it with exercises that don’t include the core (such as bicep curls). The more the core is involved, the harder the exercise will be.
Where Can I Buy Waist Trainer?
We suggest waist trainers on Amazon. There’s plenty to choose from and you can find one that meets your preferences. Here are some of our favorites:
| Sport Research Sweet Sweat | VENUZOR Waist Trainer Belt | SHAPERX Waist Trainer Belt |
| | |
| Best For: sweating, losing weight | Best For: shaping and toning | Best For: fit and shaping |
| | |
Which Waist Trainer is Best?
You’ll want to find a trainer that is adjustable, gives you adequate resistance, is made from durable material, and ideally it should be contoured.
Will Waist Training Help With Love Handles?
It can certainly help when paired with proper diet and exercise. Remember that trainers have the immediate temporary effect of balancing out your body, so you won’t see your love handles. The more permanent change will occur as you workout and lose weight.
How Long Wear Waist Trainer?
You should try wearing the trainer for several hours a day. You don’t want to wear it too much because that can cause harm, but shoot for several hours a day and you should be just fine. Be sure to ask your doctor if you’re unsure.
Waist Trainer Buying Guide
- Material: You want the material to be comfortable, but also thick enough to make you sweat. The whole point is that you sweat more than usual while it holds your shape. Also make sure that the material is durable.
- Resistance: The waist trainer should be strong enough to hold your shape, but not so strong that it hurts you. Make sure you get that perfect balance of resistance and flexibility.
- Adjustment: The waist shaper needs to adjust to fit perfectly around you, especially as you start losing weight. Adjustable trainers are almost always better.
- Contoured: A contoured trainer is better as it makes movement somewhat easier. You don’t need this, but it makes everything much easier and better.
- Size: Like any garment, the trainer has to fit you. Make sure you consider your measurements before buying the trainer.