Should You Invest In A Waist Trainer? Busting Myths Around The 'Core-Sculpting' Practice

Waist training is by no means the newest trend on the block. The societally-ordained ideal body type for a woman may have evolved over the decades - but a cinched waist, has always made the cut, pun intended. While a healthy diet and regular workout routines are essential for a toned, flab-free core, how much can pledging allegiance to a waist trainer, pace-up the process?

Busting myths around using a waist trainer

For those unaware of what a waist trainer exactly is, it is a cloth-based compression device worn around the midsection. A zipper, eyelet hooks or velcro, ensure that the arrangement stays in place. What it promises to do, is over time, whittle your torso down, by maintaining a consistent grip over it, potentially helping you achieve the hourglass look.

As per a The New York Times report, the biggest fallacy in this logic is the fact that fat cells cannot be destroyed or moved around as is. One may also assume that the sweat one may work up over the duration of wearing the waist trainer, is essentially a fat burning process. This logic too, falls flat, considering targeted fat loss, is a myth.

It isn't all bad

The aforementioned points being put in place, it is worth mentioning that a waist trainer does have its efficacy, provided it is used in the correct manner, for the correct purpose. First and foremost, the pressure it creates around the midsection creates a smoothing effect on the belly, useful for any tight-fitting pieces of clothing you may own and tend to feel conscious in.

Additionally, opting to wear a waist trainer while working out, helps you maintain better posture and creates an essential "grip" of sorts on your core-muscles, as you work them. This may prove to be a rather useful addition, for those actively working to build core strength, post the healing phase, after say, a C-section.