A fitness coach and wellness consultant, Sandie Enyida has shared many reasons why waist trainers shouldn’t be one of the options to lose weight.

In a series of tweets, Sandra explained that waist trainers pose more harm than good and shouldn’t be considered at all. While some people may argue that it works, she shares why it may seem so and the many dangers of wearing one.

Read her tweets carefully

Waist trainers/corsets have been around for centuries! Ladies have been trying to get the hour-glass figure since it became the ideal in the 1600s. It only just faded out in the late 20th century due to health concerns.

It has risen in popularity in recent times, with designs getting more comfortable, with tough fabric instead, and flexible metal. In our present era of influencer marketing, celebrity endorsements have risen societal acceptance of them.

The ‘prescription’ is for users to wear them for at least 8 hours daily, for at least 6 weeks. Sadly, it’s ineffective in getting you flat abs, and I’m going to explain to you why in detail. Plus, they can be dangerous for you!

First, there is no SCIENTIFIC PROOF it works. Doctors warn against their use… It is a very temporary solution for you, that needs a permanent solution.

Wearing waist trainers won’t give you permanent flat abs, anymore than wearing super tight trousers will remove fat from your butt.

Why they seem to work

I know you know someone who swears by waist trainers. Let me explain how… First off, you sweat a lot more and lose water weight initially

That initial loss of water weight mimics weight loss, and you promptly think it’s working. It’s like the really fast initial weight loss on the keto diet, it’s water weight. But there’s no FAT LOSS

The next reason why it seems to work is, you definitely eat a lot less wearing something that uncomfortable for most of the day. This will translate to some weight loss, if you don’t ‘compensate’ when you remove it to sleep

Another reason why waist trainers seem to work is, it improves your posture by default, and when your posture is better you look slimmer.

So for its temporary fix (because once you stop waist training, your abs go back to status quo).

They may only seem to work, temporarily, because there’s no bony support in your midsection, apart from your backbone at the back. So it can squeeze and displace vital organs to force the look of a slimmer waist

The dangers

All that squeezing can ‘spoil something’ in your body

Waist trainers squeeze and displace vital organs in your belly, like your kidneys and gut, and terribly distorts their function. This can also cause a bad obstruction in blood flow to those organs

There is also a possibility of damage to major nerve bundles that run in your midsection… They are called nerve trunks. Your body was designed a certain way for a reason.

There’s an increased risk for heartburn problems, and indigestion. Those with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) may experience worsening symptoms. You’re not given your stomach space to function!

Breathing ‘off the top of your lungs’ can increase your risk for dizziness and fainting spells. Now you know why there were lots of fainting spells in those days, when corsets were tight enough to break ribs

There’s an increased risk for dehydration, especially if your water intake isn’t matching what you’re losing. Dehydration isn’t as harmless as it looks, when chronic

‘Fitness belts’… That’s what some of them are called now. These belts do not improve your fitness in any way. THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME TO USE THEM IS WHEN WORKING OUT!

You need all the air you can get when working out. That’s the worst time to restrict your breathing with a ‘fitness belt’. Your risk for dizziness and fainting drastically increases

Even on the packaging of some waist trainer brands, you’re told to remove them immediately when you feel faint. I’d say don’t wear them at all.

You sweat a lot more when working out. If you’re not hydrating properly then you can see how high your risk for dangerous dehydration is.

Wearing ‘fitness belts’ to do ab workouts are a waste of time, to put it bluntly. Your ab muscles need to WORK to get stronger and more toned, stronger ab muscles are smaller in circumference.

Wearing waist trainers while ‘working your abs’ won’t actually let them get stronger. Your abs will keep getting weaker, and you’d be back to status quo when you remove them

That six-pack look everyone desires for their midsection, is muscle definition. Muscles don’t get stronger, bigger and more obvious when you’re not actually WORKING THEM.

The primary function of your ab muscles, is STABILIZATION. To stabilize your body during movements, and transfer weight from your upper to lower body. The abs can’t do this work well with a corset on

Since your abs ain’t working as much as they should, they ATROPHY. Meaning they get smaller over time… The body does not keep muscles it doesn’t need. Using muscles proves need

So wearing waist trainers makes your ab muscles get smaller and weaker… The exact opposite of what you want, flat toned abs. That’s the ‘soft look’ some people speak of after using them for a while.

So wearing a waist trainer trying to get flat, toned abs is like taking a bus in the exact opposite direction you want to go… A bus with a ticking time bomb underneath.

The last problem I’d highlight is, waist trainers can be addictive for people who have an obsessive personality. One can get so hooked on seeing a much smaller waist, they become psychologically dependent

Waist trainers are a waste of money, and you expose yourself unnecessarily to health problems. All for a societal body ideal that is fickle, and can change any day.

So there’s no running from diet changes and smart exercise to reduce your midsection. The primary focus should be to reduce your health risks, risks associated with a large waist line, according to the WHO

Of course, you can wear shape wear to look good in fitting clothes. Those are not dangerous, and you wear them temporarily…. But waist training? Don’t expose yourself to risks.

You see that temporary improvement in posture? As your muscles get weaker using corsets, they can’t hold you up as well. So ironically your posture worsens as you remove the waist trainer.