Earlier this week I decided to jump on the bandwagon of waist training. Having done a fair amount of research, I was intrigued to find out whether it actually works or not. The fitness trend was first brought to the spotlight by The Kardashians and Jessica Alba on Instagram and has since become quite the celeb craze. But should we be following in their footsteps?
Everybody loves a quick fix when it comes down to fitness. The thought of exercising, calorie counting and healthy eating is daunting and not to mention boring. Waist training is wearing a corset-like contraption to clinch your waist, hips and back. In time, your body will mould itself into an hourglass figure. As this is not a natural process it can potentially be dangerous. Think crushed organs, restricted lungs and fractured ribs – these could all be the severe consequences if used in the long term. Needless to say I was slightly worried…
Let’s just get this straight – I am not using the corset to lose weight or fat around my waist, I just want to achieve a slender more defined waist. A corset won’t magically dissolve fat, you can only get it off with old fashioned hard work. Hence why a fitness regime is still encouraged when undertaking waist training. You’ll see the Kardashian’s at the gym wearing theirs… and taking selfies of course.
Another reason behind my curiosity is to try and improve my terrible posture. I have a tendency to hunch over, especially whilst on the computer or reading, so I was looking forward to the corset helping with my spinal alignment.
I decided to first wear my waist trainer under my dress for Ascot. I ordered a steel-boned corset in a large (a size 12) after measuring my waist and following the size guidelines of the brand I chose. I made the first mistake of eating before I put on my corset. Trying to do the blasted thing up was a nightmare, especially with long nails. It was a struggle trying to clip up the last three hooks in the middle of the corset and I had to get a friend to help. Once it was on though, it was actually pretty comfortable. I expected it to dig in or have difficulty breathing.
The corset itself is surprisingly stretchy. With that said, I was a bit too gentle with it to start with and you do need to give it a good pull to get it round your middle. Once it was on I practiced inhaling and exhaling hard to see how much ‘room’ I had in my corset. After I put on my dress I could see the effects already. My waist was more defined and smoother. I have tried using tights to help smooth out my stomach and tighten my waist, but always I end up with an awkward bulge or ‘muffin top’ and have to keep pulling the tights up so they’re practically under my bust. Not comfortable in the slightest!
I wore it for eight hours on the first day, which was ridiculous. I would recommend starting off with two to four hours a day, just so you get used to the feeling of the corset. After I took it off, I realised how much I had sweated. The corset was practically wet from my sweat, despite spending most of my day outdoors. Gross.
Obviously everyone’s body type is different. You need to consider a variety of factors if you’re going to undertake in this form of body modification and I would highly suggest doing your research beforehand. I am going to continue wearing this contraption for eight weeks to see where it takes me. Will it give me the waist I want? We’ll see…
