Hourglass figures. They’ve been the buzz all over social media in the past few years, especially with the Kardashians popularizing slim waists and curves. Along with this recent trend, I noticed countless advertisements on social media trying to convince me to buy a waist trainer. Well, guess what? I finally did, and here’s what I learned after wearing one for a few weeks.
First and foremost, let me go over what a waist trainer is. Unlike a corset, which can be worn underneath clothes all day long, a waist trainer is typically worn for a few hours at a time. Think of it as a tight vest, but for your mid-section. It basically trains your waist to stay a certain shape, accentuating curves and all.
Another difference is waist trainers, unlike a corset, are made from different materials that are aimed towards making you sweat. Yes, they help reduce belly fat by making you sweat even more while you workout, unlike a corset that is made from breathable material. My waist trainer, the Mermaid’s Mystery brand from Amazon, is made from neoprene which is a synthetic rubber and let me tell you, I was sweating like never before during my workouts!
So, now that you know what a waist trainer is and how it differs from the classic corset, I’ll go into what I’ve learned in the last couple of weeks. First, waist trainers are extremely uncomfortable in the beginning, especially if you’ve never worn one before. I mean, I had to make a mental note of movements I could not do such as bending or slouching. But, it drastically improved my back posture! And after a couple of times of wearing it, I started to get more comfortable and soon it felt like a part of me.
Second, don’t expect overnight results! Just like any other fitness goal, achieving a certain look takes time! Yes, a waist trainer helps you achieve an hourglass, but you need to make sure you’re not hurting yourself by tightening it too much too quickly. Make sure to set mini-goals for yourself throughout your fitness journey and most of all, be sure to take care of yourself before all else!
I feel like this third one is more like three different things wrapped up into one, but let me go on with what I have to say. Before you decide to change anything about your appearance, ask yourself why. Who are you doing it for and why? If the answer has nothing to do with making YOU happy or if it’s about impressing someone else other than yourself, take some time to think. We should never feel like we have to change ourselves in order to fit into society’s impossible expectations or to impress some guy who isn’t worth it. Instead, we should do whatever makes us confident and proud. If getting that hourglass makes you feel good, then, by all means, go for it! Yeah, we may not achieve the gloriously cinched waists of some celebrities, but remember that most have gone under the knife to attain the desired look. So before you actually buy a trainer, make sure that you are doing this for you and not for someone else. And be sure to read up on the possible risks and side effects too!
Overall, I learned a few important lessons throughout my time wearing a waist trainer. Will I continue using it? Of course! But even if I had never bought one, I’d still love me for me. One idea that has resonated with me even as I’m writing this article is that self-love is one of the most important things we can reward ourselves with. If you do not love yourself, then you will never be happy about how you look. It’s okay to be insecure sometimes but before you decide to go on this journey, make sure you take the road towards self-love first because I’ll guarantee that you’ll be happy no matter what the end result is!
Images: 1, 2, 3