Photography, Corset, Styling: Strait-Laced Dame Corsetry

How does waist training work?

Sometimes it is easier to point to success stories than provide explanations as to why waist training with a steel-boned corset works. Here we will touch on some of the more likely reasons that you might see a change in your body when waist training. Keep in mind that this is a very basic, very watered-down overview of the mechanics of waist training.

Links to videos produced by Lucy’s Corsetry are provided below, if you would like to hear more about the physical effects of waist training.

Rib Recontouring/Flexibility. A corset should not be compressing any other bones than those in your ribcage. If undue pressure is being placed on your spine or hips, then the corset being used is either made poorly or is a poor fit for your body. Even when compressing the ribs, only the “false ribs” (the lowest ribs, connected to the spine and/or sternum by soft, flexible cartilage) are usually affected. These bones already expand and contract with each breath, and they can easily accept a small amount of pressure from a well-fitted corset. With time and consistency in waist training, these lower ribs (usually the lower 5 pairs) can become increasingly more flexible, thus allowing you to cinch tighter without any discomfort.

Lucy’s Corsetry: Corsets and your Bones

Muscle Morphology (Shape). Since your muscles are comprised of living, growing, constantly-regenerating tissues, they have the potential to grow longer and more flexible with time and training. The effect of waist training on the core muscles can be similar, generally encouraging the muscles, most notably the obliques, to match the shape of the corset. With long-term waist training, these changes in muscle shape can last after the corset is removed.

Lucy’s Corsetry: Corsets and Your Muscles

Adipose (Fat) Tissue Movement. Much like lean tissue, body fat is living, and even in a person who maintains their weight, it can fluctuate in microscopic ways. There are theories that compression placed on the waist can discourage the fat cells in that area from absorbing nutrients, thereby leaving the individual fat cells smaller, or, “more empty”; and allowing those nutrients to be absorbed by cells elsewhere in the body. However, I have found little evidence, beyond anecdotal cases, to support this hypothesis. You may or may not find that something like this happens in your own case, but there is certainly no guarantee.

Reduced Stomach Capacity. A corset really does act somewhat like an external “lap band”, compressing your stomach just enough to discourage you from overeating to the point discomfort. This means that, if you leave your corset on while eating, you will feel fuller sooner. It’s entirely possible to maintain weight while wearing a corset, but waist training can also encourage you to eat more mindfully. Of course, taking a corset off mid-meal to make room for more will eliminate this potential benefit!

Internal Organ Repositioning. We are so quick to forget the rigors that the human body is designed to handle, especially pregnancy. While this example is more relevant for females than males, it’s important to understand that internal organs are made to be somewhat flexible in all humans. For women, this is clear in how a developing fetus can trigger the movement of the organs in the abdominal cavity. When engaging in waist training with a steel-boned corset, there is some very minor movement, mostly in the lower digestive tract (the intestines).

Lucy of Lucy’s Corsetry also points out that the stomach, liver, and spleen are affected. These organs, too, are well-adapted to modest repositioning within the human body. (Remember, your soft meat bits are not being crushed!) As you progress in waist training, you may notice that a corset begins to feel slightly looser after a few hours of wear. This is generally due to the stomach or intestines settling either above or below the corseted waist, thus reducing the internal pressure at the waistline. It is not at all harmful when a proper corset is used, but is a great demonstration of the internal flexibility of your body.

Lucy’s Corsetry: Corsets and your Organs

Fluid Reduction (Temporary). You may experience a reduction of fluid held in any part of the body where compression is applied. This is a well-documented bodily function, and the reason behind using compression bandages on swollen or injured muscles. Applying even slight pressure to the torso with a well-made corset encourages the release of fluids from abdominal tissues, thus temporarily reducing the size of one’s waist. Be careful not to mistake this as a long-term effect of waist training. When the corset is removed, fluids are likely to move back into the site from which they were just ushered away.