Health experts have warned against ‘sucking in’ your stomach to look thinner – and listed the many ‘detrimental’ effects it has on your health....CONTINUE READING
Women and men often breathe in and stretch their abdomen to look smaller in photos and tight clothing, which can cause unnecessary strain on their back and neck muscles and lead to chronic bad posture.
Van Marinos, Exercise Scientist and founder of Community Moves, told FEMAIL that ‘constantly holding your stomach in can limit the ability of the diaphragm to function properly, which in turn can impact your breathing mechanics.’
The scientist also shared that stomach gripping can heavily contribute to neck pain and postural issues, leading to a core imbalance that often results in a ‘hump neck’ because of the pressure it puts on your spine.
‘Constantly sucking in your abdominal muscles causes them to contract – which pulls you into a ‘collapsed’ position, changing the curvature of your spine,’ revealed top Sydney physiotherapist Jerome Murphy.
Wellness guru Erika Weiss
also noted that sucking your stomach in can make you develop creases in your abdomen and accentuate your belly pouch.
Your abdomen plays a key role in how you stay balanced when you move around, and gripping your stomach muscles means all your energy is going to one area, causing an inequality.
‘While many people will do it without thinking, it’s almost a reflex, there are long-term repercussions associated with ‘stomach gripping’, as you’re holding significant tension in one part of your body for an extended period of time,’ Erika said.
She added, ‘You’re putting additional stress on your clavicle and the lower neck, leading to neck, shoulder, and back pain.’
Some signs of sucking your stomach in too much include seeing more definition in your upper abdomen while your lower abs remain soft.
The excess strain and overworking can impact the pelvic floor and organs, leading to bladder and bowel issues, incontinence or even pelvic prolapse.
Physiotherapist Jerome Murphy revealed that one of the only times you should suck your stomach in is when you’re lifting weights at the gym.
‘It’s a bracing technique you use when you’re lifting something heavy – it was never meant to make you look thinner,’ he told FEMAIL.
‘You can’t sit or stand with your stomach gripped for several hours – it puts a lot of strain on your body,’ he added.
Erika Weiss also likened the activity to constantly keeping a single muscle tensed for the entirety of a work out.
Women often ‘breathe in’ and stretch their abdomen to look thinner for photos and in public, which can cause unnecessary strain on their back and neck muscles and lead to bad posture
Depending on how long the problem has persisted, some effects of stomach gripping are irreversible.
‘Firstly, it’s important to move around a lot and stay in motion,’ Jerome advised.
‘If you’re working an office job, you can set an alarm to get up and move around every hour or two – make a cup of tea, walk around your desk a few times, anything that gets you moving.’
Jerome also recommended people suffering from neck and back pain consider standing desks.
You can also prevent further issues by practicing muscle-relaxing exercises like yoga.
Erika suggestedfocusing on low-impact moves that bend your spine without causing unnecessary stress to your sore muscles.
