Being busy mom’s or an all-day office lady means that we don’t always have time to get to the gym. I know that some will argue that we have to “just do it” and “not make excuses,” right? But I will argue right back that some extra morning cuddles is better for the soul than any workout in the entire world.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good run, but I wouldn’t call myself an athlete or fitness guru by any means. Which, obviously leads me to my love affair with shapewear! This stuff has been pretty much a miracle in my life when preparing for a big event and need some extra inches to be sucked in.
Now, it’s one thing to wear this stuff every once in a while for a special evening out, but wearing it every day as a replacement for actually working on our bodies and making the extra effort to lose baby weight is a big no-no! Wearing tight shapewear for long periods of time can be detrimental to our health and cause dangerous side effects.
- Due to the tight material that shapewear, such as SPANX are constructed of, our stomachs, intestines, and colon can become harmfully compressed. This can directly result in heartburn or acid reflux. In addition, your digestive track can also become compacted, leaving you feeling bloated all evening. (Totally the opposite of skinny!)
- Wearing full pieces of shapewear that go all the way up to your chest and cover your diaphragm can be harmful to your breathing and make your breaths very shallow. Many times whenever this happens, it results in anxiety and panic attacks in those who are wearing it, which is by far one of the most common side effects.
- One of the more visual negative tendencies of shapewear is that it can lead you to develop varicose veins when worn tightly around the things, or even worse, blood clots. Because , of the tightness of the shapewear and lack of air ventilation, the surface of your skin becomes a breeding ground for disgusting germs to grow…yuck!
- Lastly, you may also notice numbness in your extremities, called meralgia paresthetica, and can sometimes even cause great pain.
Overall, be mindful whenever slipping into your shapewear to smooth out any unwanted love handles. Don’t wear it too long, and speak with your doctor whenever you are pregnant and feel yourself pulled towards the Mama SPANX. Maybe hitting the gym doesn’t sound so bad after all?
