Is "Sucking in your Stomach" Dangerous?

Sucking In Your Stomach Is Dangerous — What You Need To Know About Hourglass Syndrome

Just another reason to accept your belly in all its glory.

By Katie Couric Media

June 23, 2023

I was given this article by a yoga student and I thought I would share it with you. Read, take in, and reflect. 

Hands up if you’ve ever squeezed into a skin-tight dress, studied your profile, and sucked it in just enough to smooth that tummy area? We’ve all done it at some point. From a young age, we’re bombarded with bizarre and sometimes unsafe advice on how to slim our waists — from crash diets to Kardashian-branded waist trainers that are just glorified corsets.

All of that messaging has led generations of people to engage in the seemingly innocuous behavior of “sucking it in” in an effort to fit in. It’s sort of a cheat to a flatter stomach when you’re in a pinch. It royally sucks (pun intended) that any of us feel the need to do this at all, but it becomes a medical concern when it’s performed beyond the beach or a quick photo op. When you realize that you like what you see when you force your belly inward, you might start doing it more often. And then it can develop into an unhealthy habit, physically and mentally. 

Many people adjust their stomachs in this way much of their waking lives, whether they realize it or not. You could be doing it this very moment. It’s not only an uncomfortable, unnecessary tic that creates a barrier to body acceptance, it can also cause some nasty side effects, which have come to be known as “hourglass syndrome.” Here’s a look at what the condition is and how you can treat it.

What is hourglass syndrome?

Stomach gripping, or contracting the upper abdominal muscles for long periods, has the potential to warp the body in strange ways. It’s less of a concern if you’re momentarily flattening your tummy to zip up some stubborn jeans; the problem is that so many of us aren’t just doing it every now and then but at all hours of the day. On TikTok, users have shared how — moved by the absurdity of modern beauty standards — they seem to suck it in without even really thinking about it. One woman on the platform says she’s been sucking in for “as long as I can remember.”

This habit can lead to back pain, pelvic-floor issues, trouble breathing, and can even “disfigure the abdomen,” says Robert Hayden, a chiropractor in Georgia and a spokesman for the American Chiropractic Association. If you’re chronically sucking in, Hayden says your upper abs will become very developed and tense. That doesn’t sound too bad, right? Wrong. They may appear more defined, he says, but then your lower abs could look softer, resulting in a dimpling or a crease that forms at the base of the ribs. This is a telltale sign of hourglass syndrome. But if you’re checking yourself out in the bathroom mirror and notice this in your gut, don’t freak out. It’s notpermanent and should fade over time — if you stop stomach gripping, Hayden says. 

The more distressing issues aren’t cosmetic: One is its impact on breathing. Stomach gripping restricts the motion of the diaphragm, a muscle located below the lungs. This muscle contracts when you breathe, pulling down on the lungs, allowing them to expand so you can draw air in. Normally, your belly would expand too, but if you keep it squeezed in, you’re actually cutting off the amount of air that could be flowing into you by as much as 30 percent, Adam Browning, a Cleveland Clinic chiropractor tells TODAY.

The habit can also put a lot of stress on your pelvic floor. Constantly tensing these muscles exerts force down onto the pelvic floor muscles, which can overwhelm them, the Washington Post reports. If you’re already dealing with urinary incontinence, this may worsen it. And if painful sex is something you’re struggling with, a tight pelvic floor might have something to do with it. 

Constant stomach squeezing can also lead to chronic pain that radiates up into the neck, shoulders, and back. Browning explains: “As your body tries to find space for your ribs to expand, your lungs start to press upward instead of down, which can cause neck pain. Because of how your muscles are attached, this upward movement can cause increased structural strain in the mid and lower back, which are anchors for your contracting abdominal muscles.”

How to treat hourglass syndrome

It’s not easy to break a bad habit (just ask anyone who’s ever tried to stop biting their nails). But there are some steps you can take to quit. The first is to recognize when you’re doing it, whether it’s on your morning walk or at the office in that old skirt that’s become just a tad too tight. “Awareness is half the battle,” Julie Wiebe, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan-Flint, tells the Washington Post.

Then you have to retrain your muscles by encouraging your stomach to relax. You can do this by practicing “diaphragmatic breathing,” where your belly expands when you take a deep breath in, the Cleveland Clinic recommends. You can certainly practice this on your own, but you may also want the support of a chiropractor, physical therapist, or doctor, Hayden says. And of course, it might pay to get at the root of the problem and dissect why you feel the need to suck in at all. Accepting and appreciating your body for what it is can be a long, difficult process, but it’s worth it — especially if it means living without the discomfort of hourglass syndrome.