Our abs are among the muscles in the body that we exercise and use the most.
They are involved in almost every movement our body makes as they help maintain stability and balance, as well as protect the spine and keep internal organs where they belong.
But some health conditions, and especially some unnecessary movements during the day, can cause these muscles to become out of adjustment.
And this, if it becomes chronic, can lead to a condition called hourglass syndrome: a change in the structure of the abdominal wall that can cause a fold to form in the middle of the abdomen.
And not only that: this change can have an effect on the internal organs and other parts of the body if it is not treated in time.
And one of the causes of that syndrome is putting your belly in.
But let’s go first with others.
There are four main causes of hourglass syndrome. All of them result in an imbalance of the function of the abdominal muscles.
The first is a congenital condition (such as gastroschisis or omphalocele). The bad posture is another cause: it can lead to the spine changing its traditional “S”-shaped curve, which can lead to fundamental changes in the tension and function of the abdominal muscles.
He pain in the abdomen (whether associated with stomach, liver or gallbladder problems) can cause a person to involuntarily contract muscles to reduce pain.
But another surprising cause of hourglass syndrome is associated with body image issues, a topic that is coming up more and more..
Some people who feel insecure about their body or want to have a flat abdomen may “tuck in” or “tighten” the abdominal muscles disproportionately to achieve this figure.
muscle imbalance
When we tuck our stomach in, we are making our “rectus abdominis” (commonly known as the abdominal ‘six pack’) contract.
But since we tend to accumulate more fatty tissue in our lower abdomen, the muscles in the upper part of the stomach tend to become more active.
These two aspects cause a fold to form in this area for long periods, with the navel displaced upwards.
Regardless of the cause -and whether it is voluntary or involuntary-, the action of squeezing or pulling the stomach in also requires the body to balance that force that is being done.
Now, the compression of the abdomen also reduces the space available for the organs that are in that area of the body.
We can consider, to give an example, that the abdomen area is like a toothpaste package: if you press in the middle, you press up and down the package.
The pressure at the top affects breathing by making the diaphragm (the main muscle involved in taking air in) unable to move down.
The pressure in the lower part forces the pelvic muscles to exert greater force, due to the fact that the abdominal cavity is reduced in volume.
In addition to this, there is increased pressure on the spine and the pelvis because the abdominal muscles can absorb less impact when they are stressed.
Although there is little research on the effects that hourglass syndrome has on breathing capacity, what can be said is that abdominal bandaging (where only part or all of the abdomen is bandaged to aid recovery from a muscle injury or after surgery) shows a 34% decrease in the amount of air exhaled and a 27% to 40% reduction in total lung capacity.
It is not known if this could lead to long-term changes in a person’s respiratory capacity. But in the short term, Yes, it can be said that it reduces the oxygen that reaches the blood.
In addition, “squeezing” the abdomen can put pressure on the pelvic floor, which will affect the functions of the bladder, uterus and rectum, with consequences such as possible effects on the retention of urine or fecal matter.
For people who already have problems with pelvic floor dysfunction (such as urinary or fecal incontinence), squeezing the stomach as a continuous exercise can make the condition worse.
reversible syndrome
Fortunately, hourglass syndrome is reversible. It can help, for example, treating muscle imbalance through exercises that strengthen all the core muscles can help.
Exercises like planks or bridges are just a couple of examples. Similarly, activities like yoga or Pilates are also likely to be beneficial for relaxing your muscles.
Hourglass syndrome is probably something that will develop over a long period of time: weeks of constant stomach sucking.
So once in a while, sucking on your stomach muscles isn’t likely to cause problems.
There are also many ways around it. If you have unexplained or prolonged abdominal pain, it pays to see a doctor, not only to prevent muscle imbalances, but also to treat the root cause of the pain.
If you tend to pull in your stomach to improve your appearance, exercises that strengthen your muscles and back will be helpful to help maintain good posture and flatten your abdomen.
Keep reading:
* 7 things you can do to avoid regaining lost weight
* 2 types of squats that help you lower blood pressure
* Five foods with prebiotics that will improve your intestinal health
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