Your Spanx Are Squeezing Your Bowels and Messing With Your Digestion

If you think you’re just cutting off your blood circulation while wearing Spanx, think again. You’re actually squeezing your intestines, stomach and colon. Yikes.

Shapewear couldn’t do its job if it wasn’t tight. Unfortunately … Dr. Kuemmerle says it can worsen acid reflux and heartburn. Restrictive clothing can also provoke erosive esophagitis.

Your digestive tract is also affected, explains Dr. Erickson. The intestines are supposed to contract and move food along, but when they’re compressed over a long period of time, the flow of digestion is stifled.

Shallow breath is another side effect of shapewear, because every time you breathe, your diaphragm and stomach expand. Obviously if those organs are restricted, so is your breathing capacity. And if you have feisty bowels or incontinence, Dr. Kuemmerle advises against wearing the elastic-happy product because the pressure on your bowels can encourage bathroom incidences.

The side effects continue, from tingling, numbness and pain to bad posture and infection. So maybe just keep your Spanx for special occasions and keep doing those sit-ups? Your body will probably thank you.