Our abdominals are among the muscles of the body that we exercise and use the most.
They are involved in almost every movement our body makes since they help maintain stability and balance, as well as protect the spine and keep internal organs where they should be.
But some health conditions, and especially some unnecessary movements during the day, can cause these muscles to become misaligned.
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 the formation of a fold in the middle of the abdomen.
And not only that: this change can have an effect on internal organs and other parts of the body if not treated in time.
And one of the causes of this syndrome is belly tuck.
But let’s go to others first.
There are four main causes of hourglass syndrome. All of them result in an imbalance of abdominal muscle function.
The first is a congenital condition (such as gastroschisis or omphalocele). Poor posture is another cause: it can lead to the spine changing its traditional “S” shaped curve, which can result in fundamental changes in the tension and function of the abdominal muscles.
Pain in the abdomen (whether associated with stomach, liver or gallbladder problems) can cause the person to contract muscles involuntarily to reduce pain.
But another surprising cause of hourglass syndrome is associated with problems with body image, an increasingly prevalent issue.
Some people who feel insecure about their body or want to have a flat abdomen may “tuck in their tummy” or “tighten” their abdominal muscles disproportionately to achieve this figure.
Muscle imbalance
When we pull our stomach inward, we are causing our “rectus abdominis” (commonly known as the abdominal ‘six pack’) to contract.
But because we tend to accumulate more fatty tissue in the lower part of our 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 inward also requires the body to balance the force being exerted.
Now, the compression of the abdomen also reduces the space available for the organs in that area of the body.
We can consider, to give an example, that the abdominal area is like a toothpaste packing: if you squeeze in the middle, you put pressure up and down the packing.
Pressure at the top affects breathing by making the diaphragm (the main muscle involved in breathing in air) unable to move downward.
Pressure at the bottom forces more force on the pelvic muscles, because the abdominal cavity is reduced in volume.
In addition to this, there is greater pressure on the spine and pelvis because the abdominal muscles can absorb less impact when they are tensed.
Although there is little research on the effects that hourglass syndrome has on breathing capacity, what can be said is that abdominal bracing (where the entire abdomen or only part of it is bandaged to aid recovery from 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 whether this will lead to long-term changes in a person’s breathing capacity. But in the short term, it can be said to reduce the oxygen reaching 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 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 an ongoing exercise can worsen the condition.
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 such as planks or bridges are just a couple of examples. Similarly, activities such as yoga or pilates are also likely to be beneficial in relaxing the muscles.
Hourglass syndrome is likely to be something that will develop over a long period: weeks of constantly sucking in your stomach.
So, from time to time, sucking in the stomach muscles is not likely to cause problems.
There are also many ways to avoid it. If you have unexplained or prolonged abdominal pain, it is worth consulting a doctor, not only to prevent muscle imbalances, but also to treat the root cause of the pain.
If you tend to contract your stomach to improve your appearance, exercises that strengthen your muscles and back will be useful to help maintain good posture and flatten your abdomen.