A Lot Of Us Were Taught To 'Suck It In' For Years. Our Bodies Are Now Paying For It

Physical therapists say the habit of constantly holding in your stomach can have consequences that go far beyond appearance.

Maybe it was your mum telling you to stand up straighter. Maybe it was a fitness instructor constantly reminding you to pull your belly button toward your spine. Or maybe it was the cultural messaging that a flatter stomach is simply more attractive.

For many women, after years of being told to “suck it in” – also referred to as “stomach gripping”– it just becomes a way of life. But physical therapists say the habit can have consequences that go far beyond appearance.

Over time, what starts as a conscious effort can become automatic.

“That becomes an unconscious holding pattern,” Dr. Caroline Packard, a pelvic floor physical therapist and founder of Connect Pelvic Floor Fitness, told HuffPost.

“I call this ab gripping, and I see it all the time clinically in women dealing with pelvic floor symptoms, core dysfunction, back pain, hip pain and breathing restrictions.”

According to Packard, many people assume stomach gripping is simply a bad habit. But in some cases, it’s actually the body’s attempt to compensate for a deeper problem.

“What most people don’t realise is that sometimes the gripping isn’t just a habit,” she said. “It’s the body looking for stability when the deep core system isn’t providing it. When the core’s deeper muscles aren’t coordinating the way they should, the surface muscles step in because something has to.”

“The body is resourceful that way,” she continued. “But surface tension was never designed to be a full-time job.”

Experts say this pattern, sometimes referred to as “hourglass syndrome,” can affect everything from breathing mechanics and pelvic floor function to posture and chronic back pain.

What is ‘hourglass syndrome’?

Hourglass syndrome isn’t a formal medical diagnosis. Rather, it’s a term clinicians use to describe a common pattern of abdominal tension.

According to Packard, years of pulling the........

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