There’s the old saying, “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is”. As a Health Fitness Professional, I spend a lot of my time sorting through what works and what doesn’t. Usually to find out what works you look at research, studies, personal experience…etc. What doesn’t work usually sorts itself out or they stop airing the infomercials. But what about these “slimming wraps? What are they? Do they work?
Slimming wraps are a not so recent trend of wrapping parts of the body with plastic or cloth and being amazed by the loss of inches afterward. The wrap company I’m using as an example says their product will trim, tone, tighten and help reduce cellulite. To be fair, they have a fairly lengthy disclaimer section stating the wraps are for cosmetic use only and do not help with weight loss.
But is there anything backing up these claims?
No. It may not come as a surprise, but very few studies have been done on the effectiveness of slimming wraps. This also includes almost all home-based treatments for cellulite. Be careful when searching for honest reviews online, as most reviews are essentially paid advertisements.
Do they work?
Yes, but only temporarily. No long term benefits are associated with slimming wraps. Much like spray tans, the “results” will eventually go away. I could go in detail about this and tell you all about the amazing anatomy of the human body. Or we can perform a little experiment.
Are you wearing socks? Yes, good! (no, go find someone who is). Now lift up your pant leg and pull your sock down. Is there an imprint where your sock was? Is your leg slightly smaller in that area? Awesome! That’ll be $19.99 please.
What does work?
Healthy eating and exercise. Use that $59.99 to buy some personal training or group exercise passes. Slimming down any part of your body with exercise is going to take time and anything that promises “inches in minutes” is trying to sell you something. There is no replacement for clean eating and exercise.
Replace your processed foods with fresh fruit and vegetables along with lean meat. Your portion sizes could probably use some revamping; try measuring out proper portion sizes for a week to get a better understanding of what you are actually eating. Start a food log to help track when you are eating and why, maybe you eat when you are bored or tired. This will help you understand triggers that cause you to eat.
Want to trim down your midsection the old fashion way? Try this beginner workout to get started:
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.25 mile run/walk
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1 minute seated Core Twist
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1 minute Plank
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30 second Mountain Climbers
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Repeat 2-3 times