Is it good to squeeze your stomach? The truth about abdominal gripping

October 2, 2025 •

4 min read

While the desire for a flatter stomach is common, chronic squeezing, or 'stomach gripping,' can lead to significant health consequences, including inefficient breathing, back pain, and pelvic issues. Understanding the difference between proper core engagement and harmful abdominal gripping is crucial for overall health and well-being. This guide will explore the dangers and benefits associated with applying pressure to your abdomen.

Quick Summary

Habitually squeezing your stomach is not recommended and can cause adverse health effects like inefficient breathing and posture problems, a condition known as hourglass syndrome. However, targeted core activation or gentle abdominal massage can offer benefits, depending on the technique used. This article details the risks of constant gripping versus the safer practices for genuine core and digestive health.

Key Points

Differentiate Gripping vs. Bracing: Habitual 'stomach gripping' is harmful and aesthetic-driven, while controlled 'abdominal bracing' is functional and protects your spine during exercise.
Watch for Hourglass Syndrome: Chronic stomach squeezing can lead to hourglass syndrome, a muscular imbalance causing poor posture, inefficient breathing, and pain.
Harmful Pelvic Pressure: Constant gripping increases intra-abdominal pressure, pushing down on the pelvic floor and potentially worsening conditions like incontinence.
Safer Core Strengthening: Focus on exercises that teach full core activation, such as planks, bridges, and dead bugs, for true stability and spinal support.
Gentle Massage for Digestion: For bloating or constipation, a gentle abdominal massage can be beneficial, but it must be performed correctly and not with aggressive force.
Prioritize Health Over Aesthetics: Building functional core strength and respecting your body's natural mechanics is healthier and more effective in the long run than constant, superficial abdominal tension.

The difference between gripping and bracing

Many people confuse 'squeezing your stomach' for core engagement, but they are fundamentally different. Habitual stomach gripping is often an aesthetic-driven action where you constantly pull the upper abdominal muscles in, restricting the natural movement of the diaphragm and other core muscles. This can be a subconscious behavior, driven by body image concerns, that leads to an unhealthy muscular imbalance over time.

Abdominal bracing, on the other hand, is a controlled, full-core engagement used for stabilization during exercise and daily activities like lifting. It involves tensing the entire abdominal wall, as if preparing for a punch, and is a healthy and functional movement. This action protects the spine, improves power transfer, and enhances posture.

The dangers of chronic stomach gripping

Regularly holding your stomach in can trigger a cascade of issues collectively known as 'hourglass syndrome,' due to the way it alters your abdominal wall. This muscle imbalance can lead to a variety of symptoms and long-term problems:

Inefficient Breathing: By restricting the diaphragm, stomach gripping forces you to breathe shallowly from your chest and neck, reducing oxygen intake. This can cause fatigue, slow your metabolism, and create tension in the neck and shoulders.
Musculoskeletal Pain: The strain of constant gripping can lead to pain in the neck, shoulders, and back, as the body tries to compensate for the disrupted pressure system. It also causes muscular imbalances and stiffness in the hips.
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Chronic intra-abdominal pressure pushes downward on the pelvic floor, which can worsen existing conditions like urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse. The pelvic floor is unable to function properly under this constant stress.
Reduced Core Function: Ironically, constantly gripping your superficial abdominal muscles can weaken your deeper core stabilizers, leading to a less functional core overall. This can increase the risk of strain during exercise or daily movement.

Safe and effective ways to work your core

Rather than squeezing your stomach constantly, focus on building functional core strength through controlled movements. This approach supports your back, improves posture, and enhances overall stability without the negative side effects of gripping.

Core-strengthening exercises

Planks and Side Planks: These exercises teach full-body bracing and proper core stabilization by holding a neutral spine position.
Bridges: By lifting the hips, this movement strengthens the glutes and core, improving lower back support.
Dead Bugs: This exercise trains your core to remain stable while your limbs move, improving coordination and spinal stability.
Diaphragmatic Breathing: Consciously practicing deep, belly breathing helps retrain the diaphragm and relaxes tight abdominal muscles, which is especially important if you have a habit of stomach gripping.

Abdominal massage: a gentle alternative

For digestive issues like constipation or bloating, gentle abdominal massage can be beneficial when performed correctly. This differs significantly from aggressive squeezing or gripping.

Benefits of gentle abdominal massage

Relieves Constipation: Massage encourages bowel activity by stimulating the muscles of the large intestine.
Reduces Gas and Bloating: The circular motions can help release trapped gas and relax the abdominal muscles, easing discomfort.
Improves Digestion: By stimulating blood flow to the digestive organs, a gentle massage can support overall function.

How to perform a safe abdominal massage

Lie on your back with knees bent to relax the abdominal muscles.
Use light to moderate pressure with your fingertips and palms.
Move in a clockwise, circular motion, following the path of the large intestine.
Work your way from the lower right side up to the ribcage, across the upper abdomen, and down the left side.
Always listen to your body and stop if you experience any pain or nausea.

Comparison: stomach gripping vs. abdominal bracing


Feature	Stomach Gripping	Abdominal Bracing
Primary Motivation	Aesthetics, flat stomach appearance	Functional stability, injury prevention
Muscles Involved	Overuse of upper abdominal muscles	Co-contraction of all core muscles (deep and superficial)
Breathing Impact	Impairs diaphragmatic breathing; shallow chest breathing	Supports proper, deep diaphragmatic breathing
Effects on Pelvic Floor	Increases downward pressure, can worsen dysfunction	Supports and protects the pelvic floor
Posture Consequences	Leads to poor posture, neck/back pain	Promotes good posture and spinal health
Risks	Hourglass syndrome, pain, pelvic floor issues	Minimal risk when performed correctly

When to see a doctor

If you experience chronic or unexplained abdominal pain, or suspect you may be suffering from the effects of chronic stomach gripping, it is important to consult a healthcare professional. They can properly diagnose the issue and recommend a physical therapist who can help retrain your core muscles. A physician can also rule out underlying medical conditions that might be causing your symptoms. This is especially important for anyone with a history of pelvic floor issues, hernia, or recent surgery.

Conclusion: Prioritize function over aesthetics

The idea that you must constantly squeeze your stomach to achieve a flat belly is not only false but can also be detrimental to your health. Chronic stomach gripping impairs breathing, strains your musculoskeletal system, and can cause or worsen pelvic floor problems. True, functional core strength is built through controlled, mindful exercises like planks and dead bugs, which engage all the core muscles for stabilization. For digestive relief, gentle abdominal massage is a far safer and more effective technique. Prioritizing the proper function of your core and respecting your body's natural processes is the healthiest long-term approach.

Visit the Cleveland Clinic website for more information on the dangers of stomach gripping and how to reverse hourglass syndrome.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, habitually squeezing your stomach, a behavior known as 'stomach gripping,' is generally not good for your health. It can lead to inefficient breathing, posture problems, pelvic floor issues, and musculoskeletal pain over time.

Stomach gripping is the continuous, often subconscious, clenching of the upper abdominal muscles, primarily for aesthetic reasons. Engaging your core, or abdominal bracing, is a functional, full-core contraction used for stability and spinal support during activity, and it should not be constant.

Yes, chronic stomach gripping can contribute to back pain. By disrupting the body's natural pressure systems and creating muscular imbalances, it places excess strain on the neck, shoulders, and lower back.

Gentle abdominal massage can be safe and beneficial for relieving digestive issues like constipation and bloating. However, it should be done with light, clockwise pressure, and should not be forceful. Avoid massage if you have recent surgery, a hernia, or unexplained abdominal pain.

Focus on functional core exercises like planks, bridges, and dead bugs, as recommended by the Mayo Clinic. These exercises build true stability and strength throughout your entire core, not just the superficial muscles, without the risks associated with constant gripping.

Hourglass syndrome is a condition resulting from chronic stomach gripping. It involves a muscular imbalance in the abdomen that can lead to inefficient breathing, musculoskeletal pain, and a visible crease at the mid-abdomen.

You should not hold your breath when squeezing your stomach. Proper core engagement, or bracing, should be combined with controlled breathing. Restricting your breath by holding it in is unnatural and can worsen negative health effects.