Alphabetical Index of Articles on Women's Sexual, Pelvic Floor, and Reproductive Health

Sucking in your stomach all the time could be bad for your health

Sucking in your stomach and keeping your abdominal muscles too tense as you go about your day may seem innocuous, but experts say it’s a pervasive habit that can have physical and mental consequences over time.

Heather Jeffcoat is a keen observer of people.

I notice people,” said Jeffcoat, who ascribes her perceptive eye to her nearly two-decade career as a physical therapist. “I notice how people walk. I notice how people stand. I’ll just be like, ‘Oh, that person’s gripping their gluteal muscles, or that person looks like they’re gripping their abs.’ ”

The latter observation — a behavior some experts call “stomach gripping,” or what’s more widely known as sucking in your stomach — is one that Jeffcoat said she often sees among the patrons at her usual Starbucks, which is next to a spin studio in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles.