WEIGHTLIFTING BELTS
It’s impossible to speak to why someone would wear a belt when they are not doing lifting exercises (I carry mine with my lifting shoes in a brightly colored bag so I would notice if someone tried to walk off with it).
But I must take issue with the deeply incorrect information in some of the answers above.
The most common misconception about weight lifting belts is that it passively supports the spine. This just isn’t true.
The way a lifting belt supports the spine is by providing stimulus and resistance for the abs, the muscles that support the spine and by extension all the muscles of the intra-abdominal cavity.
Proper use of a weightlifting belt is:
-Wear it tight
-Before beginning the lift take a deep belly breath and “bare down” pushing the abs against the belt to create maximal intra-abdominal pressure. (The “pushing the truck breath”, the “constipation breath”, the “giving birth breath” whatever picture works for you.)
-Hold that breath the entire time you are in motion. Breathe only when in the most stable position i.e. the top of the Press, the top of the Squat, the top of the Deadlift, between the Clean and the Jerk.
-Anyone who has used a Belt correctly with tell you IT DOES NOT MAKE THE ABS LAZY. It makes the whole mid body stronger. It is particularly useful with a new trainee who does not have as much control over their spine and again when a trainee is strong and trying to make consistent gains.
Wearing a belt passively serves little to no purpose and may induce a trainee to be lazy about form thinking that canvas or leather will take car of them- that is the only way a belt can do harm.
Good luck with your lifting!!