Obviously the purpose of posture braces is to correct your posture and keep your shoulders from slouching forward causing more stress on the lower and mid back.  For those of your that work at a computer for the majority of the day knows just how painful bad posture can be.

Posture braces will aid in pulling the shoulders back while putting some pressure on your middle back causing your midsection to be forced outward.  This simple application of force will ultimately lead to better posture.  Not only are posture braces used by people looking to improve there posture, but they are also used by many industries where having good form is a must.  One such industry is dancing…there are many dancers that use a posture brace so they can be less cognizant of keeping proper form through there routine. I have also seen several service men wear them as bad posture in the military is very frowned upon. They make some braces that are unnoticeable under a uniform.

With corrective posture brace you will benefit from less back pain, fewer tension headaches, increased circulation and best of all correct posture will give you a sense of confidence.  This can be a achieved with a simple posture brace and there are many on the market to choose from. Knowing as much as you can about these devices will help in your purchase, so let me walk you though some key points.

There are many manufactures of posture braces such as Shoulders Back, Underworks, Benchmark, Footsmart and FLA Orthopedics.  This is just a handful of manufactures and there are several more.  All provide great posture braces for unique situations.  It’s recommend that you you try several braces so you can find one that best fits you.  Yes, it’s a pain and you might spend more than you like, but all to often someone will go out by a posture brace only to not like how it feels on them.  They do take time to get use to and you will feel some discomfort after the first couple days of use.  But, the longer you stick with the sooner you will be on your way to perfect posture. Once you find a brace that you like I would recommend buying a couple so you can swap them out as you wear them.  Wash one and have the others ready to go…they do tend to get a bit sweaty and washing them often is a must. How often you wear your brace is up to you, I normally wear mine at least ten hours a day. Usually an hour before work, eight hours at work and hour when I get home.

I would also like to ad that posture braces are highly recommended by physical therapists and chiropractors, at least mine recommended the use of a brace.

The best to place to buy your brace will be one of the many online retailers.  I can’t recommend a certain one, but there are plenty to choose from.  Price on posture braces will also vary in range.  I have seen some premium posture braces sell for as high as $300  and the low being about $20.  Not ever having a expensive brace I can’t really comment on them, but I’m quite happy paying the $50 that mine cost. I use a Shoulders Back brace and love it.

Using posture braces will help with correcting your posture.  Posture braces are also good for helping lower back pain as they will help support the back muscles.  Living with bad pasture can be a pain and you need to look at posture braces as a tool to the end result which is correct posture, so go out there and buy some posture braces to get on the track to perfect posture.

A posture brace worth checking out is PostureNOW. PostureNOW is a revolutionary new product in the health and fitness arena and is aimed at people with poor posture.

Bad or poor posture is something that more and more people are being effected by. Whether it be due to years of slouching at a computer desk, or whether it be to other work-related tasks, or maybe the cause for your poor posture lies in your genetics. There’s no hiding from the fact that it’s effecting more and more people as time goes on, and this is generally due to the massive increase over the past 15-20 years or so of people sitting at computer desks day in, day out, hunched over a keyboard and staring at a monitor.

Poor posture doesn’t just look bad. It can cause all sorts of health problems. Here are some examples:

• Back pain – One of the more obvious symptoms. Back pain is a result of poor posture as the constant leaning forward or leaning backwards put strain on your musculoskeletal structure, trapping nerves, and sending pain signals to your brain.
• Rounded shoulders – Leaning forward as a result of bad posture can sometimes create rounded shoulders. Not only does it not look good, it can also effect your muscular strength in your arms.
• Forward leaning – One of the main results of bad posture – this one is more predominantly caused, in recent years, in many hours working at a computer workstation; ‘forward leaning’ can lead to back pains, aches, fatigue.
• Muscle fatigue.
• General aches and pains – Caused by the constant irritations on nerve endings and caused by a curved spine (resulting from poor posture).
• Poor posture can also effect the times it can take for your nervous system to send signals from parts of your lower body to your brain, and back again.

This is where PostureNOW can help. Comprising of two armbands made from neoprene, joined together by an adjustable elastic ‘tension band’, this patent pending ‘posture corrector’ is designed to be worn by both men and women, of all ages.

 

Product Features:

• Pulls shoulders back and pushing your chest forward, straightening your back and spinal column; preventing your from slouching and resuming your poor posture state.
• Made from hard-wearing, long-lasting neoprene and elastic, ensuring satisfaction time and time again.
• Patent pending technology.
• Revolutionary new design.
• Un-obtrusive, and can be worn whenever, and wherever you want.
• Makes your own muscles strengthen and do the work.

Posture is slowly corrected by pulling the upper-arms and shoulders back, while the adjustable tension band applies gentle pressure to your back, pushing your chest forward – painlessly, I must add – and straightening up your back and spine.

 

Advantages:

• A natural approach to correcting your posture.
• Makes your own muscles strengthen and do the work in improving your posture – unlike other braces on the market.
• Can be worn on top of, and underneath clothing.

 

Disadvantages:

• Two different sizes – not a ‘one brace fits all’ solution.
• Only comes in one colour – Black.

 

What other reviewers have said:

Many reviewers we found welcomed the new innovative design and the new innovative approach to the ‘posture correction’ market. The new patent pending technology of PostureNOW is a revolutionary design, and this was commented on by many people who have bought and reviewed the product.

Another feature also welcomed was the un-obtrusiveness of the PostureNOW posture corrector, and the fact that it can be worn underneath or on top of clothing. Which makes it a perfect posture brace for men in uniforms. This particular problem I see come up quite a bit with men in the military trying to improve their posture. PostureNOW is a perfect aid in helping the fine men in our military to improve their posture.

 

We also found the following comments:

“…the posture strap, which is lightly cushioned, will not irritate you when it is worn and you can use it when you are at your house or work.”

“…I don’t blame Posture Now for being proud of their posture brace, it is the most innovative on the market. Using tension bands to correct you posture is ingenious and being able to wear it inside your clothes makes it extremely practical.”

“…personally, I think this is the best posture brace on the market but I could not give it a 10 because it does have a few things against it that some people may find important.”

 

Conclusion:

PostureNOW’s new approach to the posture correction arena with their patent pending tension band technology I believe will put them up on top with their comfortable, innovative ‘posture corrector’. Using light, variable tension to correct your posture naturally – unlike many other brands in the posture correction market – will help you get your good posture back without being obtrusive, painful, or unsightly; the ability to wear PostureNOW underneath your clothes means you can wear it wherever and whenever you want. Be it while in work, down the shops, or just at home while you’re relaxing. Nobody will never know.

I would personally recommend this product as it gets results without the hassle that other posture braces cause. Although at the higher end the market with the premium price-tag, you would expect this from a new and innovative product such as this.

 

How to purchase:

To buy directly from the manufacturer (and ensure you get their 30 money back guarantee) CLICK HERE!

Posture braces are a good aid in correcting your posture, but knowing what bad posture looks and feels like is just as important as a good posture brace. Hopefully I can shed a little light on what bad posture is, so you can be more informed.

How many times did you hear “don’t slouch” or “stand tall” while growing up? I must have heard that a million times from my father and grandpa. Both in the military, but they knew that having good posture was more than just looks or portraying confidence. They knew that having correct posture also lead to a healthier back. Having correct posture can be broken down into two specific segments.

1.    Dynamic – Dynamic posture is described as your bodies alignment while in motion or performing a task. Examples of dynamic posture would include lifting, bending, running, or any other movement where your spine will be changing angles.

2.    Static – Static posture is where your spine is in a idle position. If you’re sitting while reading this post, then your posture is in a static position.

Knowing what correct dynamic and static posture feels like will help you in identifying where your opportunities exists and eventually you will start correcting your posture naturally. As with any habit breaking exercise, patience is crucial. That’s also why a posture brace might be able to speed up the process, but I will dive into what to look and feel for without posture aid device.

Static Posture

Standing, sitting and sleeping are the three static posture activities that you deal with most. So it goes without saying that those three activities I will touch upon.

Standing is the most complicated activity (at least in my mind). There are perceived correct standing positions. Standing at attention is one that often gets mistaken for correct standing posture. In reality if you stand with your shoulders back for a considerable amount of time you will notice just how uncomfortable that stance can be. It also puts a strain on your shoulders and lower back.

What you should do is to get in front of a full length mirror and start sizing yourself up. Take a look at your natural standing position. Don’t try and correct yourself when your assessing. Take note of your shoulders, mid-section, knees and head position.

• Shoulder Position - Your shoulders should be aligned with your spine. Curvature on the spine will cause your shoulders to slump forward. This slumping position will create havoc on your lower back.

• Mid-Section - Some of us are a little more heavier than others, so this might be subjective. In the mirror turn to the side and check the middle of your back. What you don’t want to see is a reverse C or sway back. In other words you don’t want your back bow in. Suck in your mid-section and you will see what your back should look like. As the picture to the right indicates…imagine a dotted line from the center of your head down to your ankles.

• Knees – Knees are simple. Slightly bent and never stand at a great length with your knees locked. Have you ever seen someone pass out at a wedding? Besides nerves people in stressful situations lock their legs. This causes restricted blood flow to the brain leading to loss of consciousness. Just remember, feet shoulders width apart and knees slightly bent.

• Lower Back - The lower back and mid-section goes hand in hand. You want a slight natural curve in your lower back.

Practice, Practice, Practice

A good exercise to getting you to feel what correct standing posture feels like is to practice the wall exercise. Place your butt up against a wall with your heels roughly two inches off the wall…remember knees bent slightly. Now place your shoulder blades and the back of your head against the wall.  This feeling should mimic the look of correct standing posture.

Some other best practices to improving your standing posture:

1. For the ladies. High heels are terrible for your lower back. Yes, they are a must for fashion, but for overall posture health…they are a posture faux pas. A comfortable ergonomic shoe might not look sheik, but it will save your back down the road.
2. Don’t stand for long periods of time in one place. If you work where standing one place is part of your job, then try to take breaks or stretch often to keep your back muscles relaxed.
3.  Exercising your back. Through out my blog I touch on exercises that built back muscle. A fit and strong back will promote a healthy standing posture.

 

More to come…