I’m a physical therapist, and this is the only posture-boosting device I ever recommend

February 26, 2020 at 12:00AM by CWC

All sorts of gadgets exist with the sole purpose of improving your posture. This is a good thing, considering the fact that we live in world riddled with bent-over heads and rounded shoulders. But it’s come to a point where it’s tricky to nail down just which posture-boosting device you should buy. So what can ya do? Well, physical therapist Karen Joubert, DPT—a self-professed “posture freak”—swears by one thing: the Truweo Posture Corrector ($21).

The posture corrector—which you can easily snag on Amazon—is a simple back brace that goes around your upper back, connecting across your chest to help you sit up straight. Out of all of the posture-bettering devices out there, from this tiny, iPod-looking sticker to kinesiology tape, the Truweo Posture Corrector is probably the most basic. But Dr. Joubert says that it is the only tool that she recommends to her patients time and time again for the best impact on posture. She would know—a large part of her job as a physical therapist is to help people learn how to keep their bodies in proper alignment.

“I like the simplicity and user-friendliness of it,” she says. “It reminds you to sit up straight and tall, and once you take it off, you’re supposed to practice sitting in the same way that the brace held you.” Over 13,000 people that have purchased it on Amazon, and clearly they’re fans: The back brace has 4.5 out of five stars, thousands of rave reviews, and has ranked as the site’s best-seller in the category. What makes the Truweo posture product stand out is that it’s not your typical, bulky back brace that you tug at all day long—the reviews praise the fact that it’s lightweight, comfortable, and really discreet (as in: no ugly bulges sticking out of your shirt).

The idea behind a tool like this is that it helps to train your proper posture by positioning your neck, shoulders, and back to be upright and not to slouch. Over time, your body should learn how to hold the position on its own—but it takes practice. Dr. Joubert’s tip? “Wear this for about 15 minutes every couple of hours,” she says, stressing that you shouldn’t wear it all day long. “If you’re relying on something to do your posture for you, then who is doing the work? You take it off and realize that you’re supposed to sit this way. It’s reminding you what muscles you’re supposed to be using.” Consider it your at-home physical therapist cueing you to put. those. shoulders. back.

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Also good for your posture? Try this resistance band back workout: 

You can also read up on a physical therapist’s tips on soothing swayback posture, another alignment issue. And here are dynamic shoulder exercises to help you keep those shoulders back. 

Author Rachel Lapidos | Well and Good
Selected by CWC