If you spend a lot of time on your computer or phone or sit for prolonged periods during work hours or otherwise, odds are you’ve wondered about the effect on your posture.
If so, you’re right to be concerned: It turns out that poor posture can have health consequences that are more far-reaching than you may realize.
“Often times when we think about posture we are focused on the way it makes us look… [b]ut our posture has serious implications on both our physical and mental health,” Liza Egbogah, a trained chiropractor, osteopath and myofascial release expert, told HuffPost by email. Egbogah is the clinic director of The Fix, a myofascial release and osteopathy clinic in Toronto, and designer of Dr Liza shoes, a line of ergonomic footwear.
According to Egbogah, poor posture can not only result in headaches and pain in the neck, shoulders and back, but it can also lead to constipation, bloating and irritable bowel syndrome as a result of increased pressure on the digestive system.
Bad posture can even impact your stress levels. “Spending time in poor posture also causes your cortisol (stress hormone) levels to rise,” Egbogah said, “meaning you may be feeling more depressed or anxious when you’re slouched over. However when maintaining good posture ― where you’re standing tall with your shoulders back ― your body produces more endorphins which are the natural feel good chemicals in our body.”
While spending excessive time sitting or on our devices are common causes of posture problems, it’s not so easy to curb these habits given the demands of modern work and societal reliance on technology. Still, even small changes can make a difference, and investing in certain posture-supporting products may help, as well.
For folks interested in improving their posture, Egbogah filled HuffPost in on her posture corrector recommendations. Read on for her picks.
HuffPost and its publishing partners may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently selected by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change. The experts consulted for this story do not necessarily endorse the products ahead unless otherwise noted.
It’s available in sizes XS – XL.
This corrector is adjustable to fit most bodies; it’s designed to fit chests from 30 to 43 inches wide.
“A neck phone holder allows you to look straight ahead thereby preventing slouching and forward head posture,” she explained.
Based on Egbogah’s recommendation, we chose this gooseneck cell phone holder that sits around the neck and which Amazon reviewers call one of the best things they’ve ever bought. It sports silicone pads around the neck and foam padding at the chest area for added comfort, and it’s designed to be super flexible so you can bend it for your preferred view. It can also stand upright on a counter or table!
“When we sit[,] our hips are flexed,” Egobah explained. As a result, the hip flexor muscles “tug on the spine and pull the body into a slouched posture,” she wrote. “By releasing muscles that tighten up and force you into poor posture[,] you can actually improve your posture.”
This handheld massage gun sports seven speed levels and ten interchangeable massage heads to target muscles from head to toe; its fork head is specifically designed to massage the upper back and spine, while its shovel head works on the lower back. At 40-50 decibels, it’s impressively quiet, and is long-lasting to boot, possessing a run time of up to six hours before requiring a recharge. One reviewer on Amazon called it “a personal masseuse that fits in your hand.”
This model lets you toggle between three intensity settings and three massage head attachments.
Egbogah recommended these posture shirts from AlignMed, available in men’s and women’s sizing. They’re designed to work as a wearable therapy that activates and retrains muscles as you wear them.
“I didn’t really want to pay this much, but it’s worth every penny,” wrote one Amazon reviewer. “This shirt makes me feel good. I have chronic muscle tightness in my back and find this to be a major pain reliever. Who knew my posture was the problem? I ordered just a bit smaller than I expected based on the guidelines that suggested the snugger the better. The tightness is the reason it works so well on my sore back. Don’t order too large.”
If you’re between sizes, AlignMed recommends sizing down.