How to improve your posture

Are you a “sloucher”? The issue of good posture has come into sharp focus recently with the rapid increase in device usage. We all spend so long gazing at screens, with our heads and necks in unnatural positions. Plenty of us have a tendency to slouch even when we’re not in front of technology – yes, including here in the EL office! But screen time can really exacerbate neck and back problems.

And good posture is important: if you have a well-balanced and aligned spine, the amount of extra work that your muscles, bones and ligaments need to do is reduced.

One way to tackle the problem

Happily, there may be a simple solution at hand. Upright Technologies has just released the UPRIGHT GO 2, a wearable gadget that works to “train” your posture by providing biofeedback. A new and improved version of the company’s original posture trainer from 2015, this one is smaller and more compact, making it easier to disguise under clothing, if you prefer.

How to use it? Just attach the device directly over the spine in your upper back using the adhesive (which is reusable and hypoallergenic). You’re then good to go about doing whatever you were doing – sitting, standing, walking or driving.

When it’s in place, the UPRIGHT GO 2 uses sensor technology and a learning algorithm to detect subtle changes in your posture. It then vibrates to give you real-time posture feedback via the accompanying app.

Additional updated features of the second model include longer battery life (30 hours), better sensors for better slouch detection, and a larger adhesive surface for better attachment. It’s also lighter in weight by half. We like the sleeker-looking design, too!

Monitoring your progress

You can view how you’re fairing with your posture on the iOS and Android app. It allows you to check your stats, history and usage. Custom training plans are available so you can gradually train your upper back and shoulder muscles to build muscle memory, strength and awareness, through daily training sessions of between 10 and 60 minutes.

According to the team at Upright Technologies, they analysed more than 500 million usage minutes from the original device to help them create the best posture feedback technology available.

The aim? For users of the device not only to become mindful of their posture but also more aware of how they carry themselves throughout the day. By doing this, they can improve their posture in less than two weeks; and this improvement can help in relieving back pain and also supporting long-term back health. That’s not all – it can also lead to a boost in overall confidence and appearance.

Find out more at uprightpose.com.

 The UPRIGHT GO 2 is available for purchase at Challenger stores or online at hachi.tech for S$149.

Written in collaboration with:
Upright Technologies

If you liked this, why not read some of our recent Health & Fitness features?

Shamus Sillar

While he has worked as a magazine editor since 2003, Shamus also has a PhD in Roman History (useful!) and is a published author. He writes mostly on travel but also covers food, history, sport, trivia and more, across Expat Living’s publications and websites in Singapore and Hong Kong.