For as long as I can remember I have struggled with poor posture. I’m such a slouch. You can blame tech, sitting at a desk all day (or being cold – I am the WORST when shooting outfit photos in the cold), but the truth is I’ve slouched since I was a kid. I do a lot of yoga, I stretch, but nothing helps. (Or at least, nothing helped.)
Side Effects of Bad Posture
I think the biggest side effect of poor posture is your state of mind. Ever notice how when you’re sitting tall, shoulders back, you feel better and more confident? YES. It’s also an optics thing; it affects how other people perceive you. Since using the trainer everyday (for a little over a month!) my posture has improved and I notice it more when other people slouch. I was on a date and the guy slouched a LOT – it definitely made him seem less confident and that realization made me even more conscious of my own posture!
The Benefits of Good Posture
The biggest benefit of good posture is increased confidence and happiness – and being perceived that way by others! When you are sitting upright with correct posture, you look better, you feel better, and other people will perceive you as more confident and self-assured.
Upright Posture Trainer Review
I had been hearing quite a bit about the Upright Trainer, which is a posture corrector. I am certain my phone listens to me whine on and on about my posture as I was getting served ads left and right for it. So I finally took the plunge and bought one. I keep getting questions and DM’s about it, if I still liked it, etc. so pushed up my review a couple weeks – I’ve been using it for a little over a month now and really like it so far.
How it Works
The Upright Posture Trainer is a digital posture tracker to help with correct posture. It is this tiny little wearable device that attaches to your upper spine with double sided adhesive pads (it comes with adhesive pads + alcohol wipes and you can also buy more). It’s a little annoying to change out the adhesive strip every day but it’s not that bad. You also have to download the companion app to your phone.
Every day you are given a “training period” where you work to improve your posture. You start with just a few minutes and work up. You can use it while you sit or stand. You set your posture and sit up straight and then it tracks you using personalized training, giving you a gentle vibration when you start to slouch. After the training period you can enter a tracking period (I usually do this for the remainder of my time at my desk). There is a smartphone app that it syncs to which gives you a progress report with how you did. The app also gives you push notifications so that you don’t forget to use it!
The tracking period is where it gets really interesting. Because of course your posture is going to be nice and perfect when you’re getting constant reminders that you’re slouching. But what happens when you aren’t!? The device is so lightweight that you forget it’s there. I remember my first day. I did eight minutes of training mode with near perfect results. Then, I switched to tracking mode (no vibrations or reminders) and failed miserably at it – slouching the majority of time. With time though, I got better and better.
Another big thing I noticed that tells me it works is that for the first week or two of “training” my core muscles sore. Sore in a different way than when I do yoga/pilates/ab workouts. Sitting perfectly straight for eleven minutes is harder than it sounds (at least at first – it gets easier if you do it every day and really work at it!)
Cost and Quality
I think my biggest barrier to purchase was that it seemed a little bit gimmicky. Is posture improvement worth $80? ABSOLUTELY. I would have easily paid a specialist that money in a heartbeat. But forking over $80 for a little plastic gadget felt a little bit dumb.
Here’s the thing though: I don’t know anything that works better (besides being disciplined). So yeah, that little piece of plastic isn’t worth $80 but it works. And when I think about how I’d easily pay someone $80 to help fix my posture, I feel better about the purchase. The battery life has been great so far, I haven’t needed to replace mine yet.
So… Does the Upright Posture Trainer work??
My honest opinion is YES. The Upright Trainer works. It will help you improve your posture and stop slouchin! Is it annoying? Yes. There have been days where I’ve almost thrown it out the window because I’m frustrated by how much it’s buzzing me. Do you need it? Probably not – if you are disciplined enough you could easily mimic the benefits of the trainer… sitting/standing perfectly straight for periods of time and watching yourself like a hawk. I will say that using the trainer has made me so vigilant of my own posture that I don’t even really need it anymore. How I’m sitting is now constantly top of mind. But the thing is, I wouldn’t be in that position now if I hadn’t bought the trainer and used it every day.
Have you tried it? If so, I would love to hear about your experience!
You might also like… Gravity Blanket Review! and Dr. Singha’s Mustard Seed Bath Detox Review.
Hmmm… it still sounds a little too gimicky for the price! But that’s just my opinion, haha. I would prefer going to a real specialist or something. Either way, thank you for the review! ✨
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
thanks Charmaine!
A specialist would cost you at least $80 an hour
My posture has been awful since I was a kid too and I’ve wanted to get better at it for a really long time because at the end of the day my back really hurts. I didn’t even know that there were devices that could help with that and yeah 80$ is a bit too much for something like that but it is an investment in my own health and overall happiness so I might think about it. Thanks for sharing!
My net takeaway was that while yes the plastic and app don’t warrant $80, the benefits do and I am really glad I got it!
I neeeeddd!!!! Thanks for your review. I’m waiting to splurge on it though – haha.
glad to hear it!!
Thanks for this review! I had actually clicked on that several times wondering if it was worth it and now I know!
I am a big fan! Thanks Leah!
When I finally get a new job and figure out my expenses, I definitely want to try this out. I’ve been trying to fix my posture on my own but this sounds like a much better way to do so. And it’s not as expensive as I thought! Thank you for sharing!
let me know how you like it!!!!
A year ago I got into the habit of barre classes (through class pass) and noticed my posture randomly got really good! Then I stopped going to barre andddd I noticed I slouch so much more now! I wonder if i should pick it back up for the health/exercise/AND posture benefits, rather than a device. To me, devices have a much shorter affect, but who knows..
Barre is so good for your posture!
I think it depends on the person, this has worked better for me than anything else has, I feel like the Pavlovian dog!
i tried this upright posture corrector https://www.ladieshabits.com/post/Upright-Posture-Corrector-Review/0?fbclid=IwAR3wh7W41sk__7rF94_e0eAtanf8xprCswbLOiAJXvMXjL1MuWqU4DndcwI it feels realy good specially if you work a lot on your desktop.
What about the effectiveness of the adhesive pads? I see several reviews on Amazon that say they don’t really stick.
Really!? I had no issues. I think they’re really strong! The only way I could see it slipping is if someone used it at the gym and sweated a lot (not advisable) or had really, really oily skin. This was a total non-issue for me!
This sounds so interesting! I’ll keep looking into this trainer.. thanks girl!
x Lisa | lisaautumn.com
Let me know if you try it!
I’ve been seeing this all over the place and am so glad to read an opinion of someone I trust! Thanks, lady!
It’s such a great little invention!
Hi, I have been thinking of purchasing this but I am curious…can you put it on yourself? Also, if you are wearing a lightweight shirt or going to the gym in a tank top – I’m assuming it shows? Thanks so much! I appreciate this post!
yes you can easily put it on yourself!
it would show through a tank but it’s very small. I honestly wouldn’t recommend wearing to the gym, I’d say it’s best for day to day errands and while sitting at your desk.
I’m totally planning on buying one, and now with your confirmation I’m going to click “purchase.” Thanks for the honest review Grace. My posture is so bad that it causes the majority of my back pain–which is a lot!
Thanks again,
Ann from Kremb de la Kremb
oh good! really hope it helps!!
I’ve been seeing ads for this product everywhere! I’ve now added it to my Amazon cart! Thanks for your honest review!
you’re so welcome!!
Wow, just reading this article made me hyper-aware of how much I was currently slouching! I know it’s definitely a chronic problem for me; one my chiropractor hates as it takes away from a lot of the work she does, and I have somewhat of a “hump” where my neck meets my upper back, because of my head being forward SO much.
I am actually pretty excited to find this product. $80 is 1000% worth it to me, especially seeing as one chiropractic adjustment, alone, is like $65.
You really do have to think of it as an investment.
Thanks for your review!