8 Best Posture Correctors That Benefit Your Body

“[O]ur bodies were not designed to sit or be on a device for hours in a day, so I recommend a supportive posture harness that can be used midday when your supportive muscles have likely fatigued,” Dr. Liza Egobah, a chiropractor, osteopath and myofascial release specialist, told HuffPost by email. “This [posture correcting brace] will help support good posture while still engaging your supportive muscles for most of the day.”

It’s available in sizes XS – XL.

Based on Egbogah’s posture support harness recommendation, we selected another popular posture brace to consider. This option is designed to comfortably correct posture by supporting the mid and upper spine, thus helping relieve pain from the clavicle, shoulders, back and neck. You can start by wearing it five to ten minutes a day, and work towards wearing it for an hour or two a day.

This corrector is adjustable to fit most bodies; it’s designed to fit chests from 30 to 43 inches wide.

“One of the biggest contributors to poor posture is looking downwards to our phone,” wrote Egbogah. “We spend so much time on phones and laptops and when we do, we’re often looking down. This puts a lot of strain on the neck and pushes our head forward into anterior head carriage (when the head moves forward out of alignment).

“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!

We also think this around-the-neck phone holder is a great option; it’s extra lightweight with flexible arms that can also stand upright on horizontal surfaces. “You’ll think this product is ridiculous but once you have it, it’ll save your life,” wrote one Amazon reviewer.

Egbogah also recommended this handheld massager to help loosen muscles that are overly tight from too much sitting.

“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.”

Based on Egbogah’s massage gun suggestion, we chose another option from popular brand Therabody, whose Theragun massage guns are, in my opinion, the cream of the crop of handheld massagers. I’ve tried several of their models and personally own the Theragun Relief, which in my experience has delivered muscle-melting relief from my muscle pain and tension. It’s surprisingly (delightfully) gentle given its impressive power: It literally pounds away knots and tightness without any of the discomfort you might expect from such a powerful device. I also appreciate how lightweight and easy it is to grip, since I’m short without a long wingspan or much upper body strength.

This model lets you toggle between three intensity settings and three massage head attachments.

“If you’ve spent a lot of time with bad posture[,] it can be hard to have a good sense of what correct posture feels like. Posture supporting apparel like posture sports bras and tees help to reinforce good posture and prevent bad posture,” said Egbogah over email. “This means that as you wear posture friendly apparel your muscles and fascia will adapt to support you correctly.”

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.