How Long Should You Wear a Posture Corrector?

With office work becoming common across the board, human beings have embraced a sedentary that has an adverse effect on body posture. Posture is the position your body assumes while engaging in your normal activities. There is the ideal posture that keeps the neck, back and spine in their most natural position but very few people adopt it. This has brought its fair share of problems.

The extended office hours slouching over a monitor, driving, and binge-watching take a toll on our posture. Muscles exert pressure on the skeleton while the sheer weight of misaligned body parts easily throws things out of alignment. It is not uncommon to hear of a friend complaining of neck and back problems. Using posture correctors can take care of such injury or strain once and for all.

How Long Do You Wear a Posture Corrector?

The answer to this question is inconclusive. Different brands have varying claims of periods. It is important to note that marketing gimmicks should always be taken with a pinch of salt. There is scientific evidence of several factors that inform the longevity of wearing a posture corrector. These include wearing time, bearing load, lifestyle and alignment problem of the user.

When it comes to the amount of time, each case viewed in its merit. Developing healthy weight-bearing habits is specific to an individual.

The figure could range from as little as 10 minutes a day to 30 minutes a day depending on a person, what posture problem you are fixing and the type of brace you will be wearing and how firm it is on your body.

Braces work on the muscle memory to effect alignment; therefore, the need for daily wearing. There is yet to be a clear consensus on how long to wear braces, with other brands advocating for as little as  10 minutes to others recommending 5 hours.

Is a Back Brace Worth it?

Back issues are both nagging and painful experience. Posture correctors, as the name suggests, improve the body’s realignment. They achieve this through retraining of your body’s musculature back to its natural tone. Poor posture often brings about the loss of body musculature, as a result, improper alignment of your skeleton (spine).

A common occurrence for most office workers is the shoulder coming forward and back losing its proper alignment. Braces correct this by adding a load to the correct points in the body, to increase the muscle tone and to improve the bearing range of your shoulders.

Reasons to Wear a Back Brace

If you are continually taking pain medication to relieve your back pains, investing in a back brace may be a good idea. Research shows that the majority of pack pains are as a result of the improper alignment of the skeleton and muscles. Braces offer a fail-safe solution against future back pains.

Good posture can greatly improve your overall appearance. IT corrects the alignment of the spine and improved muscle tone. Looking at posture brace before and after photos of users, indicate a stark contrast. This is proof that is proof that posture correctors work.

Posture braces help improve the flexibility of users. It is especially true in cases where the user had a history of stiff muscles. Props pull back muscles when worn. With time, the bearing load allows for freer muscular movements.

How to Wear a Posture Brace

Wearing a posture brace should be a relatively straightforward affair considering that most made of light neoprene material. Most new designs have safe skin adhesives (silicon strip) with thin inconspicuous straps to reinforce the brace. Braces that employ smart technology sensors require careful wearing but have the advantage of coming with a user manual.

1. Loosen or unhook adjustable straps & attachments.
2. Stand upright and get in a correct posture (standing against a wall).
3. In this proper posture, wear the brace and Velcro/tighten/hook any straps so that the brace has slight tension/tightness against your body.

You can opt to wear the brace on top of your shirt (if it doesn’t have skin sensitive adhesive) for comfort.

READ ALSO: The Best Plus Size Posture Corrector

Can You Sleep in a Posture Corrector?

Posture is affected by sleeping position. However, relaxing with a posture corrector may be a tricky affair especially when using smart technology braces that alert you to adjust your posture. Apart from the disruption of a sleep cycle, posture braces can be worn by people with chronic back pain or conditions.

But even then there is a strict guideline. If you suffer from sleep apnea, use a pillow or causes any discomfort, it is not advisable to use braces in your sleep. You can wear your brace over your night clothing to avoid, skin irritation. Medical experts advise getting into a correct sleeping position when using posture correctors during sleep.