I?ve always had good posture growing up, but somewhere in my 20?s I started to slouch. I?m not sure if it was the long hours standing as a pharmacist, the constant bending of my neck down to look at a computer and counter, holding a phone between my cheek and shoulder to multitask, or simply fatigue from all I took on. It was probably a combination of everything, and over the years it took its toll. I began to slouch my shoulders, round my back, and in general developed an unattractive stance and bad posture. I also developed a pretty sore back and neck pain.

posture penelopeThere are products to help correct and improve posture, both for adults who suffer from bad posture, and for growing children who these days tend to be more sedentary and obese. I wasn?t really familiar with these products though, so was happy to be introduced to Evidence Based Apparel. AlignMed is a company that makes Posture Shirts for men, women and children to help improve posture, reduce back, shoulder and neck pain, and improve range of motion. They can be worn while exercising, working, just going about your day, even sleeping. I had to opportunity to review the Women?s Symmetry V-neck Posture Shirt in black with angel blue Neuro-bands (I was sent a sample), shown here from behind:

Features of Posture Shirts from Evidence Based Apparel:
* Neuro-bands that cue your body to respond by correcting posture
* 4 way stretch with initial tight fit that stretches to accommodate different body types
* Bac-Shield? Anti-Microbial Protection to prevent growth of bacteria, prohibiting odor and fabric discoloration (so you can wear it often)
* Vaportex? Moisture Barrier to wick moisture away from body (great if you plan to wear it to exercise)
* 100% Made in USA

I have spent the last week wearing my Posture Shirt for part of each day, going about my day as usual. The Posture Shirt improves posture with strategically placed Neuro-Bands with varied tensions built into the form fitting shirt. These Neuro-Bands trigger the shoulder and neck to properly align themselves, relieving straining on the spine, shoulders and upper extremity muscle groups, and at the same time (through a positive response system on your musculoskeletal system) giving your body the cue and support to correct posture.

My main interest in improving my posture is vanity, because slouching and rounded shoulders are very unattractive, project a lack of confidence, and can lead to progressively worse slouching and back pain as we age and our muscles weaken. After wearing the Posture Shirt for a week, I find that the shirt does encourage better posture in the shoulder area (it seemed to very gently, almost imperceptibly, encourage me to hold my shoulders back). The Posture Shirt also comes in all white or all black, which I love because I?m getting used to standing with proper posture again. My Posture Shirt looks like I?m heading out to exercise, so I would love to have a variety of shirts suitable for daily wear.

I would love a design that also reminded me to pull my stomach in. My upper back pain was reduced and I was holding my shoulders back, and I?d love to continue on this road and really correct my posture further. I?m not aware of any products that offer this, and after a bit of research I found that there are posture braces to correct posture, but reviews indicate they can be uncomfortable and irritating for wearers. The Posture Shirt seems to be a more comfortable way to encourage the body to improve posture, and these shirts also look pretty good.

Visit AlignMed for more information about Posture Shirts and see what Posture Shirt would suit you.

Penelope Guzman?for AlignMed

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