Popular Posture Apps

The iconic human evolution chart may need to be revised. Most of us no longer walk fully upright.

“Naturally aligned human beings have become the minority in our population, a true rarity,” states the American Posture Institute, which estimates that 80% of the population suffers from posture-induced back pain. Collective treatment surpasses $1 billion a year.

It’s not surprising:
Over 86% of U.S. workers sit for the entire workday, while the average time spent daily on a mobile device hovers at five hours. In total, Americans spend almost 11 hours a day on a screen, according to a recent Nielsen report. That means hunched shoulders and curved, forward-leaning “text necks.”

In the long term, this equates to a medley of potential health hazards, including fatigue, muscle tension, difficulty breathing, hampered immune functions, chronic back pain, osteoporosis, dowager humps, even depression.

If you too, like me now sitting on the couch, then this article will be useful for you. Quarantine has completely changed many people’s habits. Some of them can be detrimental to our health. I have found and compiled everything you need to know about what apps will help your posture.

There will be two sections in this article with different apps that are designed to keep the user’s back straight.

#1: Best Reminder Apps:

Reminder apps are the easiest to implement, but they will help you get into the habit of keeping your back straight.

For me, this is the way to go. I’m such a character that when I’m immersed in things, I completely forget to take health pauses. For example, I installed the 20-20-20 app to rest my eyes.

The Best Posture Apps

Have you ever considered using a posture reminder app to keep your spine in line during the day?

We all know proper posture is important to overall health and well-being, but it can be difficult to break a poor posture habit and focus on keeping our backs straight and heads up, especially when we’re all burying our faces in our devices. Fortunately, in this age of prevalent technology, our computers and phones now offer apps and programs that can remind us to check our posture and even monitor our body position. Read on to discover the pluses and minuses of some posture reminder apps and programs available today and determine what best fits your needs for a posture check prompt.

1. Upright.
   UPRIGHT is a posture app for iPhone and Android that works by way of a wearable device and connectivity.
2. MacBreakZ.
   MacBreakZ is a posture app for desktop computers.
3. Darma Pro.
4. Lumo Lift by Lumo Body Tech.
5. The Perfect Posture Workout.
6. SmartPosture App

Comparing Posture Reminder Apps

Let’s review a few popular posture reminder apps and programs available for a variety of devices and how they can help you put together the above-mentioned pieces that make up proper posture.

SmartPosture

SmartPosture™ provides simple ways to help you form and maintain better posture habits while using your smart devices. SmartPosture™ is an innovative posture coach app that’s great for the whole family, including children and teenagers who are prone to ‘text neck’.

• Installs: 10,000+
• Download Free: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.smartposture.app
• Website: https://smartposture.net/

MacBreakZ

Pros: Great for desk workers, this program teaches you stretches you can do in your chair that reduce muscle tension and improve posture. You can set a timer to remind you to get up and move around at certain intervals. Additionally, MacBreakZ offers standard prevention mode as well as a recovery mode that prompts more frequent breaks if you already have problems related to previous poor posture.

Cons: It will cost you a bit – $24.95 after a free 14-day trial. Also, it’s only available on Mac computers.

30 Day Posture Makeover

This revolutionary posture makeover method has more than 3 hours of video and over 100 stretches, exercises and ergonomic tips. Each day for 30 days you watch a short video that gives in-depth coaching on a different aspect of posture, plus a mini stretch and exercise session that is designed to open tight posture muscles and strengthen weak ones.

• Installs: 1,000+
• Android App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.scratchu.app.a30dayposturemakeover
• Website: https://www.posturemakeover.com/

https://youtube.com/watch?v=KR2SY-stJhU%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Posture Man Pat

Pros: This innovative program uses the Y-axis of your computer webcam to monitor your head position. It will alert you by sound or screen dimming if your head moves out of alignment -the program is visually small and subtle on your screen. Best of all, it’s free!

Con: Like the previous program, it’s only available on Mac computers.

Perfect Posture Workout

Pros: This iPhone app is only $0.99 and quite customizable. Start by standing against a wall with your phone in your pocket, and the app calibrates your posture then guides you through exercises accordingly. It also vibrates to alert you if you slouch and tracks your posture progress over time. Since it’s a phone app, it’s helpful during any number of daily activities.

Con: Sorry, Android users – this app is for iOS only.

Lumo Back

Pros: This app is for those who want constant and super-accurate monitoring via a wearable technology system. (It’s available on both iOS and Android.) Once you set up a small monitor, worn on an elastic waistband, it continuously sends data to your phone via Bluetooth. An easy-to-understand stick figure avatar turns green when it senses good posture and yellow if you need improvement.

Con: While the app itself is free, the wearable tech option isn’t cheap – it’s an investment at $149.95.

Nekoze

Pros: This free computer program is also fun. Nekoze is the Japanese word for stooped, as in the shape of a scared cat’s rounded back – so a cartoon cat meows on your screen to remind you to straighten it out. (It can also be set to silent if you’re in a quiet office.) You can additionally customize its sensitivity and watch videos of muscle stretches designed to improve posture.

Con: This cute cat will only meow on Mac computers.

In some cases your device or operating system will guide you toward the available posture reminder app or program that’s right for you – as will your budget. From there, evaluate your habits to determine app attributes that will be most helpful. Do you get caught up in your work and need reminders at pre-set intervals to stretch and relax? Or would constant monitoring be more apt to keep you aligned? Maybe you’re a visual learner who prefers to take advantage of teaching videos.

A 2014 Health Psychology study found that participants in bad posture were more likely to experience bad moods and low self-esteem. Inversely, those who sat upright exhibited more confidence and positivity.

#2: IoT Smart Apps:

These are technological projects that combine the capabilities of wearable devices (gadgets) and functional applications.

The Best Posture Training Device Apps:

1. Lumo Lift Posture Sensor
2. Upright Go 2 Posture Trainer and Corrector for Back

Price:

$99.99

• Strapless Smart

Price:

$39.99

• AhomeTeck
• DARMA Comfort Foam Seat

Wearable tech is still in its early stages. Sensors will continue to get smaller and more lightweight — and, it’s hoped, cheaper. “We have just scratched the surface,” says OMSignal’s Mackey. Engineers are working on ways to not just monitor vital signs, but to predict or prevent problems. Someone with a triple bypass, for instance, might put on a smart shirt and have a medical team monitor the biometric data, or an alarm might go off if something seems wrong.

Your Apple Watch

Apple Watch is a smartwatch device that helps you to maintain healthy posture. It can be installed on any iOS device with watchOS 4 or later version.

A posture app will automatically detect your body’s posture and provide feedback, telling you to make an adjustment if it detects that you are slouching. There are many types of apps, some are free while others have a paid subscription that provides more features.

The Verdict

I didn’t end up wanting to keep using any of these. They were mostly burdensome to set up, irritating after several hours, and not terribly exciting after Day One. It’s not that gadgets aren’t helpful, but that it’s all too easy to shut them off once they start annoying you.

Biotechnology Health Care Startups

VitalConnect

VitalConnect – a wearable biosensor technology for wireless hospital and remote patient monitoring. VitalConnect leverages extensive expertise in biomedical engineering, data analytics, chip design, and mobile and cloud software to create technology that supports decision-making paradigms that achieve better health and economic outcomes. VitalConnect’s products are designed for use in a broad range of inpatient and outpatient settings, such as hospital monitoring, post-discharge care, cardiac monitoring, and pharmaceutical solutions.

• Founded Date: 2011
• Headquarters Regions: San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley, West Coast
• Total Funding Amount: $86.7M

Giraffe Friend

Giraffe-Friend is a tiny, circular wearable device that aims to correct bad sitting posture, as well as help its user to prevent posture-related aches and pain.

• Founded Date: 2014
• Headquarters Regions: Asia-Pacific (APAC)
• Total Funding Amount: $14K

The Effects of Poor Posture

Everyone knows that poor posture leads to pain and tension. At the end of the day, your muscles are sore, you feel the need to crack your neck, and your lower back is killing you. These are all effects of poor posture. But poor posture can lead to even more negative effects on your body that you may not recognize.

Additional effects of poor posture on your body include:

• Worsening of arthritis symptoms
• Feelings of fatigue
• Poor circulation
• Varicose veins
• Low mood
• Jaw pain
• Headaches and more

While nearly 65 million adults report having experienced back pain in the recent past, a recent survey showed that only 47% reported being concerned about their posture.

Have you been experiencing any of the symptoms listed above? Your posture could be affecting your body even more than you realize. If so, it may be time to invest in a posture app. Luckily, there are tons of them out there. We’ve reviewed a collection of them below to take the guesswork out of finding the best posture app for you.

What about American Posture Institute?

The American Posture Institute was founded in 2010 to increase the quality, & accessibility of Posture focused education & training for healthcare professionals. Within 12 months the American Posture Institutes primary certification (Certified Posture Expert) had become the top rated online posture program in the world.  API continued to create the highest caliber, most implementable, evidence based, posture focused programs available.  

• Headquarters: PO Box 281827, Lamoille, Nevada, 89828, United States
• Phone: (201) 448-2591
• Website: www.americanpostureinstitute.com
• Employees: 25
• Revenue: $4 Million

Seeking Chiropractic Care for Back Pain and Posture

If you’re struggling with back pain, there is likely a misalignment in your spine as a result of poor posture or sleeping position.