What You Need to Know About Posture Braces

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT POSTURE BRACESA L L Y O U N E E D T O K N O W

IntroductionBad posture has become something that we see every day. Whether it’s on ourselves or on others, it’s become an epidemic! People suffer in pain – including headaches and upper back pain caused by bad posture.

Anybody who has terrible posture knows they have it. They will have tried many different strategies to improve it, but quite often they don’t pay off. Just remembering ‘to sit up straight’ isn’t as simple as it sounds.

The basis of good posture is about aligning your shoulders, hips and neck so that they are stacked on top of each other. Although wearing a posture brace is a worthwhile investment, strengthening the neck and

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What You Need to Know About Posture Braces from www.titansupportwear.comback through exercise is something that will really pay off. You’ll enjoy long term benefits in addition to results in an acceptable time frame.

You may be under the impression that having good posture is something that will make you look better, and you wouldn’t be wrong. However, good posture delivers far more benefits than just being a nice thing to do. Good posture affects the health of your entire body.

1. Bad Posture Causes Pain

As mentioned above, bad posture can lead to headaches and back pain. It can also lead to lower back pain caused by slouching in an office chair for long hours. Over the longer term it can lead to dissolved disks and a disintegrated spine.

2. Bad Posture Makes You Look Less Attractive

How attractive you look translates into how well people treat you. Take a look at pictures of yourself. Which do you prefer, the ones of you with good posture or bad posture? It’s most likely the former. Good posture makes you look younger and more confident. Nobody looks at their best when they are hunched over.

3. Bad Posture Affects Your Digestive System

Some doctors believe that sitting in a slouched position can affect your intestines. It can slow things down as everything has to struggle to get through ‘folded up’ tubes.

4. Bad Posture Makes You Less Happy

They do say to fake it until you make it – and that works with happiness too. If you are smiling, you’re going to look far happier than if you’re not. In fact, even if you’re not feeling particularly happy you can smile and gain benefits as the muscles in your face will tell your brain that you’re happy. If you see images of people who are sad and depressed, they usually have their head bowed and are slouching over. Sitting up straight and smiling is how your brain knows you to be happy and it will take note!

5. Bad Posture Increases Stress

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What You Need to Know About Posture BracesTaking a slow deep breath is our way of calming ourselves. Being hunched over makes it hard to breathe well, each breathe being more shallow. The heart speeds up to increase the amount of oxygen that is transported to muscles. According to research from Harvard University, people with a ‘powerful posture’ (with straight spines and open shoulders) experienced 20% more testosterone and a 25% decrease of cortisol stress hormone. Forget the strategy of trying to remember to have a good posture, and take the steps you need to do to achieve it. It’s worth it, you’ll see.

WHAT IS A POSTURE BRACE? Designed to support you in retraining your posture to be better, a posture brace is an elasticated strap that goes over the shoulders. It works by reducing the stress on your body so that you have less pain. With lousy posture being one of the primary causes of joint and muscle pains, it can help you to fix your body before you reach that point.

Today’s lifestyle sees many of us bent over a desk all day every day whether at work, college or university. Shoulders slumped forward with arms reaching forward for a keyboard, it’s not surprising that we develop lousy posture. It’s easy to train a body, and most of us have now learned how to stand in a hunched over position.

A posture brace can help with getting your posture back to how it should be with less pain. It stops all the bending and slouching and encourages you to stand with shoulders back and chest out. Giving gentle support, it provides your body training in what it should do, which muscles to use and train for better posture as the outcome.

The posture brace contains a rigid plate that is applied to your back by being strapped on with the posture brace. The brace does not allow you to hunch over or slouch.

If you do sit or stand in a hunched way, you will feel the tension from the brace. You’ll be reminded to change your position.

Bad posture not only looks terrible but it can lead to misalignment of the spine, sometimes leading to scoliosis in younger people and back pain.

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What You Need to Know About Posture Braces from www.titansupportwear.comYears of a misaligned spine without correction can lead to fusion. The cartilage disks dissolve, and the result is spinal arthritis. This can lead to years of agonising pain.

Some people may opt for back surgery to relieve the pain. However, this can be a costly option in some cases. But not improving it can lead to a variety of issues. For example:

1. Constricted blood vessels to the head resulting in severe headaches.

2. Most nerves travel down the spine and can be affected when the spine is out of alignment.

3. Acid reflux, hypertension and heart problems as blood vessels are constricted.

If your posture is relatively mildly poor, then it might be that a posture brace is all that you need. In other cases, you may want to try to improve your posture though posture correcting exercises.

DO I NEED A POSTURE BRACE?For people with even the slightest of postural problems, the posture brace can help. It can prevent these issues from becoming more entrenched, larger and more painful further down the road. If you suffer from headaches, stiff neck or shoulders, that are from bad posture, it’s definitely worth looking into the use of a posture brace.

Some people may have had an accident or illness that is aggravated by poor posture. In these situations, a posture brace can help with rehabilitation. Its use will mean less pressure on the spine and body, and an opportunity to fully heal without the pain that could come from irritation or further injury.

People who have a neck or back injury and are in the early stages of recovery can significantly benefit from a posture brace.

However, it’s also important to note that wearing a posture brace continually may not be suitable for your injury recovery. You don’t’ want to become reliant on it. Your initial approach would ideally be to use it a couple of times a day,

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What You Need to Know About Posture Bracesfor 20 minutes each time. Your muscles will then learn what they should do and what needs to work and how.

If you over-wear the posture brace, you could even get more pain. This is the time you must take note however that it is not always a good idea to use a posture correction brace for every occasion.

It is essential once you have started using it, not to get reliant on it. The trick is to use it just a few times a day for 20 minutes at a time, to ensure that your muscles understand the movements they need to do, and what needs to be working. You can build up to 5 times a day for 20 minutes. However, each period should be short enough so that your muscles do not become reliant on it.

If you get more pain once you start using a posture brace, then you need to stop the use of it immediately. Be aware that it may cause you some discomfort when you begin to use it initially because your muscles are being pulled into a position they are not used too. Once you have achieved good posture, you do not need to use the brace anymore.

BENEFITS OF WEARING A POSTURE BRACEPosture is the way that we sit or stand. It’s how we put different parts of our body when we need to use it to perform different actions. It changes continually as we execute tasks throughout our day.

Here are 5 pluses to gain from applying proper posture:

1. Better Breathing

Holding a better pose makes it possible for the chest to expand during inhalation. Sitting in a slumped position will limit your lung capacity. The primary muscle used for breathing is the diaphragm, and it needs space to move upwards and outwards during breathing.

Here’s an exercise to try that ties into breathing and maintaining good posture.

When sitting, bend forward at the waist. Now breath in and breath out. How did It feel to you? Next, sit in your best possible posture and inhale and exhale. Did you notice the difference? You will probably note that you can breathe better

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What You Need to Know About Posture Braces from www.titansupportwear.comwhen you’re holding a better position. Improving your posture can deliver more oxygen to your body and your brain and increase your productivity.

If your occupation requires that you sit a lot of the time, you may want to discuss this with your healthcare team or chiropractor about how to improve your posture. An alternative is to look for results from wearing a posture brace.

2. Helps muscles and joints remain flexible

Holding a healthy posture gives balance to our muscles. Optimal posture using the least amount of effort every day will provide you with a more enjoyable experience of living. If the body is in misalignment, muscles and tissues become shortened. You’ll feel pain and could even be injured as muscles in the neck, hips, legs, feet and back become affected. Another outcome of not being in the correct position could be joint wear and tear. With a balanced posture you’ll also enjoy the best joint motion.

3. Aids in Digestion

Just as a healthy posture affects the ability to breathe, it can also affect our digestion. A special kind of connective tissue called the fascia envelopes our lower digestive organs. Over a long period of sitting, the fascia and muscle can become taut. Along with improving posture, along with healthy eating habits can help with better digestion.

4. Helps Circulation

Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body. It also plays a role in cleansing metabolic waste. If muscles feel stiff or painful, they are likely not to be receiving good circulation. Crossing the legs can decrease leg blood circulation. To sit in the workplace, with a leg folded up beneath your body can also have an adverse effect on blood circulation. By focusing on your posture throughout the day, you can enjoy better blood distribution.

5. Helps Change How We Perceive the World

Better posture can even go so far as to give you a different outlook. Those who maintain it well say they feel more grounded and more confident as they take on the tasks of their day.

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What You Need to Know About Posture BracesMost people hold themselves in a bit of a zigzag posture. Their head may be slightly forward, shoulders are rounded, and there’s a tilt to the pelvis that gives an arch in the lower back. The body weight passes through the front and outside of the legs. It puts the legs and the body under strain and uses more energy to hold it.

Using gravity, when we maintain our best posture it uses less energy and effort to perform our daily tasks.

UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD A PERSON WEAR A POSTURE BRACE? Posture isn’t just about aesthetics, it can be a real health issue. As we age, it actually gets worse and deteriorates. People slouch more, and it can affect the entire health of the body. This is why a posture brace is something to consider. It can do a lot to help.

Women can suffer more with bad posture than men. They typically have sedentary jobs in front of a computer screen, doing secretarial work or operating a telephone switchboard. Pregnancy and nursing can also impact posture, and it’s often a reason why women need a posture brace.

Another challenge for women is that they are expected to look attractive. Wearing a posture brace can improve their appearance by helping to re-train muscles to maintain a better posture.

If a woman is overweight, a posture brace can be surprisingly helpful. It can use more calories to sit up straight rather than slouch. This can lead to weight management. The less weight a woman carries, the less pain she endures in her back and neck.

However, just using a brace is not usually enough. It’s essential to follow an exercise program that helps to encourage weight loss. Aerobics, walking, jogging or going to the gym can all be beneficial.

Just with anybody else, it’s not appropriate or beneficial to wear a posture brace continually. Wearing them for a short period can retrain the body. Whereas wearing a posture brace for an extended period can encourage the wearer to get back into the bad habit of slouching.

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What You Need to Know About Posture Braces from www.titansupportwear.comSitting for long periods isn’t helpful for posture or the physical appearance. It’s also important to take regular exercise to keep the muscles healthy.

No matter what your reason is for using a posture brace, you should be happy with the results. It’s easy on the wallet, but it works. Whether you have a back problem or you want to correct your posture. If you’re unsure, then you might want to find a way to try one out before investing. To find out more, visit our website www.titansupportwear.com . You won’t be disappointed that you did and you’ve got nothing to lose (apart from your lousy posture).

WHAT ARE THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF WEARING A POSTURE BRACE?We’re often unaware of how sitting in front of a computer, watching television, driving for long hours, sleeping on the sofa and breastfeeding can all contribute to bad posture, and it’s unhealthy side effects.

One of the results of these types of activities is overuse of the muscles on the back in addition to the pectoral, back postural and scalene muscles. When this occurs, we can hunch over from the mid-spine to the neck. Over time this can give us neck pain, back pain and in some cases, chest pains. Having a horrible posture can also look very unsightly. Repairing this damage should be attended to as soon as possible. You can attend to this by wearing a posture brace.

The more you wear the posture brace, the better the results. It will start to retrain your muscles. The muscles involved in ensuring your posture is correct have been retrained not to be optimal. However, they will begin to retrain and take their natural position and curve. In the long term, you will no longer need to wear the posture brace as your muscles will have been retrained and repaired.

Upon wearing the posture brace, you will find relief from neck pain, back and chest pains. Even if you perform activities that encourage your bad posture, the brace will help to remind you to maintain good posture. Your new pain-free life will be more enjoyable, and you’ll be able to take part in more activities.

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What You Need to Know About Posture BracesAs we mentioned above, maintaining a good posture can result in more calories being burnt. Your core muscles will be used more. Using these abdominal core muscles can also make you stronger overall, and you’ll burn your calories in maintaining these muscles.

The best outcome from wearing a posture brace is that your body is being encouraged to return to the good postural habits that you had as a child. We recommend that you wear the brace for up to 5 times a day for 20 minutes each time. You will see rapid results. It’s also a natural habit to make into a daily routine. In the long term, your posture will be good, and you won’t return to the slouching stature.

IS A POSTURE BRACE VISIBLE?Fortunately, the posture brace is not bulky nor visible. You wear it under your clothes, and it’s actually very comfortable. Backaches can become a thing of the past as you learn how to hold yourself in a healthier and improved way.

Many of our clients love our braces. In some cases, they can actually be taller. The result is better posture in addition to feeling more confident, healthier and attractive. Imagine you need to hire somebody for a role at your company. Who would you most likely consider – the person who is sitting up straight or the one who is slumped over looking at the floor?

Interviewers report that 50% of the interview is about how a candidate presents themselves. The posture brace has you standing tall and straight and looking competent and confident.

When you wear a posture brace, you’d usually wear it under your clothing. However, some people prefer to wear it over a t-shirt at home in the evenings for their initial 20 minutes. As time goes on you can try different ways of wearing it, but generally, it will not be visible unless you wear particularly sheer clothing.

HOW DOES WEARING A POSTURE BRACE AFFECT MY APPEARANCE?

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What You Need to Know About Posture Braces from www.titansupportwear.com The posture brace does not affect your appearance. You can wear it under clothing as the straps are flat. The elastic used pulls your shoulder back that you’d have to work hard at having a bad posture when you’re wearing a posture brace.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING YOUR POSTURE BRACE If you’ve been considering a posture brace for some time, you’ll have noted how popular they have become. The reason that more people are buying them is that they work. They pull the shoulders back and can prevent spinal complications caused by improper standing sitting positions.

Ideally, you’d wear a posture brace for up to 4 hours a day in total. This will usually occur over a few different sessions.

The primary purpose of the posture brace is to give you a constant reminder that you need to be aligned. It also provides reinforcement to ensure that your backbone, neck and shoulders are all in alignment. In addition to wearing the posture brace, we recommend that you do exercises to strengthen your postural muscles.

When considering which posture brace to buy, you’ll need to find your answers to the following questions:

What is the purpose? If you’re unsure what to look for, consider that you want the posture brace to help your upper back get used to being properly aligned. It will need to be strong enough to keep your shoulders back, while keeping your back and your neck straight. If you really don’t know which one to get, then you may want to ask the opinion of a qualified professional.

Thin or thick straps? The concept behind all posture braces is that they are designed with shoulder straps that keep them in place. Some of them have thin straps and some with broader ones. You’ll need to ensure that whichever style you choose, it’s strong enough to work. You don’t want the straps cutting into your skin or creating marks.

Is the garment material OK? As you’ll be wearing your posture brace for a considerable amount of time, you should choose one with material that

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What You Need to Know About Posture Bracesallows your skin to breath. Ensure that you’re not allergic to any of the materials used as you’ll then need to attend to potential further complications.

What is an acceptable price range? Posture braces can range in price from £25 to £300. Although you may be tempted to opt for a lower price, do read the reviews before making your final decision. You need to know that it’s going to give you the results that you’re looking for.

To find out more about posture braces, visit www.titansupportwear.com

 

4 WAYS TO IMPROVE POOR POSTURE These days, our lifestyles seem to include sitting for long periods. We are overall less active than in years gone by. There’s far more internet surfing, texting, watching YouTube and playing video games than ever before. These sedentary activities are all the type that can result in bad posture.

Correct or optimal posture is what will keep your spine, back and body healthy. It will prevent you from putting too much strain on muscles and pressure on the spine.

As we looked at earlier, there can be a negative impact on the disks, nerves, muscles, joints and bones from maintaining a lousy posture. It can also even affect the breathing, blood circulation and blood pressure.

It’s crucial to maintain good posture, here are our tips for an improved posture:

1. Be mindful. When you are required to sit for an extended period, it’s important to be conscious of your position. For example, when sitting align your ears with your shoulders and your hips in one line. Keep your back straight and try not to slouch at your desk. You may have to catch yourself in the act of slumping, but with the help of your posture

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What You Need to Know About Posture Braces from www.titansupportwear.combrace and being mindful of how you’re sitting, it will gradually become more natural to sit with vertical alignment.

2. Balance. Practising proper posture is also possible when standing and walking. Again, it’s important to stack your shoulders above your hips and below your ears. When standing, you’ll need to distribute your body weight in a balanced manner. Your body weight should be even at the back, the sides and the front of your feet. Ensure your shoulders are relaxed and back and that your back is straight when you start to walk.

3. Exercises. It’s easier to maintain good posture if you practice back strengthening services. Also, do yoga, go swimming, cycling, walking and do aerobics to strengthen, tone and tighten the muscles and joints in your back. Doing these activities will also help to promote good posture. Also, do a few sit-ups and crunches to help to strengthen your back.

4. Ergonomic furniture. There are ergonomic chairs and those that support your posture available. These can help to take the pressure off your spine and help you to maintain good posture. Available with adjustable back support to relieve some of the load, the ergonomic chair can keep your back in the right position.

Also, you can make adjustments to the chair that will prevent you from slipping into bad posture. Footrests, being aware that you should not be crossing your legs and using portable back support and pillow all help.

In addition, ensure that your computer screen is positioned in such a way that you do not have to lean towards it to be able to read what is on display. Keep all items that you need to use within easy reach and do not lean back into the chair.

If you’re suffering from a lot of backaches, then it’s important to try to keep moving to stop you from seizing up. It could well be that you’re suffering from the result of not maintaining a good posture.

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What You Need to Know About Posture BracesProper posture not only improves your back, but it helps your overall health. Performing simple exercises and making some small but essential adjustments to your life can significantly contribute to correct your posture and accommodate your back.

FURTHER GOOD THINGS TO KNOW FOR GOOD POSTUREWe’ve all been told to ‘Sit up straight! Don’t slouch!”.

If you’re like most people, it’s hard to maintain good posture when there are so many parts of our lifestyle that challenges it. We may remember once in a while to stand tall, to sit up straight at our desk or to not slouch and hunch over when waiting in a line. However, the reality is, is that we spend a lot of time forgetting to maintain a good posture.

When we remember, it’s usually because our backs ache, or our neck is giving us pain. There are some small adjustments that you can make to improve posture alignment.

Be conscious of your postureBeing aware of your posture will help to make it easier to keep you in alignment. There are a couple of different ways to do this.

1. If you hold your stomach in, then you’re going to improve your posture instantly. This will help to protect you against injury while exercising too.

2. Another easy approach is to consider that posture comes in three sections. Your shoulders are section 1, your mid-section is section 2, and your hips are section number 3. By keeping these three in alignment, you should be on the right track. Pull your shoulders back so that they are in alignment with your hips. Pull the core in tight and evenly below your tummy button.

Using these two approaches will give you quick and easy access to good posture.

As we’ve covered in this book, there are so many reasons to keep a good posture. For example:

• Good breathing

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What You Need to Know About Posture Braces from www.titansupportwear.com• Improved self-confidence

• Less risk of injury

• Better blood pressure

• Better digestion

• Look better and look slimmer

If you find it difficult to remember your posture during the day, you might want to give yourself small reminders. How about adding it to your daily things to do list. You might even set alarms on your phone. Using the system above, you’ll be able to engage in good practice and access good posture quickly.

If you are currently experiencing a lot of pain in your neck shoulders or lower back and you know it’s down to your posture, we recommend that you get an evaluation from your doctor. If you want to prevent pain or correct your posture, we recommend getting a posture brace and wearing as directed.

When your grandmother kept telling you to stand up straight, they had good reason to. Having less than the ideal alignment and structure can lead to a lot of pain. Most people who have lousy posture have a forward head posture and shoulders that roll forwards. It’s easy to acquire this posture as people are often slouched over desks and computers all day.

However, having imbalances in muscles can lead to people not being able to fix their postures. Their spine and joints get stuck in unnatural positions. The muscles are weak and underactive in the chest and tight and overactive in the upper back. Combined, these are the perfect recipe for structural disaster.

When these postural imbalances get well set, it makes it nigh on impossible for them to be able to sit up straight. With a forward head posture and a condition known as lordosis in the spine, there will be tension in the posterior neck muscles. Holding their head up straight will be very uncomfortable, and the muscles will fatigue.

If you have this situation, you may wish to sign up for physical training with a personal trainer and a chiropractor to help to correct the postural imbalances. The muscles and tendons and ligaments need to be retrained so that they can correctly support the spine.

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What You Need to Know About Posture BracesWithout a good posture, muscles can become fibrotic and weak. This results in a spine that is weak and deteriorates quicker than it should. Nobody wants to experience these things in life.

To find out more about posture braces visit www.titansupportwear.com

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