If bad posture is seriously cramping your style, help is on the way.
Do you ever get the feeling that if you don’t deal with your bad posture soon, you’re going to start to resemble the letter C? You know, as if the sore back, numb neck, and shitty breathing capacity weren’t enough to deal with. And while you do your best to correct your posture when you can, it’s easy to forget when you’re zoned out at your desk.
Luckily, there are oodles of apps out there that can help you ditch your bad posture and finally get into the habit of sitting up straight. Here are 5 you should totally check out:
1. Strong Posture (iOS)
Strong Posture helps you keep tabs on your posture and improve it over time. You can analyze front, side and back views, track assessments in your pictures gallery, and measure changes in your body alignment. For the hardcore goal-oriented person, this app is where it’s at.
2. Posture Aware (iOS)
Posture Aware was designed with input from physical therapist professionals. It offers examples of good and bad posture, step-by-step instructions of exercises to improve your alignment, and the ability to track your progress through snapshots. It also has an alarm that sounds as a reminder to sit up straight.
3. Perfect Posture Workout (iOS)
The Perfect Posture Workout app keeps it simple: Just pop your phone in your shirt pocket and mosey on with your day. If you start to slump at any point, your phone will vibrate to send you a gentle reminder. The perfect posture training sesh is only 15 minutes long, and you’re encouraged to keep up your training for 21 days—which is the estimated time it takes to build a new habit.
4. Perfect Posture (Android)
Perfect Posture is your answer to the whole tech neck dilemma: It teaches you to hold your phone more vertically, tracking the angle of your phone and how often you hold it at certain angles. You can also choose how you’re alerted to stop craning your neck downward.
5. Nekoze (Mac)
So basically, Nekoze accesses your camera and makes sure you don’t get your slouch on. It seems creepy, right up until the app makes a meowing noise to remind you to sit up straight! For reals, a little cat face icon appears and everything. It’s a gentle—and adorable—reminder to kick your bad posture habits to the curb.
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Slouching woman image via Shutterstock