A Better Back with PostureTek's Biofeedback Apparel System
We know the drill- you sit in a chair all day, handling such backbreaking work as pressing keys and moving mice. Despite or because of this, your back hurts. You can’t get comfortable in a chair. You mother yells at you to quit slouching whenever you come home for the holidays.
Perhaps you don’t have a drill sergeant on hand to remind you forcefully to stand up straight. That extra bit of height can make a pretty large difference too- lung capacity, gait, balance are all affected by your posture, and certainly attracting a girlfriend or boyfriend is easier when they aren’t distracted by your stooped, slumping figure.
Anyway, if you slouch- and most of you do as we can attest- there is an interesting gadget that can help you out, easier than joining the military. The Perseus Athletics PostutreTek Biofeedback Apparel System sounds more complicated than it really is. Imagine a small, wearable hockey-puck sized disk that they call the Perseus- after a brief setup process that adjusts the unit to your body, it vibrates when it detects poor posture. Quickly, thanks to the miracles of conditioning, your body will reflexively catch on- fix your posture, buzzing stops.
Of course, there isn’t a carrot to the process- we suggest buying yourself something nice, perhaps from our holiday guide. And the stick- the buzzing- is fairly gentle, compared to the sharp ruler that your parent or teacher may have used. Thus, it takes some conscious effort at first; you have to purposefully make the adjustment and the system serves mainly as a reminder to do so regularly. We liked that it was lightweight and durable, with a decent battery life (ours never needed replacing in a month).
The disk is meant to be used with their custom shirt- the microfilaments in the shirt let the disk know when you need a gentle reminder. And the disk is hidden under the armpit and is silent, meaning no one has to notice when you’re being conditioned by the machines. You can adjust the system too, giving yourself some room to adapt instead of having it buzz each time you droop even slightly. The shirts, though thin/flexible and available in multiple sizes and four styles, isn’t particularly attractive or interesting, bears the Perseus logo, and thus is a bit limiting. At around $100, it’s a good alternative to braces (which can weaken instead of strengthen muscles), and seems like a solid aid for anyone who suffers from chronic back pain or kvetching mothers- do look into treatment though, of course.
UPDATE: In our original review, we mentioned that women may have issues with the shirt. According to a company spokesperson, earlier materials on the internet and the Perseus site are outdated, and they have decided not to release a bra. However, the shirt is unisex, and they are in the process of creating a tank that is being tested in a limited market release.
