The Spa Industry is a very physical job and proper body mechanics can help prevent wear and tear on the body. One key part of body mechanics is good posture. Posture is something that doesn’t come naturally to most people. I have come across a neat device to help training your body to have good posture, this devices name is the Upright Go. I came across the device through social media as I’m always looking for the latest gadgets to share with clients, colleagues and followers.
It’s a small and slim device that sticks to upper back. The adhesive strip didn’t irritate my skin and it comes with extra adhesive strips. The strips remind me of Command Strips that you use to attach hooks to wall. The strips come off easily when you want but stay on securely when you don’t. It comes with a small black case and a charger. See picture for example of the product.
Upright go monitors your vertical posture, are you leaning forward or hunching. It doesn’t monitor every aspect of your posture. But it does a good job of telling you when your slouching and offers a training mode. The training mode vibrates when ever you slouch. The vibration feels and sounds like a vibrating notification from your cell phone. Because of this I wouldn’t recommend doing training mode while giving treatment. As your client may think that you are on your cell phone while you are giving them a massage or facial.
Most massage schools go over body mechanics and how good posture can help you achieve a long career. The terms sky hook and earth hook are often used to describe how you should stand. The Upright go will help you with your sky hook or other terms keeping head up and shoulders back.
It was easy to set up. I charged the device, downloaded the app, sync the app and phone. Then I just stuck it on my back. That’s it.
At first, I hated the app because it showed me how bad my posture was. I slouched 80% of the time of day. I mean really? So, I wasn’t ready for such honesty. But I swallowed my pride and kept using it.
The first couple of days wearing the device the my upper back quickly became sore. Mainly because I was using muscles that had weakened from my poor posture. I ended up getting a massage and doing some stretching of the Trapezius, Pectoral, Rhomboids and all the various neck muscles. This helped to relieve the muscle soreness from the Upright Go. They recommend wearing it every day for a least a week. And then wearing it couple times a week to help keep you in habit of using good posture. I used everyday for three weeks. That is how long it took me to not think about sitting up straight up straight and for me to just do it on my own. I’m not perfect but it has been a huge help in relieving some of my back pain.
The app has two modes Training mode and tracking mode. Both are useful for resource. The data provided by app isn’t an exact science it won’t tell you if your hip is hiked up or if you are leaning more on foot or the other.
When in training mode, the Go will vibrate if you lean forward too much, lightly nudging you to straighten your back and correct your posture. The vibration never jolting just a gentle reminder to sit up straight. I would not recommend having it in training mode for long periods of time because it will drain your cellphone battery very quickly.
Tracking mode doesn’t change much. The thing just won’t vibrate if you hunch past the threshold. Whatever mode you’re in, the device still tracks the time spent straight or stooped, presenting them in colorful, accessible graphs and charts. The app provides all the product information you could want and even built-in chat to get at customer-support staff directly. The data isn’t perfect, but it is a good resource for helping to improve your health.
The upright go website states the following “Poor posture can cause fatigue, all kinds of muscular pain and headaches. It can impact your gait, circulation, breathing and generally accelerate wear and tear on your body. Hunching over and putting pressure on your intestines can slow down your digestive system. It can also sap your energy levels, harm your mood and affect how other people perceive you.”
The device I found is not a quick fix it will take a minimum of a couple weeks to truly train your body to have good posture. You do have to commit to use it. Making sure you take it off and charge it at night. I forgot one night that I still had it on, the battery died and had to charge it the next day. Before I could do my training session. To be fair to myself I had busy schedule at spa that day and little sleep night before due to my toddler being sick most of the night.
I think the device would great for spa technicians, students and clients. Really anyone can use it. But being in the spa industry and having taught massage for a couple years. I could see this device being used in massage school to help reinforce good posture while learning the basics of good body mechanics. I could also see this device being sold by chiropractors, physical therapist and massage therapist to help with their client’s treatments for back problems. I believe the Upright Go really can be used for almost anyone.
I recommend you try Upright Go to help improve you posture which in turn can help improve back problems and over all heath.
Upright go is currently having a special on the device with 2 to 3 day shipping. Follow the link to check it out. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did.
Disclaimer: I did receive the Upright Go for free. I was not paid to review the device. My review is my honest feedback and opinion.
The Spa Nerd 