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Intelliskin: Can a Bra Really Help Give You Better Posture?

sports bra, intelliskin, empowered posturecue sports braNot a day goes by that I don’t hear the following spill out of my boyfriend’s mouth: “Put your shoulder blades back, Tish!” I’m the queen of bad posture. I can’t help myself. For years I was the awkward, tall, brown girl. I stuck out like a sore thumb, so I’d hunch over to blend in with the little ones standing beside me. Years later, I’m paying the boyfriend-nagging penalty price of that lame assimilation attempt.

Because of my fears that one day I’ll be rockin’ a hunchback and have to move to Notre Dame, I was eager and desperate to try the IntelliSkin Empower Posturecue Sports Bra. The bra boasts that it can improve your posture and help you stand taller the minute you put it on. So I decided to pack it for my afternoon run and see how it could hold up…or rather hold me up.

I put the bra on and immediately felt like boo-boo. I don’t know what it is about me and bras, but lots of them are cruel to me. I have a crazy-long upper body with no curves. I’m flat as board but long, so I have to be careful with sizing. Unfortunately, the  medium I tried was too tight. I felt tricked since the bra also boasts that its made with the highest-quality, double-lined, four-way stretch fabric (minimizes the need to over-compress), but I was compressed and then some. My armpit chub (we all have it!) started coming out of the sides screaming for mercy (or space)—and that, my friends, does not make a confident Tishy who wants to stand tall at all.  Posturecue Sports Bra, Intelliskin, amrpit fat,

I came out of the bedroom feeling sad and body conscious. Then the fella saw me and told me to put my shoulders back. Eureka! When I did that, the bra let up on me, and I actually felt like I could breathe a little. That’s how the bra kept my posture nice and straight through my entire run. If you don’t straighten up, you just begin to feel like a sausage. So basically, I was bullied into pulling my shoulders back.

If you don’t mind a little wardrobe tough-love, then this bra may just be the answer to all of your slouching prayers. (If you’re a runner who complains of shoulder aches after a long run, then this is definitely the bra for you!) Having $95 to purchase the bra is another important factor. My advice before purchasing something like this is to make sure you try the darn thing on—especially if you suffer from Gumby-like longness like me. And an FBG tip to think about: Products with corrective intentions can impede your natural movement, so listen to your body about what feels best.

Are you a fellow slumper? What do you do in order to stand taller? Would you consider a bra that perks up your posture? —Tish

FTC disclosure: We often receive products from companies to review. All thoughts and opinions are always entirely our own. Unless otherwise stated, we have received no compensation for our review and the content is purely editorial. Affiliate links may be included. If you purchase something through one of those links we may receive a small commission. Thanks for your support!

Comments

10 Comments
  1. vicki says:

    I’d consider it if it cost less. A lot less.

  2. Kelsey says:

    I have noticed a HUGE difference in my posture since I have begun instructing Yoga. Also, CrossFit is great in making you pay attention to your allignment.

  3. Celina Yanez says:

    I highly recommend the bra as I own one. Olive it to spin because it helps my posture and strengths my back. However, I would use a different bra for boxing since the straps are wider and impede a good hook.

  4. Monica says:

    How about not using racist language in a post . .

  5. Megan says:

    Tish, did you know that a lot of bad posture actually comes from tight hip flexors and quads? If you are a runner then you very likely have tight quads. I had terrible posture until I started doing yoga regularly- it is now much improved. My Crossfit coach told me I had good posture recently and it was the best compliment I’ve had in a long time.

    In addition to tight quads and hips, rolled shoulders can also be due to poor muscle tone in your rhomboids- which are pretty hard to activate. They are the muscles responsible for rotating your shoulder blades back and down- keeping your shoulders back. Doing some work on your rhomboids will probably also assist you in improving your posture.

  6. Elyse says:

    Does anyone know if there is a place where I can try one on? I fall right between sizes. Also, once I put my shoulders back does the bra do the work to keep them there or do I have to be conscious to continuously correct my posture? Thx.

  7. Joey says:

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  8. Cami says:

    I tried this because I have posture issues from a car accident/swimming. I was really hoping it would solve my problems and feel like a miracle when I put it on–its worth the money if you have the issues type of thing.

    But, it wasn’t the miracle for me. I didn’t think it made a bit of difference, which was a huge bummer. But, don’t let my opinion stop you, it may work for you. It just didn’t work for me

  9. Gena says:

    It’d be nice if your size chart would include bustier sizes, especially since we probably need this product more ythan most

  10. Leighton says:

    Do you feel like it has helped your posture overall, or just when you are wearing it? Do you go back to your normal slouched posture when you are not wearing the bra?

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