Whether in front of the computer or television, while driving on long journeys or at a sporting event – the average person spends more than 12 hours a day sitting. This can put a lot of stress on your body in many ways, but muscle and joint pain can be the most immediately apparent. Sitting all day can lead to long-term consequences, many of which affect the lower back, hips, and knees. We had the opportunity to review some devices that target these areas to avoid tissue damage, pain, and other symptoms that result from long periods of sitting.
Incredi belt
The new Incredi belt (not the “Classic” version) is a dynamic, inflatable lumbar support from the Cabeau brand, which is known for its many travel pillows. The belt itself comes with a built-in pump that allows you to inflate the device without using your mouth. This option to inflate the device when it is already being worn is also nice.
The belt folds up compactly to the size of a beverage can and is worn like a belt, with the end being passed through a buckle that can be fastened to the desired length. As a Cabeau product, I was expecting some memory foam or additional contours on the device itself. However, its inflatable and deflatable nature allows for adjustments that ultimately make this device comfortable enough to use as a lumbar support.
True to its advertising, the Incredi harness is lightweight and hugs your waist to fill the gap between your back and the chair, maintaining the spine’s natural “S” curve for pain relief. After a while, you often forget that you are even wearing it.
To learn more, visit www.cabeau.com.
Stealth – Dynamic plank
As with many of us who fall into those “12 hour sitting” buckets, your core muscles lose strength over time without exercising. A product called Stealth aims to activate and train those core muscles in just three minutes a day through dynamic planking movements. Advertised to work out 29 muscle groups through gamification of dynamic abdominal movements, Stealth features arm pads for comfort, a recessed phone mount large enough to hold most larger cell phones, and a ball and socket joint that allows 360-degree rotation.
Provided you have the core strength required to plank for at least three minutes, stealth makes planking even more interesting, especially when you’re trying to play its games. It’s a bit easy forgetting to maintain a better planking posture at the beginning – or when you’re out of practice, playing for a few minutes is actually a challenge.
I found the positioning of my arms and hands a little awkward at first, but after I gain some strength and familiarity it becomes more familiar and natural. Since I have a cell phone that takes up the space of the mount, I was wondering if someone with a smaller cell phone would see the device slide around more. Though a simple grippy phone pad would likely fix that.
The price is a little high for something that will only be used a few minutes a day, but it’s more fun. There are four free games (Galaxy Adventure, Speed Gliding, Color Chase, Space Escape) and many more with a premium subscription.
Learn more at www.trystealth.com.
Aletha Healths hip hook
Hip Hook is a tool specifically designed to help release tension in the psoas and iliac muscles. These are muscles that make up the hip flexor, and tension here is often directly linked to pain in the back, tailbone, hips, knees, and feet. The iliacus muscle is particularly susceptible to tension holding and is notoriously difficult to reach. So this device was designed by a physical therapist to target the hip flexor.
To be honest, when I first unboxed this device I was a skeptic and thought the device would not provide any relief. However, after feeling the edges of the device, I confirmed that they were all rounded and that part of the hook that relieves tension in the psoas and iliac muscles is actually covered in rubber as well.
The closest analogy I could find in my head is how the hip hook feels after using lacrosse or massage balls for trigger point and myofascial release. There is this initial pain in finding those trigger points, but ultimately it feels good and is easy to adjust with the level. However, I would definitely check out the How To Use The Hip Hook video to get to know myself.
Learn more at alethahealth.com.
