An innovative new posture t-shirt that uses ‘explosive elastic’ to remind wearers to manage their posture whenever they slouch, while still allowing freedom of movement, has arrived in the UK.
Percko was founded by French engineers Alexis Ucko and Quentin Perraudeau to tackle our posture and improve lower back pain.
The cutting-edge design, which uses unique patented ‘TENSOR technology’ – otherwise known as explosive elastic – to signal to its wearer when they are are hunching. The inventive design leads to the application of light pressure on the lower back and shoulders whenever it’s needed, naturally pulling the wearers body into a correct, more supportive posture.
Percko works on both the upper and lower parts of the back and helps build core muscles, meaning it could help tackle the root cause of back pain.
Percko – which has three t-shirt products covering everyday wear, sport and manual activities such as DIY and gardening – has attracted praise from numerous osteopaths and physical therapists in France, where tens of thousands of people have already used it successfully.
Claire Webster, an osteopath at Rivermead Osteopaths in Chelmsford and member of the UK’s General Osteopathic Council, who tested the t-shirt, said: “In my everyday clinical practice I see how our body’s positioning plays a huge role in how it works and how we feel. Poor posture can result in pain including joint or muscle issues and, with prolonged problems, maybe even impact on the digestive and respiratory systems.
“So a product that is engineered to offer gentle and natural feeling support to hold the body in a better position has the potential to make a dramatic difference to one’s quality of life. The Lyne Up shirt assists in this and does so without limiting natural joint movement or allowing muscles to weaken. It serves as a constant reminder and an aid towards improved postural habits and so could make a big difference to some wearers.”
Dr Pol Le Borgne, a French doctor in biomechanics, commented: “Percko improves posture by automatically realigning the head, thorax and pelvis. It gives the spine its natural curves back and increases the stability and efficiency of the wearer’s posture by at least 35%.”
Percko co-founder, Alexis commented: “While most solutions in the marketplace will only affect the upper part of the body, when it comes to body mechanics it’s important that you impact both the top and bottom – otherwise you will gradually start to hunch over again. The tensors in Percko’s shirts are like explosive elastic which means when you are in a good position you won’t feel them but when you start to hunch over they kick into gear. This is an important reminder for the body and helps you stay in an optimal position.
“Another important aspect is freedom of movement. When it comes to posture it’s really important not to stay in one position for too long, yet many posture solutions provide fixed support that prevent you from moving around as you would normally. Our tech allows you that freedom of movement, which has the added advantage of continually building your core muscles.”
The three t-shirt products developed by Percko – Lyne UP for daily life, Lyne FIT for sport and Lyne PRO for manual activities such as gardening and DIY retail for £115 each. For more information about Percko visit the website percko.com/en