This Magical Device Could Fix Your Bad Posture For Good

You're going to want to stand up for this.

On average, Americans spend 13 hours a day sitting. This sedentary lifestyle can contribute to a host of scary health problems, including poor posture, an increased risk for diabetes, cancer, heart attack and anxiety.

There are standing desks and mobile apps to remind you to get on your feet, but a new invention may help to combat the bad posture that happens when getting up just isn't an option.

Prana is a wearable monitor that clips on to your pants; it tracks your posture and breathing throughout the day, and also acts as a pedometer to track your steps. While it's still in in its crowdfunding stage (an Indiegogo campaign is close to its funding goal and contributors can get the device for $99 each), its inventors believe that science is on their side:

Good breathing and good posture are crucial keys to good health and backed up by research. Prana detects when your breathing shows sign of stress and when you're slouched in a detrimental way, then notifies your phone through bluetooth technology with a message to sit up straight and breathe deeply.

The small reminder pulls you out of your mindless patterns and forces you to be more aware of your body.

Prana also offers a smartphone app that provides two-minute training sessions in the form of a game: Players maneuver a digital zen garden by controlling their breath, and progressively learn to incorporate helpful breathing patterns into their every day life.

Of course, as there are over a million apps available in the app store and Prana is not the only posture-focused technology on the market. PostureZone, for example, "is an analysis tool for professionals and regular people to set a benchmark for improving posture." The app uses the smartphone as a device to measure and review a person's stance and promote better posture.

Lumo Back is another app that provides real-time posture feedback and is similar to Prana. It counts steps, sitting time and posture with the help from a wireless posture sensor that is strapped around the waist.

Whether you choose an app or just decide to focus on bettering your posture, you're doing it right. Straightening out can make a big difference when it comes to your health.