Raise your hand if you have terrible posture. Yeah, me too. Don’t feel bad, we’re not alone. According to the Arthritis Disease Center, more than 31 million Americans complain of lower back pain and more than half of those cases are attributed to prolonged poor posture.
Posture doesn’t just affect us physically. Poor positioning while sitting and standing can guide the way we think as well. It can even affect the level of success we achieve.
Here are 4 amazing things that happen once our posture improves:
1. When we sit up straight, we are more likely to remember positive memories or think of something positive in general.
2. Another finding is that if we skip during breaks, we can significantly increase our energy levels. A slow, slumped walk on the other hand, can do the exact opposite and drain us of our energy.
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3. The study also found that those who were most affected by depression before the study found their energy drained more than others.
4. Lastly and most importantly, posture also changes our hormones. Standing tall literally makes you more powerful.
RELATED: Straighten Up! How Bad Posture Hurts Your Health
Here’s how:
By now we’ve all heard Amy Cuddy’s incredible Ted Talk. In it, she lays out how body positioning triggers certain emotions in your mind, as well as in the minds of those who are looking at you.
If you are curved in stature, it’s more likely that the person(s) you’re speaking to will disregard what you’re saying since you don’t LOOK confident. That impression may be further from the truth, but as we know, in most cases, perception is our reality.
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Columbia and Harvard Universities researched this phenomenon and found that body language symbolizing power can affect our decision-making subconsciously. The researchers measured the appetite for risk of participants in either expansive, powerful poses or constricted poses (occupying minimal space, keeping limbs close to the body). Those in the powerful poses not only felt more powerful and in control, but were 45 percent more likely to take a risky bet.
So evidently, our posture has more to do with our minds than we think. In fact, it seems like our bodies come first in most instances: When we change our posture and body language, it subconsciously influences our thinking and decision-making capabilities.
So, what can be done to improve our posture?
1. Watch Amy Cuddy’s Ted Talk Again and Again!
It’s just that good! She also offers some great tactical tips that can improve your posture and body positioning instantly.
2. Get a Posture Corrector
Initially, it may be a little challenging to remember to change the way you hold your body. Fret not, there are plenty of products out there that take the thought out of sitting and standing properly.
3. Write Yourself Reminders
We’ve all heard about how effective positive mantras can be. Speaking kind words to yourself can naturally release endorphins needed to create a sense of temporary euphoria. The same goes for reminders to keep your posture in check. Writing chipper little messages like “Straighten your back, girl, you’re a star!” or “Stand up straight and look to the sky, you are excellent” can do wonders for your body positioning.
We hope this helps!
