Didn't your mother ever tell you not to slouch?

They say that first impressions are the most important. How you present yourself upon first meeting someone can shape the way they view you from then on. I’m pretty proud of the person that I am. Until recently, however, some people would never have known that. Why? Because, like a lot of people, I had terrible posture. Now, I’m sure that if your mother was anything like mine, she told you that it’s more ladylike to sit up straight. True as that may be, there is so much more to the posture problem.

Body language experts will tell you that a large majority of communication is nonverbal. Meaning, the way you present yourself may be saying more than you think. Imagine yourself as a business owner interviewing for a new position. Two equally qualified people interviewed for the job. One presents a strong confident attitude, while the other slouches in their chair, shoulders hunched and head titled down. Who would you hire? Chances are the majority of employers are going to base a lot on their initial impression.

Poor posture can also pose a great deal of health problems, including back and shoulder pain. One way to test for bad posture is to stand as you naturally would. Notice the position of your hands. If your thumbs face in towards your body or the palms of your hands face backwards, you may need to improve your posture. In today’s world most people sit for a large majority of their day. Sitting neglects the posterior muscles that promote good posture. The key to regaining that confident look is to stretch the overused muscles and exercise the neglected muscles.

Here is an example of one simple exercise that can help improve posture.

Horizontal Abduction

1. Stand with your feel parallel, hip-width apart. Hold the band at chest height with your palms down, your arms slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Your elbows should be rounded, your wrists flat. Anchor the shoulder blades and put a little tension in the band.
2. Exhale as you squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the band into your chest. Keep your elbows rounded at a constant angle and pull from the back of your shoulders. Pause briefly, then inhale as you slowly release back to the start position.

For this and other simple exercises to help improve posture, please visit the linked website.