4 Benefits of Good Posture: Improve Posture & Reap The Social Benefits

In this series of blog posts, UPRIGHT will explore the four key areas where you can see the benefits of good posture – let’s start with Part 1: The Social Benefits of Good Posture, or Why You Should Start To Improve Posture.

Your Appearance – Appear Taller, More Attractive – And Light Up The Room

If you’re in a room with other people, take a quick look around you, or think back to a time when you were surrounded by people.  

How many people did you see standing upright, with correct posture?

The chances are, it wasn’t very many at all – unfortunately, most of us don’t even think about the best ways to improve posture…because we’re either staring at our phone screens, slouched over on the morning/evening commute, or slouched at our desks, trying to make sense of whatever Joe from Marketing just emailed over.

Now try to think about what words you would associate with those slouched over people.

We’re almost certain it’s not ‘happy’, ‘confident’, ‘open’ and ‘friendly’. Because, as is already widely known, having good posture can change your appearance. You’ll look taller, much more open, welcoming – and friendly to other people, creating an overall great first impression. While the slouchers will seem shy, antisocial and closed to other people.

Which brings us to –

Your Confidence and Body Language

If you think about those slouched over people again, would you say that any of them were confident, in themselves and with others?

It’s unlikely. That’s because, confident people project confidence to the world – and that confidence starts with some quick tactics to improve posture. In fact, bad posture, not to mention bad body language, could even hold you back at job interviews.

Let’s say you were interviewing candidates for a job opening. Two walk in – one is standing tall, with their shoulders back and their back straight; the other is slouched over a little, with rounded shoulders: who makes the better, more confident first impression?

Obviously – it’s the first candidate; the second one may seem as if they’re less confident, less professional, and even that they’re tired or unhealthy.

And this is far from mere anecdotal speculation: this is a scientifically proven fact.

Your Self Esteem

You may, at this point, be thinking to yourself, ‘how do I improve posture to improve my self-esteem?’ – and the answer is simple.

The better you sit, the more positive your thoughts and self-belief on a hormonal level.

In Amy Cuddy’s 2012 TED Talk, the social psychologist went beyond the surface explanation of how a better posture will make you appear to others, explaining how it can actually change the way you feel and think about yourself too.

Working to improve posture can increase the levels of testosterone in your blood, and at the same time, decrease the levels of cortisol – or ‘the stress hormone’ in your brain. In fact, this is a similar chemical reaction to the way in which smiling more can have huge, positive influences on your entire life.

So if you’re lacking self-esteem – take a look at how you’re sitting – it might just be a contributing factor.

Your Levels of Positivity

Just as being more active can make you feel happier and more energetic, so can having the correct posture to improve your mood.

It’s safe to say that the improved confidence, self-esteem, and appearance should certainly impact your positivity, however, remaining stationary and having the correct posture can up your positivity levels, just for sitting or standing upright properly.

In a series of 2012 studies testing the effects of slouching vs good posture, Dr. Erik Peper of San Francisco State found that participants who had been instructed to slouch had reported feelings of sadness, loneliness, isolation, tiredness and even that they were ‘zombie-like’. On the contrary, those participants who had sat or stood correctly reported feeling much happier, positive, and even energetic!

Improve Posture, Improve Your Social Life & Wellbeing

To borrow and edit the famous maxim: improved posture, just like manners, doesn’t cost a penny – but it could be having a massive impact on your social life. Think about the amount of better first impressions you could be making, the more confidence you could be projecting, and how much better you could be feeling – in both your body and mind – just by standing or sitting up straight!

With UPRIGHT GO, you can easily improve your posture instantly – and you’re even reminded to correct your posture every time you slouch! For real-time posture feedback, not to mention a whole host of other benefits (including those described above), it’s well worth turning your good posture into a lifelong habit.