19 May Can Good Posture Boost Your Career? (You Bet it Can!)

Last week, a wonderful friend of mine, Kathryn Goodson came to NYC to perform for the first time in Carnegie Hall.   We went out to dinner the night before the concert with her husband who happens to be the Mayor of Ann Arbor, MI. (Mayor John Hieftje)  That of course makes her the first lady which is pretty exciting.

It’s hard not to notice two things about them. The first is that they are without a doubt, a power couple.  But they are also a strikingly handsome couple and I couldn’t help notice what wonderful posture they both had.  And that got me thinking about people in  the public eye which started a late night foray onto Google Images. Is there a connection between good posture and holding high positions?  My hunch was confirmed as I sat looking at the postures of great leaders including presidents, celebrities, the Royal Family, athletes, military leaders, performing artists and the vast majority of CEO’s.

And sure enough, my probings turned up numerous studies on the social effects of body language.  There is evidence suggesting a very strong connection between someone with good posture and the perception of that person having confidence, health, energy and power.   Think about a presidential candidate who comes up to the podium and addresses the crowd with stooped posture, hunched shoulders and a forward neck posture as opposed to someone who stands tall and erect.

Studies also show that when a person holds themselves with good posture, they  perceive him/herself with more confidence, energy, health and power.  Erect and expansive posture (open chest, limbs open vs. contracting the body and limbs touching the torso) have also been linked with the willingness for the subjects to take more risks.   And get this, studies have even shown that expansive posture affect hormone levels that are associated with disease resistance and leadership abilities.

Yogis practice heart opening poses on the regular in order to be more receptive to loving energy, practice compassion and to promote flexibility in the body and set themselves up for healthy breathing techniques.

It makes sense.  When you sit and stand with poor posture, you diminish the range of motion of your joints, are more prone to things such as back pain, headaches, shallow breathing, digestive problems, fatigue, compression of internal organs and even depression.    Your work performance and productivity can certainly be compromised by feeling less than 100% mentally and physically.  This can hamper your career in a hurry.

The bottom line is, be aware of your posture and make sure to step into good expansive postures while stepping into your power.  If you want to improve your posture, make sure to check out this post:    Are You a Slouch? (3 Easy Ways to Improve Your Posture)

What do you do to maintain good posture?  Yoga?  Exercise?  Good Ergo?  Healthy Diet?  Enough Sleep?  Leave a comment below and let us know!

Until the next time, be happy, energized and productive!