Better posture is one of the best quick fixes we have for achieving a slimmer appearance. Many people do themselves a disservice by holding their bodies in ways that make them look heavier than they really are. Improving your posture instantly gives you a taller, thinner, and more confident look. Postural adjustments will strengthen muscles and burn some calories, but the real magic comes from how the body’s alignment changes our proportions. A few simple changes to the way you sit or stand can easily make you appear five or ten pounds lighter. Here are 5 ways posture can help you look thinner:
1. Tightens Your Midsection
Anterior pelvic tilt posture is when the pelvis rocks forward creating a large arch in the lower back. This posture forces your midsection in front of the hips, making even slim people with bad posture appear to have a belly. Tilting your pelvis backward by contracting your abdominal muscles and glutes brings your midsection into alignment with the rest of your body to make your waist appear slimmer.
Tip: Stand with your back against the wall and place your hand in the space between the wall and your lower back. Try to press your back against the wall by rotating your pelvis. Now hold that position and take a few steps away from the wall.
2. Widens Your Shoulders
Standing in a hunched posture makes your shoulders look narrow. Pulling the shoulders back places them at either side of the widest part of your rib cage. This gives them a broader appearance. Shoulders that are wider in relation to your waist creates the illusion of a thinner torso.
Tip: A simple way to fix the position of your shoulders is the imaginary flashlight test. Stand with your arms at your sides and imagine you’re holding a flashlight in each hand. Picture where the beams are pointing. If the beams are crossing in front of you, pull your shoulders back to make the flashlight beams shine straight ahead.
3. Improves a Double Chin
Even people with very low body fat can have loose skin on their neck that gives them the appearance a double chin. The skin under the jaw can be “tightened” by strengthening the muscles in the front of the neck. These muscles are usually weak in people with forward head posture. Bringing the head and neck back into alignment strengthens the muscles in the front of the neck and under the chin. Initially this might create the appearance of a double chin, but over time as the muscles get stronger this area will tighten up and the double chin will disappear!
Tip: Nod your head down like you are shaking your head “no”. Hold your head in that position and then lean your upper body back until your eyes are looking straight ahead.
4. Makes You Taller
One of the main reasons women deal with the discomfort of high-heels is that it makes their legs appear longer. A longer frame makes the body appear slimmer. By standing up straight and tall you elongate your spine, giving the appearance of a longer, slimmer frame.
Tip: Imagine there is a string tied to the back of your head. Now imagine that someone is pulling up on the string and allow yourself to be pulled into straighter posture.
5. Gives You Confidence
Standing and sitting up straight not only makes you seem confident, it can also cause changes in your mood so that you think and act more confidently. Having confidence by itself doesn’t directly make you look thinner, but it can give you the resolve you need to make better choices for your health.
Tip: No posture article would be complete without the “standing with a book on your head” advice. It may be a cliché, but it works! Use a hardcover book and get yourself in good posture first before balancing the book on your head. See how long you can keep it there, or set up a competition with your friends and co-workers.