How can you improve your posture for executive presence?

1 Assess your posture

The first step to improve your posture is to become aware of how you stand, sit, and move. You can do this by checking yourself in a mirror, asking for feedback from someone you trust, or recording yourself on video. Look for signs of poor posture, such as slouching, hunching, leaning, or tilting your head. Notice how your posture changes in different contexts, such as when you are relaxed, stressed, or presenting. Be honest with yourself and identify the areas you need to work on.

2 Align your spine

The second step to improve your posture is to align your spine properly. Your spine is the foundation of your posture and supports your head, neck, shoulders, and torso. To align your spine, you need to balance your head over your shoulders, your shoulders over your hips, and your hips over your feet. You can practice this by standing against a wall, with your heels, buttocks, shoulders, and head touching the wall. You can also use a chair with a backrest, and sit with your feet flat on the floor, your knees at a 90-degree angle, and your back straight.

3 Strengthen your core

The third step to improve your posture is to strengthen your core muscles, which include your abdominals, back, and pelvic floor. Your core muscles help you stabilize your spine, maintain your balance, and support your movements. To strengthen your core, you can do exercises such as planks, bridges, crunches, and twists. You can also engage your core throughout the day by drawing your belly button in toward your spine and holding it for a few seconds. This will help you keep your spine aligned and prevent you from sagging or collapsing.

4 Relax your shoulders

The fourth step to improve your posture is to relax your shoulders, which can often tense up due to stress, anxiety, or fatigue. Tense shoulders can make you look nervous, defensive, or aggressive, and can also cause pain and stiffness in your neck and upper back. To relax your shoulders, you can do exercises such as shoulder rolls, shrugs, stretches, and massages. You can also avoid raising your shoulders when you breathe, talk, or type, and lower them gently when you notice them creeping up.

5 Lift your chest

The fifth step to improve your posture is to lift your chest, which can help you open up your lungs, improve your breathing, and project your voice. Lifting your chest can also make you look more confident, assertive, and positive, and can enhance your body language and facial expressions. To lift your chest, you can do exercises such as chest presses, flyes, and stretches. You can also imagine that there is a string attached to your sternum, pulling it up and forward, and that your chest is leading the way when you walk or move.

6 Adjust your posture

The sixth and final step to improve your posture is to adjust your posture according to the situation, the message, and the audience. Your posture can convey different meanings and emotions, such as interest, boredom, enthusiasm, or indifference. You can use your posture to reinforce your verbal and non-verbal communication, and to adapt to different scenarios, such as formal or informal, one-on-one or group, or online or offline. You can adjust your posture by changing your distance, angle, orientation, and movement, and by mirroring or matching the posture of others.