This Clever Body Language Fix Instantly Makes You A '10'

Turn heads.

By Robyn Wahlgast — Written on Mar 13, 2019

Photo: Photo by Oskar Kadaksoo on Unsplash

How To Improve Posture, Fix Your Body Language (And Get A Boyfriend)

Each year, hundreds of women seeking advice on how to get a boyfriend send me pictures of their favorite date outfits and their online dating profiles, hoping I can help them be more attractive to men.

While your hairstyle, makeup and clothing certainly deserve a thorough assessment, it's important you don't overlook another important "X factor" that's a major key to your entire presentation of yourself but doesn't always show up in a photo: your body language and the non-verbal communication you send with your posture.

If you don't believe that how you stand and carry yourself is a critical component of your overall appeal, think again. While most potential dates won't consciously evaluate your body language, how you communicate via your body is crucial.

Perhaps nowhere is this more important than in their unconscious assessment of whether or not you have good posture.

It's not a detail they're likely to comment on or discuss, but it absolutely colors how they and others perceive you. Are you a potential partner or "just a friend"?

Your posture signals how you expect others to treat you, and has an impact on your workplace relationships, family relationships and romance.

Don't believe me? Let's look to an expert in what men find attractive in women: a man!

Andrew Aitken, author of The Rules Revisited, offers his male perspective on the topic that few other guys would ever acknowledge.

At a bar one night, Andrew ran into a female friend he typically rates “between a 7 and a 10.”

(Of course, physical appearance and attractiveness isn't fixed and permanent, but something we can affect through our personal style, body language, and expression.)

This woman was hunched over, obviously tired, and he viewed her as less attractive as a result. He playfully encouraged her to stand up straight, and was taken aback by the result:

"But here is perhaps the most interesting and telling part: when this girl corrected her posture, I felt a distinct pang of intimidation. It surprised and dismayed me, because I was sure until that moment that I had this girl wrapped around my finger. Suddenly the roles were decidedly reversed."

If you're willing to invest time and effort on your clothing, makeup and hair, wouldn't it be wise to learn how to improve your posture so you can rock those looks to their full potential?

Unfortunately, trying to "straighten up" doesn't always help when it comes to using effective body language and non-verbal communication to get a guy to like you.

Here's the irony: what most of us have learned about proper posture is dead wrong. That's why we so often fail to maintain good posture in our everyday lives.

I get tense just hearing commands like, "Stick your chest out! or "Chin up!" — never mind actually snapping into position. There's nothing graceful or feminine about a rigid, stick-straight back.

And, according to experts in the field of posture and bodywork, a healthy spine is one that is supple and maintains its natural curves — not one that's perfectly "straight" at all times.

After the birth of my first child, I could tell that my spine was out of whack. I didn't know why, exactly, but I had difficulty standing for long periods of time. Even though I was back at my normal weight, I just didn't look right in my work clothes — everything hung differently.

A friend who worked for Vogue suggested that I visit am amazing massage therapist named Michael Bulger, a Structural Integration Practitioner the magazine had recently featured.

I agreed to try 10 sessions with him. Two months later — at a cost of roughly $2,000 — my posture was realigned and I felt pain-free.

The structural manipulation was highly beneficial and I'm eternally grateful to Mike.

And perhaps the most helpful tip he shared with me somewhere in our first session was a breakthrough concept I needed to incorporate into my day-to-day life.

Mike told me that during all activities — whether sitting, standing, or walking — I should lead with my pelvis.

He truly meant "lead with your core" — which includes the abdominal region as well — but for beginners, the pelvic area is easier to identify.

That's it, the key to improving your posture, and, in turn, to being more attractive, is leading with your core.

If you watch runway models strut down the catwalk, you'll see this principle in action.

Leading with the pelvis does cause your chest to pop out a little because of that lovely c-curve in your spine, but it's that quite different than consciously trying to thrust your breasts forward in a forced way or yanking your shoulders down and back, which can be both painful and difficult to maintain.

Of course, models walking a runway are amplifying and exaggerating each movement for effect; it's theater. That's not exactly how you're going to parade around the office.

But if you've been having trouble keeping your shoulders released and back or sitting up straight or lifting your chin, shifting your focus southward may help.