Welcome to another post in our Elegant Value series – all about elegant posture and deportment!
What is deportment?
I’m sure whenever someone mentions elegant posture and deportment, it conjures images of young ladies balancing a book on their head while they practice sitting or walking. I mean, you could totally do that if you like! But first let’s take a step back and look at a definition and some benefits of elegant posture.
5 Benefits of Elegant Posture and Deportment
Good Posture Helps You Look Taller
When we slouch, we look shorter. If we are hunched over our device or slouched in a chair, we don’t look as tall as we could.
Good Posture Reduces Back and Joint Pain
Many of us spend a lot of time on our computer, tablet or phone. This leads many people to sit with their neck and back bent. We end up with tense neck and shoulders and a stiff back. Straightening up puts our spine in a more neutral and natural position.
Good Posture Helps Us to Look Slimmer
By straightening up, we look taller. Instead of collapsing our ribs into our stomach, we engage our core muscles to hold ourselves straight. Consequently we look a little slimmer and who doesn’t want that?
Good Posture and Deportment Help Us to Appear More Elegant
Slouching, stomping and snatching up items is not elegant. When we slow down a little and take more care, people perceive us to be more elegant and self controlled.
Good Posture and Deportment Enable Us to Make a Good First Impression
Picture this situation – you hear loud footsteps coming up the hall. A lady shoves the door open, steps into the room and lets the door bang behind her. I doubt you are going to be greatly impressed. On the other hand, if she walked quietly up to the door, opened it gently and closed it behind herself, I’m sure your impression will be quite different.
5 Ways to Improve Your Posture and Deportment
Improve Your Walking
Take a few minutes to think about how you walk. Do you stomp or slap your feet? Your heel should contact the floor first. Next, your foot should roll smoothly through your arch and the ball of your foot before lifting off for the next step. Your strides should be moderate. We aren’t trying to be giants or penguins! Be aware of your surroundings and how your body is interacting with what is around you.
Improve Your Seated Posture
We are not talking about sitting like a stiff board. Boards are not graceful or elegant! Instead of sitting with your pelvis tucked, sit more on the base of your pelvis, where your “sit bones” are located. Push your lower back forward into its natural curve. As a result, your upper back will be encouraged to be more upright. Don’t let your ribcage sink into your lower torso and roll your shoulders back and down. We don’t want them up near your ears! You might need a cushion for a support in your lower back to maintain a neutral and natural lumbar curve.
Keep your knees close together. If you like to cross your legs, do so discreetly – you don’t want to accidentally flash anybody! Or you could simply place one foot flat and cross the other behind at the ankle.
Strengthen Your Core
We are not talking about needing washboard abs here! Your core encompasses your entire torso like a corset of muscle and includes your glutes. However, many of us have weak core muscles. Consequently, sitting or standing up straight makes our backs tired and achy because we tend to spend too much time slouching. Pilates and functional exercise are great ways to build core muscle endurance.
But you can also improve it in every day activities. For example, you could practice sitting on a fit ball at your desk instead of a chair – the slightly unstable ball forces your core to stabilize you. I used to sit on a fit ball in the bathroom while watching the kids in the bath. Marching or leg lifts while seated is another great way – do some while you watch TV next. In addition, practicing your good posture is also a great way to improve both your elegant deportment and your core endurance! Double win!
Improve Your Standing Posture
Do you tend to lean on things? I used to have a terrible habit of leaning on things or standing on one foot as a teen. As a result, I tended to slouch when I was standing if there was nothing to lean on. However, there is no need to stand like a soldier at attention. Stand in a relaxed manner – knees soft, hips over ankles and shoulders over hips. Keep your pelvis neutral – tilting it forward or backwards is a sure recipe for tight surrounding muscles and back pain. Place one heel in line with the arch of your other foot – like a ballet first position. This pose, also known as “pretty feet”, looks a little more natural and relaxed than standing rigidly with feet and ankles glued together.
Be Aware of Your Movements
Many of us are in a hurry. We as mums have so many things to do and we need them done ASAP. Consequently, we rush around, grabbing this and letting that door bang behind us. We bend over to pick a million things up off the floor. I know I am guilty of all of those – I am naturally a busy person who prefers things done as quickly and efficiently as possible! I have to often remind myself to slow down a little and take the time to be a little more graceful. So I stop a second to shut the door gently when I let the dog out instead of letting it clang shut itself. I try to remember to pick up things off the table or bench gently, instead of snatching them up. I’m working on crouching to pick up something off the floor instead of bending my lower back.
In Conclusion….
We looked at the definition of deportment and how elegant posture can benefit us. Next we covered 5 ways to improve our posture and deportment to be more elegant. I know the one I need the most improvement in is the last one – being aware of my movements and slowing down a little to be more graceful. Which one do you think you need to work on the most? Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day but it was built eventually! Work on one at a time and before long, you will have made great improvements in more elegant posture and deportment.
If you missed any of the other Elegant Value posts, you can find them here.
