Posture is a very important aspect of modelling, which directly relates to posing. A slouched, hunched model will not be perceived well as it comes across as lazy and disinterested. Therefore, it is worth your while making sure your posture is straight especially when attending castings and photoshoots. If you practice during your everyday life it will become instinctive and natural rather than forced on the day. It’s also very good for your health to hold a strong posture and walking like a model day to day.

Many of Us Do Have a Bad Posture

The way we live our lives encourages us to have a bad posture. Slouched on the sofa watching TV is a daily occurrence, which can be difficult to keep your back straight. It feels natural to slump rather than sit tall with your shoulders back. It is certainly not as comfortable when finishing binging on your latest Netflix obsession. Also, with a phone in hand walking down the street absorbed in the latest social media news or WhatsApp message encourages us to not walk with a good posture. Let’s face it, pushing your shoulders back, chest out and head straight can feel pretty awkward at times. Hunched over a laptop and sitting at a desk all day can also encourage bad posture.

Self-consciousness can do it too. Tall people don’t want to draw attention to their height causing them to walk slightly hunched with arched shoulders. It is a natural habit that many tall girls and guys do without thinking. Walking confidently with your head up will attract attention but for all the right reasons. Others will look on with envy rather than spite. However, it is good practice to not bother yourself with what people think of you. It’s important to be you and be proud of your height and physique.

High heels are a common cause of bad posture as tittering on 5-inch heels can cause the back to arch too much. Of course, fashion models regularly wear heels for long periods of time on the runway and at photoshoots. Also, carrying a heavy bag on one side can cause muscle imbalance and negatively affect your posture.

What Is a Good Posture?

Take a look at these key points to help you stand with a good posture.

• Make sure your chin is parallel to the floor.
• Are you shoulders even? You may need to roll your shoulders up, back, and down.
• Is your spine neutral? Do not flex or arch.
• Put your arms by your side with elbows straight and even.
• Brace your abdominal muscles.
• Make sure your hips are even.
• Are you knees pointing straight ahead?
• Distribute your body weight evenly on both feet.

When sitting ensure that your chin is parallel to the floor and your shoulders, hips, and knees are at even heights. Also your knees and feet should be pointing straight ahead.

How Important Is Good Posture?

It is very important and not just for your self-esteem but your health too. Sitting or standing straight up represents a person’s fitness and strength. Find out why practicing a good posture will benefit your health both physically and mentally.

• A bad posture can cause many aches and pains. Starting in your neck and back to begin with but could reach the hips or knees too.
• A slouched back can make you move slowly with an increased chance of injury.
• Hunched shoulders can affect your breathing as the diaphragm and lungs have less room to expand and narrows the airways.
• Touching on a previous idea of self-consciousness, psychology studies suggest that standing tall can improve confidence and how you feel about yourself. It can also boost energy levels and your mood.
• It helps your digestive system as your internal organs sit in their natural position.

What to Do If You Have Bad Posture

If you are feeling pain in your shoulders or lower back it may be due to bad posture. It is definitely worthwhile looking into ways to can improve your posture and relieve pain from those areas. Try some of these techniques and ideas.

• Yoga is really good to stretch and practice good posture. A lot of the positions in the class realign your body and encourage you to sit straight and tall.
• If you do sit at a desk all day make sure you get up from your computer and stretch. Doing this can alleviate pain from those areas.
• If you are really concerned it may be worthwhile going to see a physical therapist who can identify what is out of balance and the cause of it. They will also provide exercises to help too. It may not just be a bad habit but a inflexible muscles or strength.

Why is it important for Models to Have Good Posture

Rethink how you stand and having a good body awareness is important in all aspects of modelling. A model posture should be strong, tall and confident especially at castings and photoshoots in high fashion and commercial modelling. When you enter the room it is essential that you appear self assured. Casting agents will much prefer a confident model than a shy, slouched one. Walk with pride and stand tall. It can feel intimidating being judged yet presenting yourself with a strong stature will help you feel good.

It is worthwhile to learn to pose like a model as body awareness is key. A sense of body awareness is vital when carrying out model poses for photoshoots. As again if you slouch your physique will not look good as the camera accentuates every small detail. You may feel as though you are sticking our your chest when in fact it looks as though you are standing up straight on camera. Practice in front of a mirror or get a friend to take some shots to truly understand how your frame looks. Take a look at our modelling poses for beginners to help you practice or even look at fashion campaigns to find out how to pose like a female model. It is not as easy as it looks yet if you practice a good posture it will definitely benefit every aspect of your career.