Does my posture make my belly stick out?

Yes, it definitely can be a key contributor!


This is one of the most common questions I've heard and yes, poor posture can make the belly stick out. Good posture, on the other hand, can have a slimming effect.

The biggest mistake that people make in trying to hide their belly is to actively pull it in. It doesn't feel great and will make your posture worse in the long run.

Getting your overall posture in balance is the key to the slimming effect. And by overall, I mean looking at how the whole body is working together...the head, neck, shoulders, pelvis, feet... All of these things affect whether or not we can acheive a natural, neutral way of holding ourselves up.

If you do it right, you don't even feel like you're holding yourself up. You feel relaxed and upright.

There are 2 main factors related to posture that make the belly stick out:

1) Leaning back - Meaning lifting the chest and tipping the back backward. Sometimes people do this actively to try to stand up straighter. (The are actually slouching backward!) The leaning back can also be a way the body compensates for the neck and shoulders going forward (often goes unnoticed!) Either way, it makes the belly stick out.

2) Tilting the pelvis - If you hold your pelvis in a position that creates a big arch in your lower back, this can also cause the belly to stick out. Remember your belly is simply the front of your lower back.

We've narrowed the "posture belly" down to two main culprits, but nonetheless, there are no shortcuts to improving your posture. Resolving either or both of these two issues still involves getting your overall posture back into balance as other areas are often the source of the problem.

The good news is that once you start looking at the big picture, you'll likely find that it's much easier and quicker to deal with those specific things.

You'll actually save time and look trimmer by giving attention to the root causes!

Here's what one of my clients said after taking a series of lessons:

Interestingly, after 10 or so lessons several people who hadn’t seen me for a while thought I had lost weight. It was simply the better posture that made me look slimmer and taller!
— Katri Touri, Global Accounts Manager

Want to start working on your posture now? Try my free audio guide for a mindful floor exercise that helps you feel more relaxed and aligned. Use gravity to help release tension and compression in your back and pelvis that may be causing your belly to stick out.

Notice if it's naturally easier to stand or sit taller after spending some time lying on your back, letting gravity work for you.

Want to learn more? Click here for information on individual online sessions.