Need Help With Your Alignment? 5 Exercises That Will Help You Feel Aligned Again

 

In order for your body to function efficiently, the various joints and bones need to be in alignment. Any minor deviation can cause pain and even injury as the rest of the body struggles to compensate for the alignment problem. Typically, when you are out of alignment, you start to feel it—it could be pain, discomfort, or just the feeling that something isn’t right. If you feel like your alignment is off, there are a few helpful exercises that will allow you straighten up and improve your body’s alignment.

 

Pelvic clock

The deep core muscles that hold your spine in proper alignment cannot be engaged properly if the pelvis is not in alignment as well. The pelvic clock exercise is a great way to re-align your pelvis. Lie on the floor on your back with your knees bent. Think of the pelvis as a clock face with the hips at 10 and 2. Rotating the pelvis clockwise, press the left hip (2 O’clock) and then the right hip (10 O’clock) into the floor in a circular motion. Repeat going counter clockwise.

 

Pelvic Straightener

According to the professionals at the Ireland Clinic of Chiropractic who specialize in chiropractic adjustment in Anchorage AK, many people who spend a lot of time sitting can develop a tilt to their pelvis that pulls the lower back out of alignment. This exercise is designed to re-align the pelvis. Kneel down and put the right leg out in front of you with the knee bent at a 90 degree angle. Put your hands behind your head and then push your left hip forward. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

 

The Bridge

The bridge works to align both the pelvis and the lower spine. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Lift your pelvis and spine off the floor to form a bridge shape. Think of slowly peeling your back off the floor vertebrae by vertebrae. Then slowly reverse the process until you are lying flat again.

 

Feet

To align your lower limbs, do the slide. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Run a towel around one of your heels and hold the ends of the towel. Slowly slide the foot out until the leg is completely straight. Concentrate on moving the leg straight with no twisting at the knee or hip.

 

Shoulders

Sitting hunched over a desk can cause the upper back, neck and shoulders to curl forward out of alignment. Restore alignment by standing up straight. Hold your arms out to either side, palms up, and pull your shoulder blades together. Think of a string pulling up out of the top of your head. Start making little circles with your arms and gently bend to one side and then the other.

 

These exercises, if performed regularly, will help to re-align your body and restore it to proper function. A few of these stretches and exercises a day can be very helpful to your alignment—especially if you spend much of the day sitting. If your misalignment is causing severe pain that doesn’t relieve with stretching, it is best to see a professional who can help to safely realign any areas that have become misaligned.

 

 

Categories: alignment, exercises, need help, posture

How to Be More Confident at the Gym – and Through Life!

Man, don’t you wish you were more confident? Confidence is so important to your overall wellbeing, if only because it helps you strut around the gym with your head held high – even if all you’ve managed is a three-minute jog on the treadmill. According to personal trainer and wellness writer Carly Pizzani, author of the fitness blog Fine Fit Day, ‘As a personal trainer, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of confidence when it comes to achieving results from working out. The gym or any kind of new fitness endeavour can be terribly nerve-wracking for many people, and the catch-22 is that having confidence can help you succeed at your fitness goals.’ So we got five readers to give their best advice on how to be confident in life and in the gym.

 

1. Everyone Else Feels the Same as You: ‘I do consider myself confident now,’ says Kim. ‘That wasn’t always the case. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realised that people aren’t even thinking about what I say, or wear, or do, and that has made me far more confident.’ Pizzani points out, ‘Remember the old advice for public speaking or interviews, where you were supposed to imagine everyone else was in their underwear? Well, this is a similar concept. Next time you’re feeling nervous or unsure of yourself, recognize that everyone around you is so busy feeling the same way about themselves, they don’t have time to notice what you’re doing or wearing. It can be really liberating to realize that most of the time when you’re working out, no one is paying attention. Bask in that anonymity and enjoy your workout!’

 

2. It’s All About Body Language:Shannon recalls, ‘My dad taught me that if you say it like you mean it, then people will believe you. I have found that this works on myself. Stand up straight, look people in the eye, and speak clearly. It’s amazing how it can help you to feel more confident. Let your posture lead the way.’ Pizzani explains, ‘Posture can have a huge impact on whether you’re perceived as confident, and when people think you’re confident, it reinforces that idea of yourself in your mind. It’s a bit like forcing yourself to smile when you feel down – sooner or later the feeling you’re trying to “fake” becomes the way you really feel. Next time you’re trying something new, like a spin class or free weights, act confident and don’t be afraid to speak up and ask for help!’

 

3. Prepare to Fail: ‘I act confident outwardly and expect rejection and failure,’ Emily details. ‘I don’t see this as pessimism, rather that I’m prepared for things not to work out, so I’m comfortable with an enormous amount of professional risk taking. With making attempts comes some inevitable successes – some of which I never would have thought would be a success! This has translated to my approach to fitness, that I should never be afraid to fail, because it’s the process that matters more than the outcome.’ Pizzani adds, ‘You really don’t know what you’re capable of until you try. I have a friend who took a yoga class on a whim, expecting to be horribly inflexible and out of her element. To her surprise, she picked it up really quickly. Four years later and she’s a certified yoga instructor. Even if you believe you’re not going to be able to do a certain kind of workout, attempt it anyway! You never know where your hidden skills may lie.’

 

4. Don’t Expect Perfection: Alicia asserts, ‘Confidence has a lot to do with distancing myself from ideas of perfection. It’s infinitely harder to feel good about who you are today (which confidence requires) when you’re beating yourself up over your flaws, imperfections, and unmet goals.’ Pizzani affirms, ‘You don’t have to be perfect at everything. Even when you’re working hard at something, even when you’re good at something, you’re always going to have “off” days, and that’s okay. As a runner, I’m used to having a race where I do amazingly well followed by one where I feel awful and have a really poor result. That’s okay – it’s part of life.’

Categories: act confident, confidence, confident, feel, gym, people, Personal Trainer, pizzani, posture

Posture Patch Up: Four Steps to Get You Standing Tall

You may not think your posture has a great influence on your wellbeing, but there are many benefits to walking tall and sitting pretty. Not only does the right posture help your weight loss wellness by making you look 10 pounds lighter, good posture conveys confidence, poise and leadership – which can help in the workplace – and can cause you to look 10 years younger. In fact, proponents of good posture even extend to fitness experts such as Certified Personal Trainer Glenn Kent, PhD, who has developed some simple exercises and stretches to help you keep your shoulders back and your head high.

 

According to Kent, ‘Good posture results when the muscles of the body align properly, allowing for efficient movement. When your body’s muscles and joints are balanced and supported properly, you’re better able to perform everyday activities, such as squatting to pick up laundry or running down a flight of stairs efficiently.’ However, Kent points out, ‘Few of us exhibit good posture, let alone perfect posture. In fact, poor posture often develops so gradually that you may notice its symptoms (back and neck pain, tightness and stiffness, increased injury and losses in your normal range of motion) long before you notice your shoulders hunching over.’

 

But why is it so important to improve your posture? ‘When you are poorly aligned, the joints in your body (e.g. shoulders, spine, hips, knees and ankles) do not fit together properly,’ Kent explains. ‘This causes some muscles to work harder than others. Over time, those muscles become tense while the others weaken, creating muscular imbalances that slowly devolve into poor posture. As posture deteriorates further, joint movements become restricted and the differences between tense and weak muscles places greater stress on your joints, which then have to compensate. This causes pain, stiffness and loss of motion throughout the body. But fix these imbalances, and your posture (and the pain associated with it) will improve.’ So here are four steps to a better posture:

 

1. Strengthen Your Core: Kent asserts, ‘Good posture starts with a strong core, which includes the abdominals (both the rectus abdominals that form the “6-pack” and the deeper transverse abdominals below them), lower back, obliques and hips. Strong core muscles don’t just keep your back healthy and resistant to pain and injury; they also hold your body upright, improve balance and enable you to move your body with greater control and efficiency.’

 

2. Fix Your Rounded Shoulders: Although rounded shoulders are common, that is not to say that they are normal. It’s not natural to hunch over a computer or behind a wheel, but that is what most of us spend our days doing, and our posture suffers as a result. However, Kent has the answer. ‘You can improve your posture by strengthening the weak upper back muscles, while stretching tight muscles in the chest, shoulders, lats and hips,’ he says. ‘As the upper back becomes stronger and the chest becomes more flexible, the shoulders naturally pull back—a sign of improved posture.’

 

3. Neutralise Your Tilted Hips: ‘Look at your belt line,’ Kent instructs. ‘Wearing your regular [trousers] and a belt, when viewed from the side, the belt should be level all the way around the waist. If your belt line is higher in the back and lower in the front, you need to strengthen the weak muscles in your hamstrings, glutes and abs, while improving the flexibility of your thighs and hip flexors.’

 

4. Retract Your Forward Head: Kent notes, ‘Most people think of the back and shoulders as keys to good posture, but the position of your head and neck is just as important. When viewed from the side, your ears should be above your shoulders.’

Categories: anti-ageing, belt line, muscles, poor posture, posture, posture nbsp, rounded shoulders, shoulders, strong core, weak muscles, Weight Loss

The Importance Of Correct Form At The Gym

It is true that going to the gym has been a regular activity for many people in modern society. Going to the gym can be very good for us for a number of reasons. Firstly it means you’re getting regular exercise which is good news by almost any scale of healthy living, but it’s also about a lot more than that. Getting plenty of exercise is good for your wellbeing for a number of different reasons including increasing your metabolism, improving your immune system and keeping yourself active. So whether you’re hitting the gym in the hope of losing some weight, maintaining a healthy lifestyle or building your muscles, it is always a good thing.

 

But anyone who has ever gone to the gym and taken part in sessions with an instructor will know that one thing that they always emphasise is good posture. Having the right posture not only makes it easier for your to perform the exercises and build muscle, it also ensures that you don’t injure yourself by placing too much strain on the wrong parts of your body. The vast majority of injuries at the gym are not caused by carelessness, or attempted to do something that you shouldn’t – it is by having bad posture and form when you attempt to use the equipment.

 

Getting the right form is absolutely essential if you want to avoid injury and get the most out of your workout. Key factors include making sure you’re in the right position, taking things slowly and thinking through every move you’re going to make, and using the correct breathing techniques when you attempt to perform any lift or move. If you don’t you risk stopping your gym patronage before it even starts.

 

There are a few things that you certainly need to do if you’re going to go the gym and stay healthy and free from injury. The first, and perhaps most important, aspect of lifting weights might seem like something that it entirely obvious but for many people it is the starting point for injury. And that is that you should choose the right level of weight. Too many people attempt to overload themselves too early. Take things slow and gradual and build up your strength. Even if some of your muscles are capable of lifting very heavy weights, it could be that others are not developed enough to take the strain. Of course you need to push yourself, but at the beginning it is extremely important to take things slowly.

 

Next you need to ensure that you are performing your chosen exercise the correct way. Take to the gym instructor or your personal trainer for specific guidelines on how to perform the exercise the right way. If you don’t do this you are opening yourself up to injury as the incorrect posture will place the strain of the weights on your weakest areas. This can not only lead to injuries in the short term but can actually leave you with lasting damage to your body that will never go away.

 

Finally, you need to learn the correct breathing techniques. It can very tempting to hold your breath as your lift very heavy weights, but this is actually a very bad idea and can cause very serious problems. Holding your breath while you lift very heavy weights can lead to dangerous increases in your blood pressure which will ultimately cause you serious problems. This will lead to you needing to give up exercise in an effort to avoid this kind of high blood pressure.

Categories: blood pressure, Breathing Techniques, exercise, gym, heavy weights, Injury, nbsp, posture, Weights, work out

Better Posture for Better Health: Tips from the Pros

While most people equate posture with outward appearance, many people are unaware of the effect that better posture has on internal health. Poor posture creates unnatural stress in our joints, making us more prone to joint disease and injuries. Muscle fatigue, neck spasms, shoulder pain and back pain are usually traceable to incorrect posture. Poor posture restricts the proper flow of blood to your head, creating tension headaches and mental dullness. Studies indicate that poor posture can contribute to acid reflux disease, high blood pressure and depression. There is no doubt that good posture will improve your health. Below are some tips to help you find and maintain good posture.

 

 

Better Posture While Standing

 

Poor posture causes some muscles to tighten up and shorten while other muscles lengthen and become flaccid. This imbalance frequently results in pain and lethargy. To find your best standing posture, stand against a wall with your buttocks, shoulder blades and head touching the wall. Have your heels approximately 4 inches away from the wall. With your palm facing the wall, place your hand behind the curve in your lower back. You should feel about one hand’s thickness between your back and the wall. If there is more space than this, tighten your belly muscles to straighten the curve in your back. If the space is too tight, arch your back until your hand fits comfortably. Walk away from the wall as you maintain this posture.

 

 

Better Posture While Sitting

 

Hunching over a desk all day diminishes breathing capacity and compresses internal organs, reducing their normal function. A well-designed working space can do wonders for your desk posture. Choose a chair that allows you to keep your ears, shoulders, and hips in a vertical line. Your arms should be at a 90 degree angle to your work-space while both feet rest flat on the floor. Be sure to get up from your desk and walk around as much as you can, and incorporate regular stretching routines into your breaks.

 

 

Better Posture While Sleeping

 

Improper sleep posture contributes to pain in the neck, shoulders and back. Back sleeping is the best position overall because it maintains neutral positioning of the head, neck and spine. One soft, fluffy pillow is all you need to properly support your neck and head without causing your head to jut out. The next best position is side sleeping, which keeps your spine elongated. Side sleepers need a firm, thick pillow so the head and neck are supported in a neutral position above the shoulder. Having extra pillows in bed to support the knees is also good for aching backs.

 

Chiropractic is an interpersonal approach to healing that is concerned with diagnosing, treating, and preventing imbalances of the neuromusculoskeletal system and the effects these imbalances have on your overall health. Bad posture can be a tough habit to break, but it can be done with dedication and a willingness to make positive lifestyle changes. Professionals like Advanced Integrative Health Center can work with you as an individual to help you achieve a better posture and better health.

Categories: Better posture, confidence, diaphram, head, health, musculaskeletal disorders, nbsp, nbsp nbsp, poor posture, posture, posture nbsp, scoliosis, sitting posture, sleeping posture

Three Steps to a Healthier Work Experience

If you work in a desk-based job, you may be aware of the risk to your health from sitting down all day and limiting the amount of physical activity you get. While the structure of many modern businesses are changing, such as including gyms and workplace wellness schemes, desk workers can be at risk of feeling trapped. This trapped feeling means that you need to get your blood flowing and your muscles moving. There are ways that you can improve your working week so that you feel less sluggish. Here are three ways to kick start your working experience, to boost your health and wellbeing.

 

Posture

One of the most common problems in people who work in a desk-based job is their posture – sitting down all day can get uncomfortable, and it’s easy to slip into a position that damages your back after time. You lean over your keyboard to get closer to the screen, or your slide back and slouch whilst you work. Try working on your posture first and foremost, as you’ll be surprised what a difference it makes to your overall wellbeing and health. You’ll need to be conscious of it all the time for the first few weeks, until your body begins to do it naturally. Keep your shoulders back and your back straight, so that you’re not slouching. Having a good posture doesn’t just help your own health – it also gives a better impression to others in the office, as it shows that you’re more confident and attentive at work. If you’re squinting and struggling to see the computer screen, get your eyes checked.

Keep active

Keep yourself moving throughout the day, as sitting down for seven hours isn’t going to do anything for your circulation and health. Five minutes every hour or so to stretch your legs and get the blood flowing can do wonders. Try getting up to get a drink, go to the toilet or even just walk around the office to speak to a co-worker. Just get the blood flowing, however you want to do it. If you’re sitting with good posture or without, you’ll still notice that you’ll get sore sitting down for too long. Getting up and staying active can alleviate this problem and help to keep your blood flowing. Also, make the most of your lunch break and go for a walk – don’t spend this vital time sitting down again.

Eat healthy snacks

This isn’t so much about staying fit, but it is important that you eat well when you’re at work – you’re there for forty hours a week, so what you eat during this time counts. Many people notice that when they’ve been working in a place for a while, they begin to develop poor eating habits. What you eat fuels your body throughout the day, so choose wisely. This means ditching the crisps and biscuits for water, fruit and vegetables, and nuts. They’ll give your body an energy boost without loading you up on empty calories and high sugar contents. You’ll also notice that your energy lasts for longer. This is because snacks such as crisps and chocolate may give you an instant hit of energy, but it will be short lived, leaving you with that afternoon slump that we’ve all experienced. Try to begin the day with a filling and healthy breakfast, such as cereal or porridge, then a snack of fruit mid-morning. At lunch time, fill up on plenty of veggies and lean protein to see you through the afternoon, and munch on nuts and seeds if you get peckish.

Categories: based job, blood flowing, desk based, diet, fitness, health, posture, sitting, time, work, Workplace Wellness

How Can Desk Yoga Help to Relieve that Painful Posture?

Not only does the back, neck and shoulder pain of poor pressure affect your health and wellbeing, but your corporate wellness can also suffer. Slouching into a C-shape at your desk, instead of going for the slight S of a healthy spine, has a negative impact on your productivity, and so there’s more reason than ever to sort it out. You may not have time to make it to a yoga class, but you shouldn’t let that stop you!

 

Seattle-based yoga instructor Michael Huffman says, ‘The human body was built to move more than sit in a chair, car and couch for a large chunk of the day.’ Not only does it ache like hell, but leaning too far forward to look at your computer monitor compress your cartilage. According to yoga instructor Sandy Blaine, author of Yoga for Computer Users, ‘No matter how good your posture is, when you’re sitting at a desk all day, your muscles are working very hard to hold your spine up, so just releasing tension from those muscles and allowing them to stretch takes a lot of pressure off the spine and is also energising.’

 

So which yoga poses can sort your posture out, even if you never leave your desk?

 

1. Seated Spinal Twist. Blaine explains that this pose is beneficial in ‘releasing back tension that collects when you’re holding a seated position all day.’

 

2. Forward Bend, or the Seated Uttanasana. Huffman notes, ‘Forward bending brings fresh oxygen to the brain and puts some needed space in the rear section of the spinal disks.’

 

3. Hands Alive. You may recognise this pose if you’ve done yoga before, as it is a variation on Urdhva Hastasana or upward facing salute. This one is vastly beneficial to your wellness, as it works to stretch your shoulders and armpits, relieve your mild of anxiety and improve the circulation in your back and arms.

 

4. “I dream of Genie.” Blaine comments, ‘Everyone has tight thoracic spinal muscles – the rhomboids and paraspinals that run along the spine between the shoulder blades. [This pose] breaks up tension in these muscles.’

Categories: desk, nbsp, posture, spine, yoga, yoga instructor

Five Mega Benefits of Resistance Training for Women

Only 16% of women undertake regular resistance or strength training, but that means the rest of you are missing out. Adding resistance to your workout helps you to improve your fitness levels, strength and tone, and you don’t have to worry about turning into Arnie overnight – you don’t have enough testosterone to get big and bulky! Still don’t believe me? Here are five things that resistance training can help you to do.

 

1. Maintain your weight. Though you may think it’s all about aerobic exercise for weight loss wellness, strength training increases your metabolic rate, because it increases your lean muscle mass. This means that your body will continue to burn calories – even when you’re sitting down and watching Game of Thrones.

 

2. Improve your posture. Do you spend all day sitting in front of a computer? You’re not slouching home from work because you’ve had a hard day – your desk is making you do that. Sitting all day tightens the muscles on the front of your body, which pulls your chest and shoulders down and your head forward. However, resistance training – especially when focused on your trapezius (the web of fibres that extend across your shoulder blades) – helps to strengthen your core as well as your upper back.

 

3. Increase your bone density. Your bones tend to become more thin and brittle as you age, which puts your wellbeing at risk for osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. However, research shows that regular strength training will increase your bone density and prevent these diseases – especially if you throw in a glass of milk now and then.

 

4. Look better. Whether you hate your bingo wings or your saggy bum, resistance training can help to reshape and tone problem areas. Working on your chest area can make your bust look perkier, while core-toning moves will contribute to shrinking inches from your waist.

 

5. Make your life easier. Don’t you want to feel strong and capable on a day-to-day basis? If you have stronger muscles, you’ll be better equipped for anything life throws at you. Lugging shopping home from the supermarket? Not a problem. Handbag full of stuff? Easy peasy. Boyfriend challenge you to an arm wrestle? Why not! Ok, you may not win that one, but at least it will last longer than 10 seconds this time!

Categories: bone density, posture, Weight Loss

Walk Your Way to Weight Loss with the Toning Technique!

You may not expect an owner of a fitness studio to advocate something free, such as walking, to kick-start your weight loss and wellness regime, but this is exactly what Daniel Bartlett, Owner of Daniel Alexandra Holistic Health and Fitness, does. He explains, ‘For many, [walking] is the most realistic, affordable and effective method of staying healthy. That is not to say walking is the most time efficient way of stripping back the pounds, and if you are looking to achieve maximum results in the shortest possible time it will leave you disappointed, but if you are patient and approach your fitness and health as a long-term plan, walking is quite possibly the best mode of exercise available.’

According to Bartlett, ‘We all know that going for a hike gets you in the great outdoors and amongst the action rather than sat indoors watching the box, but walking for health is about more than taking a leisurely stroll. Walking is most effective when it is approached like any other carefully considered exercise regime, it must be monitored and measurable. Progress is key if you want to use walking to improve, and not just maintain your health.’

Bartlett recommends that you follow his walking technique, as well as a solid nutrition plan, to amp up your wellbeing, as well as your weight loss efforts. When walking, Bartlett says, your head should be erect and centred, with your eyes looking forward 15-20 feet ahead and your chin tucked in. Make sure your shoulders are square and relaxed, with your back straight, and bend your arms at 90 degrees – close to your torso – and keep your fingers in a loose fist form.

Moving lower down your body, keep your core engaged and your bum and stomach tucked in. This is a position known as a pelvic tilt, which helps you to avoid back pain and also strengthens your lower back muscles. Obviously, your feet are key in your walking technique, so make sure that you stride out, landing on your heel and rolling forward to the ball of your foot to push off for the next step. This will help to exercise the front of your legs and calves. Don’t forget to stride, says Bartlett, and pump your arms to transform your walk from lower body to a total body aerobic workout.

Categories: posture, technique, Walking

Sit Up, Look Sharp: How to Improve Your Office Posture

Musculo Skeletal Disorder (MSD) is a back problem which develops over time and can have a major impact on your wellbeing. Overtime, your body muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons and nerves can be affected, but what crazy behaviours are you engaging in to develop such a condition? Going to the office! Young office employees are most vulnerable to MSDs due to improper seating, especially when you sit for more than five hours at a stretch, and so working on your corporate wellness in this area is essential.

According to Parag Shastry, Ergonomic Expert from Godrej Interio, the first thing you need to do is sit-up straight. ‘Some people adopt the ‘slouching posture’ while working, which is very bad because over a period, it can cause MSD,’ Shastry says. ‘This can further lead to recurring pain, numbness, tingling and stiffening of various body muscles.’ He recommends that you adjust your chair height so your thighs are parallel to the ground, and your back is in an upright position.

That’s all well and good first thing in the morning, but what we all end up edging forward during the day, don’t we? Sitting on the edge of your chair while working on the computer places strain on back muscles and ligaments, and so Parag advises, ‘Try to sit all the way back at all times during work. If necessary, move your monitor closer or make the characters larger for easy viewing. Let the chair do its work of supporting your back so you can do your work more comfortably.’

Another thing you need to bear in mind is to avoid the “tuck”. This occurs when you lean forward when using the computer, as you will often find your feet drifting back to rest on the chair base, or you may be tucking your feet under the chair. Not only is leaning forwards bad for your back – as we’ve already covered – but the “tuck” pose leaves your feet without support while restricting your blood circulation. The ideal position is to sit back in the chair with your legs extended. This will help to improve your circulation and overall comfort. In fact, if you’re shorter than 5’4″, you may want to consider using a footrest to support your feet during long working hours.

Categories: Musculo Skeletal Disorder, office, posture

It’s Science: Proven Physical Traits that Women Can’t Resist

When you’re playing the dating game, sometimes you have to stack the odds. You might not be able to do a whole lot to boost your earnings right now, or star in a romantic comedy, but you may be able to make a few changes to be what women find physically attractive in a man. There are a certain number of physical traits that scientists have suggested women look for in a man, which is information you can use to improve your dating wellness.

Firstly, if you’ve got more body hair than Chewbacca, get rid of it! According to a New Zealand and California study, when women were shown shown photographs of men with varying amounts of body hair, the men with the least amount of body fuzz were given the highest ratings. The was a correlation between decreasing level of attractiveness, and increasing amount of chest and abdominal hair, so shaving the day before a big date may make all the difference.

Women may be looking for their Mr Darcy, but only for a bit of short-term fun. This is according to a study which asked women to rank photographs of men in terms of carnal sexual attraction – rather than for long term relationship potential – and men who looked broody or proud were deemed to be more appealing than smiling men. If you’re looking for a fling or a one-night stand, start working on that sexy frown.

However, if you’re looking for something a little more long-term, then polish off those pearly whites and give ‘em a big old smile. According to evolutionary psychologists, a warmer, more inviting male face suggests that you are more likely to stick around for the long haul. Make her realise how lovely your handsome smile is going to look in your wedding photos! While you’re working on your groom appeal, stand up straight. Women tend to look for men with superior posture, as straightening your spine makes you seem taller, more confident, more dominant and more open to being approached.

Finally, make your jaw appear as chiselled as possible. High testosterone levels are responsible for the appearance of masculine facial traits at puberty, and scientists surmise that this feature also gives men a strong immune system, making you a good catch from a genetic perspective. Women in the most fertile phase of their cycle appear to prefer men with chiselled jawlines, so use facial hair to make yours look more prominent. A beard that covers your chin area will add volume to a smaller face, and make it seem more manly.

It’s Science: Proven Physical Traits that Women Can’t Resist

Categories: body hair, hair, Hair Removal, Jawline, long, Long term, physical traits, posture, term, traits, Women