Being healthy and in shape is not all about how you look (name of the blog aside), it is more about how you feel. 

Over 16 million people have watched the TED talk by social psychologist Amy Cuddy on power poses, but many still don’t know the advantages of them. Power poses, even when we’re not feeling confident, actually affect testosterone and cortisol levels in our brain. This leads to not just feeling better, but can actually improve our chances for success.

They’re not a workout, and they won’t make you thinner, but they’re a quick way to feel great. Here are a few of the power poses:

-Standing with your legs hip-width apart and hands on your hips.

-Standing with your legs hip-width apart, put your arms up and out and keep both your chin and head up.

-Sitting down, putting your feet up on the desk and your arms behind your head supporting it.

-Sitting down, putting one foot on your knee and leaning back also with your arms around your head.

-Standing over a table and leaning forward, putting your hands on the table, fingers spread, and having the arms locked.

Next time you’re feeling down, give it a try! Who knows, it might even encourage you to head to the gym and work harder.

These are also great before interviews, presentations, meetings, and anything you might be potentially nervous about.

For the link to the full TED talk, click here. It’s about more than just power poses, it’s about improving your body language overall.