What’s Your Stance? ❄️🥊

Hey fighters!

A recent client was telling me a story that made me lean back and think. Her sister had pointed out something interesting: her posture inside the gym versus her posture walking around outside was completely different.

Inside the gym, she walked tall. Her shoulders were pulled down and back, her head was up, and she took up space. But the moment she stepped outside, she huddled. She made herself smaller.

We talked about why. Sure, part of it is the physical benefit of fitness—stronger back muscles make it easier to stand straight. Part of it was wanting to "look good" for her trainers. But mostly, she realized that when she walked into the gym, she simply felt more confident. She was stepping into her training ground, and her body reflected that purpose.

This got me thinking about the power of posture.

We often think our posture is just a reflection of how we feel—we slump when we are sad, we stand tall when we are happy. But there is a lot of research (psychologists call it "embodied cognition") suggesting it works the other way around, too: How you hold your body actually tells your brain how to feel.

Crossing your arms across your chest signals to the world—and to your own brain—that you are closed off and defensive. Opening your chest and holding your head high signals confidence, security, and availability. You can literally trick your brain into feeling brave just by standing like a brave person.

In boxing, posture is everything.

I remember a coach once told me before a fight: "Always hold yourself like you are winning."

He told me that even if I was getting my ass kicked, even if I was exhausted and hurting, I had to pull my shoulders back, stand tall, and act like I was the victor.

Why? Because when you slump back to your corner between rounds, you aren't just signaling defeat to the judges and the crowd—you are signaling defeat to yourself. If you collapse, your brain says, "Okay, we're done." But if you hold yourself tall, you send a signal to your nervous system that you are still in the fight. You force your body to believe it isn't tired.

You see this in the "boxer's swagger." It's that walk of confidence you see fighters have when they enter the gym or make their ring walk. It is a walk infused with a sense of security. It says, I am here. I am ready.

Many boxers take this swagger outside the ring, too. They walk through the world knowing what their bodies can do. They know the power they possess. It's like a secret they carry around in their back pocket—a quiet knowledge that changes the way they stand in line at the grocery store or walk into a meeting.

So, catch yourself in a reflection today. Are you huddling? Or are you holding yourself like you are winning?

My question for you:

What "secret" strength do you have—physical, mental, or emotional—that you can hold inside your posture as you walk around in the world today?

Drop a comment or shoot me an email! (Trainingwithaisling@gmail.com)