The Secrets Behind Body Language and Testosterone Levels
Body Language and Testosterone
What if someone told you there was a simple and easy way that you could boost testosterone levels instantly without having to go to the gym or follow a strict diet?
Well, your first instinct might be that the person is crazy. But here’s the deal
There is actually a way to increase your testosterone levels that doesn’t involve going to the gym for hours or following a strict diet. The way you can do this is through simply changing your body language and posture.
Let’s see how body language can influence your testosterone levels:
Body Language and Testosterone Levels
New research is beginning to discover that leaders in powerful positions not only share similar mental attitudes but also share similar hormone levels. The research is showing that leaders in prominent positions have high levels of testosterone and low levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Now when it comes to testosterone and cortisol, there are many things that can change how high or low these hormones will be. These causes include the food you eat, the exercise you do, the amount of sleep you get, and your environment.
However, another major cause for how these hormones are influenced is your body language. Learning to show more confident body language in daily life can boost your testosterone levels and lower your stress levels within just a few minutes.
Studies on Body Language and Testosterone Levels
This study involves 24 subjects who had their baseline hormones checked using saliva samples and then put into groups that either practiced low-power poses or high-power poses.
Here is an image of what the power poses look like:
The subjects were told to sit in the pose for two minutes and then the researchers once again took saliva samples to see if there were any changes in hormone levels.
The researchers were astonished to find that the subjects who sat in high-power poses for two minutes had increased their testosterone levels by 20% and reduced their cortisol levels by 25%.
This clearly shows that when you use “high power poses” in daily life your hormone levels will respond because your body is now sending messages to your brain that you are confident and powerful.
How Body Language Affects Stress Levels
Different studies have also discovered that high cortisol levels are related to poor cognitive functioning. If we want to be successful in life, we should invoke our own psychological power.
This power that comes from confident body language lowers cortisol levels and enhances executive function, which is essential for us to plan effectively for challenging situations.
So, changing our body language, through using power poses, can raise testosterone levels and reduce the stress hormone, cortisol. These changes also lead to better confidence and better decision-making.
A recent study from the Columbia and Harvard universities showed that body language symbolizing power can automatically change our decision-making.
The researchers measured the risk in participants in either power poses, constricted poses, or expansive poses. Those in the powerful poses didn’t only feel more powerful and in control but were also 40% more likely to take a risky bet.
The saliva samples that were taken from the study showed that the participants using expansive power poses had lower cortisol levels and higher testosterone levels.
Ways to Increase Testosterone through Body Language
Here are some ways to increase your testosterone levels through body language:
1. Maintain Eye Contact:
Most people think that eye contact is just looking. However, a confident man isn’t afraid of looking people dead in the eyes. You may already know how important eye contact is!
However, the way in which we see others determines whether we are confident or not. Meet other people’s eyes with a relaxed and confident presence that confirms your self-assurance to yourself and others.
As an example, consider Mike Tyson in his prime. He used to psych out his opponents through eye contact and won half the battle before the bell even rang.
2. Practice High Power Poses
Have you ever noticed how animals behave when they set themselves to protect their patch? They puff up so they look a lot bigger. Humans can also do the same thing.
This is known as a power posture showing the marking of your territory and your fearlessness, so, it’s definitely a powerful body posture to perform.
To perform this posture, you first need to relax and stand or sit in such a way which opens up your exposed areas, throat, solar plexus, and testicles. This is an indication that you don’t have any fear and are comfortable with any situation.
3. The Vitruvian Man
This is a great pose which can be performed in the comfort of your home. In this pose, you have to stand with your legs wide and arms out in a big victory sign.
Just imagine that you have just won a big race and raising your arms in success. This indicates that you are the boss. Look at yourself with your arms lifted high in the air. You are untouchable.
Look at yourself with your arms lifted high in the air. You are untouchable. This pose is great as you can also get a nice stretch from it. In yoga, this kind of pose is done to renew your body.
4. Change Your Mindset
Lastly, it’s also very important to change your mindset in life. You need to think whether you consider yourself as a dominant player, as a leader or you think of yourself as a victim.
We see in the animal kingdom that sometimes a lesser male is forced to take the role of an alpha male in the society and within a few days, his testosterone levels rise drastically.
This lesser male is the same as he was before but as his role changed to be more dominant his hormone levels also began to increase.
Just take a few minutes to examine your current situation. If you are experiencing low testosterone levels, is there a time in life when you can remember taking a risk and being brave and did you notice the change in your confidence levels? Well, actually that change in mindset also increased your testosterone levels.
If you can combine these mindset changes with the right diet and exercise you might just find yourself becoming the confident self-assured male you always wanted to be.
Here is a video from Amy Cuddy explaining more about high power poses:
