Post Your Power Pose

September 30, 2016 - Willie Weir writes his Sights and Sounds blog every other Friday.

#bikepowerpose

Can your posture change your life?

In a TED talk that has been watched over 36 million times, and trust me ... you’ll be glad you watched it through to the end, social psychologist Amy Cuddy describes how your body language shapes who you are. The simple act of changing your posture can not only change how people see you, but change your body chemistry as well. Countless articles, news reports, even television episodes, have featured her theory.

I was looking through photos of past trips and came upon the above image of my wife Kat taking a break after climbing a long mountain pass. There she was in full-on power pose — hands on her hips, chest forward, and with a confident, beaming smile.

Yes, you can get up in the morning, stand and face the mirror confidently for five minutes, and it just might change your outlook and how people perceive you. I have another suggestion. Hop on a bike and go for a ride. The bicycle empowers you to accomplish extraordinary feats, to travel impressive distances with your body as the engine, and to climb heights that allow you to gaze down on the landscape below and exclaim, “I did THAT!”

It’s no wonder you see cyclists in power poses on top of mountain passes — hands on hips, chest forward, or sometimes even with their trusty vehicle hoisted above their heads. Bicycles not only take us places more efficiently than any other vehicle, they change us — physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

Do you have a favorite bicycle power pose photo?

• Post it to a comment on Adventure Cycling’s Facebook post for this blog.
• Or share it on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #bikepowerpose

I’ll feature my favorites in my next post.

Photo by Willie Weir

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SIGHTS AND SOUNDS is posted every other Friday.

Willie Weir is a contributor for Adventure Cyclist magazine. His books, Travels with Willie and Spokesongs, will inspire you to hit the road and might change the way you approach bicycle travel. He lives in Seattle with his wife Kat. You can also find him at WillieWeir.com, Facebook, and Instagram.