Walk with Confidence

Walking into a room can be surprisingly uncomfortable.

Whether it’s heading into a job interview, meeting your partner’s parents, or simply walking into a room full of people you don’t know, those first few seconds can make you suddenly very aware of how you’re carrying yourself.

The way you walk is ultimately unique to you, but there are a few simple cues you can practise in day-to-day life to help you feel more comfortable, composed and confident in those moments.

Push with your Toes

This cue is about your stride and how your feet interact with the ground.

Rather than thinking about pulling yourself forward with your front foot, think about actively pushing the ground away behind you with your back foot. Your front foot lands underneath you before your body moves over it. As your leg extends behind you, think about pushing off the ground through the toe.

This can create a more active feeling through your stride and encourage you to move forward rather than simply reaching out and ‘dragging’ with each step. It shouldn’t feel forceful; instead, the idea is to be aware of your forward motion and allow yourself to ‘flow’ to your destination.

Big Chest, Heavy Shoulders

This cue is about finding an upright posture without becoming stiff.

“Big Chest” means allowing your chest and shoulders to open naturally rather than collapsing forward into a slouch. Think ‘open’, with the feeling of your chest stretching slightly wider than usual.

“Heavy Shoulders” comes next. Let your shoulders relax down, away from your ears. This ‘heaviness’ feeling is a release of tension, not a forcing of your shoulders downwards.

With these two parts combined: a ‘big’ chest and ‘heavy’ shoulders, you create a posture that feels open, relaxed and upright. 

Eyes Up

This last cue is the simplest, but arguably the most challenging. All you need to do is look directly in front of you with your resting gaze.

Bring your chin down to a neutral height so it feels similar to gently peering over a pair of glasses. As you walk, maintain this head and eye level as your neutral position. You can still move your head and eyes naturally when you’re looking at something or engaging with someone. The aim is simply to avoid constantly looking down at the floor or allowing your head to drift too far forward.

The Value of Walking with Confidence

Walking is one of the most fundamental movements we perform every day.

We walk to work, around the gym, into social situations, through shops and across unfamiliar places. Because we do it so often, small changes in how comfortable and aware we feel while walking can have a surprisingly large impact.

Practising these three cues gives you something practical to focus on when you feel self-conscious about how you’re moving. Over time, the goal is for these cues to become less conscious. You don’t want to spend your entire day thinking about your toes, shoulders and eyes. You want to develop enough awareness and control that an upright, comfortable stride becomes natural.

Confidence doesn’t come from forcing yourself to look confident. It comes from becoming more comfortable with how you move.

And improving one of the pillars of your day-to-day movement is another step towards building your confidence in movement.

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