Presidential Posture

By Zeena Dhalla Posture Musings

Through all the scrutiny of the Presidential debates, there was one big important factor left out: which candidate has the best posture?

If you’re deep in the throes of trying to decide which candidate to vote for, a candidate’s posture can tell us a lot about them. Do they use body language and positioning as a way to accentuate their point? Are they aware of what their body is doing at any given moment in time? How much do they look down at their phone every day? Do they exercise their posture muscles on a regular basis?

Curious? Here is our “posture geek” analysis.

Donald Trump

“Forward head” is the primary postural misalignment for Mr. Trump. As you can see in this picture
, his cervical spine looks compressed and his head carries forward of his shoulder joint. In this picture he is speaking, so his forward head posture could be indicative of his desire to emphasize his point while speaking into the microphone. However the second picture shows him side by side with his opponent, and you can still see that his ear sits in front of his shoulder line, indicating that this posture is more habit, than situational.

In examining multiple pictures, it seems Mr. Trump uses his head as a way to highlight his points. He tilts, he nods, and he shakes. In all of these situations, there is still the appearance of compression in his cervical spine. He’s proven that he’s clearly quite a healthy chap, so perhaps it’s time he includes some daily exercises into his daily routine to get his head back where it belongs.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton’s head seems to be in a better place, but her upper thoracic spine is not. Secretary Clinton has what’s known as a classic case of Kyphosis: a pronounced rounding of the upper spine. Her head position is also not ideal, as it sits more forward of her shoulder points than it should. However, with this candidate, the emphasis on postural corrections should be focused on her mid back. Secretary Clinton clearly spends far too much time sitting rounded over a computer or cell phone, and is remiss in doing her daily mid back exercises. If unattended to, this postural
misalignment can lead to neck pain, back pain and even knee and hip pain. We will give her props for wearing a sensible low heel (see final picture below). High heels are the death of posture, and guarantee pain issues later in life.

The Spouses

In this comparison, there is a clear winner. President Clinton outshines Melania Trump in the posture category, hands down. Perhaps it’s her years as a runway model, or perhaps she just desires to deemphasize her sizable bosom while in the political arena, regardless her posture in this picture is just plain terrible.

It’s unclear whether this is a chronic problem, but this picture clearly demonstrates that posture can be interpreted as an indicator of emotions. Does she look like a confident courageous wife ready to support her husband in the biggest battle of his political career? Compared to President Clinton, who’s numerous documented workouts and his years in the political limelight, show him as the clear winner in the confident spouse category.

Final Analysis

It is clear that both candidates need some help in the posture department. Clearly the hours of campaigning, the stress from the travel, and the demands on their time have taken a toll on their bodies. Hunched over a cell phone and sitting in airplanes can take a toll on anyone’s body. We posture geeks can only hope that whomever gets elected will take some well-deserved time to stretch, strengthen and get straightened out.