What does posture have to say with anything?

For the last two posts I’ve been talking about mannerisms and how they can add depth to a character. Today I’m going to talk about posture. Have you ever noticed how people with different hobbies or jobs walk differently? I rarely have trouble telling what service of the US military a man is in due to his build and how he walks. If they’ve been out a while it’s harder to tell but they never quite lose the swagger and pride instilled in their branch of military. Sports also affects posture as athletes use different muscles for different sports. A dancer will likely have very straight posture while a skateboarder may have the typical slightly hunched posture typical of American youth. Politicians spend time perfecting their public image and as such likely stand straighter while looking more comfortable than a typical person perhaps used to being crammed in a subway everyday. Politicians and the rich often are more comfortable taking up space than people used to being crammed together in tight apartments or small cubicles. All of these are things to consider when writing your story. Although they may be more important on television or the big screen than in books, keeping these things in mind may allow you to hint at facts that you don’t need to talk about in the story, such as past sports or interests.