21 Day Posture Challenge (Exercises & Stretches to Stand Up Straight)
Welcome to BraceAbility’s 21 Day Posture Challenge! Are you looking for an easy way to feel and look better? Correcting your posture is your solution. Good posture has numerous health benefits including higher energy levels, increased oxygen intake, alleviating chronic neck and back pain, migraine relief, and confidence. This posture challenge combines a posture correcting brace to train and lift your muscles, exercises focused on strengthening the core, shoulders, and back, and stretches to help relieve muscle tension. We have provided you with a printable calendar to reference during your journey to better posture. Along with the printable calendar, below you will find a detailed description of each day’s challenge, and a video example of all stretches and exercises. Let’s get started!
Click on the photo below to find the printable calendar to reference during your journey to better posture:
Watch this video to find out how to perform each day’s stretches and exercises or continue scrolling to view photos and detailed descriptions of each day:
Day 1: Your first tasks!
To continue this challenge you’ll need to ...- Buy a posture brace
- Take the posture quiz to evaluate your current posture
- Take before photos from the front, side, and back all while standing
Day 2:
Posture brace: 30 minutes Exercise of the day: 10 Shoulder Rolls x2
- While standing (or sitting), roll your shoulders forward and back in a circular motion
- Bring your left arm across your chest, holding it below the elbow with your opposite arm. Bring elbow and arm towards chest while keeping the shoulders relaxed away from the ears. Hold this position for 10-30 seconds.
Day 3:
Posture Brace: 30 minutes Exercise of the day: Superman for 30 seconds x2
- Lie face down with arms out straight in front of you, keeping your neck in a neutral position. Raise your arms and gently extend the spine to raise the chest slightly off the floor to a comfortable height, and raise the legs off the ground. The arms and legs should be several inches off the floor. Pause and hold this raised position for a few seconds. Repeat.
- While sitting, place your legs straight out in front of you. Move your arms parallel towards your toes until you can feel tightening or stretching. Hold for 10-30 seconds.
Day 4:
Posture Brace: 45 minutes Exercise of the Day: Seated Twist 1 min
- Sit down on the floor with your knees bent and back straight. Extend your arms in front of you and connect your fingers, keeping in line with your shoulders. Lift your feet off the ground about 6 inches. Rotate your torso and your arms to the right as far as you can, then rotate to the left. Repeat for 1 minute.
- While sitting, place your left arm straight resting on the ground beside you. Reach your right arm over your head, pulling at your side. Repeat for the left side. Hold each for 10-30 seconds.
Day 5:
Posture Brace: 45 minutes Exercise of the Day: Chest Release 1 minute x2
- While standing, place your arms out wide level to your shoulder. Move your arms in a front and back motion.
- Interlock your fingers behind your back. Squeeze together your shoulders and gently move your arms closer to your head as far as you can. Hold for 10-30 seconds.
Day 6:
Posture Brace: 1-hour Exercise of the Day: Side Bends 10 for each side x2
- While standing with your feet shoulder width apart and back straight, bend at the waist to the right as far as possible. Hold for 1 second then come back up to the starting position. Repeat the motion for the left side.
- While standing, turn your foot out slightly and step the left leg forward so your stance is fairly wide. Place your arms behind your back while holding onto your forearms, bend forward and lean with your chest. Bend towards your left leg and tuck your chin towards your chest. Repeat for the right leg.
Day 7:
Posture Brace: 1 hour Exercise of the Day: Wall Sit 1 minute
- Stand about 2 feet away from the wall with your back resting against the wall. Slide your back down the wall until your hips and knees bend at a 90-degree angle. Keep your shoulders, upper back, and head against the wall.
- Start by kneeling down, then drop your buttock towards your heels. Stretch the rest of your body down and forward with your arms out in front. Rest your stomach comfortably on your thighs and head against the floor. Hold this position for 30 seconds-1 minute
Day 8: Rest day!
Day 9:
Posture Brace: 1 hour 30 minutes Exercise of the day: 10 Shoulder Rolls x 4
- While standing (or sitting), roll your shoulders forward and back in a circular motion
- Bring your left arm across your chest, holding it below the elbow with your opposite arm. Bring elbow and arm towards chest while keeping the shoulders relaxed away from the ears. Hold this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Day 10:
Posture brace: 1 hour 30 minutes Exercise of the day: Superman for 30 seconds x4
- Lie face down with arms out straight in front of you, keeping your neck in a neutral position. Raise your arms and gently extend the spine to raise the chest slightly off the floor to a comfortable height, and raise the legs off the ground. The arms and legs should be several inches off the floor. Pause and hold this raised position for a few seconds. Repeat.
Stretch of the day: Spine Stretch
- While sitting, place your legs straight out in front of you. Move your arms parallel towards your toes until you can feel tightening or stretching. Hold for 10-30 seconds.
Day 11:
Posture brace: 1 hour 45 minutes Exercise of the day: Seated Twist 1 minute x2
- Sit down on the floor with your knees bent and back straight. Extend your arms in front of you and connect your fingers, keeping in line with your shoulders. Lift your feet off the ground about 6 inches. Rotate your torso and your arms to the right as far as you can, then rotate to the left. Repeat for 1 minute.
- While sitting, place your left arm straight resting on the ground beside you. Reach your right arm over your head, pulling at your side. Repeat for the left side. Hold each for 10-30 seconds.
Day 12:
Posture brace: 1 hour 45 minutes Exercise of the day: Chest Release 1 min x4
- While standing, place your arms out wide level to your shoulder. Move your arms in a front and back motion.
- Interlock your fingers behind your back. Squeeze together your shoulders and gently move your arms closer to your head as far as you can. Hold for 10-30 seconds.
Day 13:
Posture brace: 2 hours Exercise of the day: Side Bends 10 for each side x4
- While standing with your feet shoulder width apart and back straight, bend at the waist to the right as far as possible. Hold for 1 second then come back up to the starting position. Repeat the motion for the left side.
- While standing, turn your foot out slightly and step the left leg forward so your stance is fairly wide. Place your arms behind your back while holding onto your forearms, bend forward and lean with your chest. Bend towards your left leg and tuck your chin towards your chest. Repeat for the right leg.
Day 14:
Posture brace: 2-hour Exercise of the day: Wall Sit as long as you can go, challenge yourself!
- Stand about 2 feet away from the wall with your back resting against the wall. Slide your back down the wall until your hips and knees bend at a 90-degree angle. Keep your shoulders, upper back, and head against the wall.
- Start by kneeling down, then drop your buttock towards your heels. Stretch the rest of your body down and forward with your arms out in front. Rest your stomach comfortably on your thighs and head against the floor. Hold this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Day 15: Rest day!
Day 16:
Posture brace: 2 hours 30 minutes Exercise of the day: 10 Shoulder Rolls x 6
- While standing (or sitting), roll your shoulders forward and back in a circular motion
- Bring your left arm across your chest, holding it below the elbow with your opposite arm. Bring elbow and arm towards chest while keeping the shoulders relaxed away from the ears. Hold this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Day 17:
Posture brace: 2 hours 30 minutes Exercise of the day: Superman for 1 minute x4
- Lie face down with arms out straight in front of you, keeping your neck in a neutral position. Raise your arms and gently extend the spine to raise the chest slightly off the floor to a comfortable height, and raise the legs off the ground. The arms and legs should be several inches off the floor. Pause and hold this raised position for a few seconds. Repeat.
- While sitting, place your legs straight out in front of you. Move your arms parallel towards your toes until you can feel tightening or stretching. Hold for 10-30 seconds.
Day 18:
Posture brace: 2 hours 45 mins Exercise of the day: Seated Twist 1 minute x3
- Sit down on the floor with your knees bent and back straight. Extend your arms in front of you and connect your fingers, keeping in line with your shoulders. Lift your feet off the ground about 6 inches. Rotate your torso and your arms to the right as far as you can, then rotate to the left. Repeat for 1 minute.
- While sitting, place your left arm straight resting on the ground beside you. Reach your right arm over your head, pulling at your side. Repeat for the left side. Hold each for 10-30 seconds.
Day 19:
Posture brace: 2 hours 45 minutes Exercise of the day: Chest Release 1 min x6
- While standing, place your arms out wide level to your shoulder. Move your arms in a front and back motion.
- Interlock your fingers behind your back. Squeeze together your shoulders and gently move your arms closer to your head as far as you can. Hold for 10-30 seconds.
Day 20:
Posture brace: 3 hours Exercise of the day: Side Bends 10 for each side x6
- While standing with your feet shoulder width apart and back straight, bend at the waist to the right as far as possible. Hold for 1 second then come back up to the starting position. Repeat the motion for the left side.
- While standing, turn your foot out slightly and step the left leg forward so your stance is fairly wide. Place your arms behind your back while holding onto your forearms, bend forward and lean with your chest. Bend towards your left leg and tuck your chin towards your chest. Repeat for the right leg.
Day 21:
Posture brace: 3 hours Exercise of the day: Wall Sit as long as you can go, challenge yourself!
- Stand about 2 feet away from the wall with your back resting against the wall. Slide your back down the wall until your hips and knees bend at a 90-degree angle. Keep your shoulders, upper back, and head against the wall.
- Start by kneeling down, then drop your buttock towards your heels. Stretch the rest of your body down and forward with your arms out in front. Rest your stomach comfortably on your thighs and head against the floor. Hold this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Don’t forget to take an after photo!
