Top 5 Pregnancy Stretches to Relieve Pain

For some women, pregnancy is very easy and they happily carry their baby to full term without any major discomforts. On the other hand, some women may face lots of complications and this natural process may be highly taxing for them.

The human body is very sensitive to pain during pregnancy; the body is constantly changing, which cause discomfort at some points along the way. There are some problems during early weeks, while the rest usually occurs when it gets closer to delivery. This is normal and doesn’t mean that something is wrong. Each and every woman’s pregnancy is unique in its own way. Discomfort and pain can be controlled to a significant level by a few easy stretches. The muscles targeted in these exercises are the ones that are majorly affected by pregnancy. These are chest, calf, lower and upper back, hips, etc. that are addressed. In order to take advantage of these stretches to the highest degree, you should stretch these muscles in mild tension for almost 8-10 seconds. Each stretch must be repeated three times.

Stretch # 1 – The Total Back Stretch

Stretching the back is one of the easiest stretches that can help a pregnant woman. In this stretch, you must stand an arm distance from a pole or door jamb. Your hands need to be placed on the either side and your feet should be kept a little wider while keeping the knees relaxed. Your knees must be bent slowly and your chin must be dropped to the chest while tilting your tailbone, stretching the back fully. It relieves the stress in neck, back and shoulders.

Stretch # 2 – The Side Stretch

The side stretch is another stretch that can help a pregnant woman. While standing to the right of a pole or a door jamb, cross your right foot over the left. Your abdominals must be contracted and your body must be pulled away from the door jamb. This stretch helps in relieving tension in the arms lower back and shoulders.
Stretch # 3 – The Chest Stretch
You can stand in between two walls in a lunge position with left foot in the front of the right foot separated apart. Your forearms and hands can be placed on the walls at chest height with slightly bending elbows. Breath slowly while contracting upper back muscles can help in stretching the upper and middle chest. It helps in relieving neck and shoulder tension to a considerable extent.

Stretch # 4 – The Standing Calf Stretch

With your toe pointed forward, you must face a wall and keep hips and shoulders square. The forearms and hands can be placed on the wall. The left knee must be bent while pressing hips forward. This position must be held for a time and then released. It stretches calves and prevents cramps in foot and leg.

Stretch # 5 – The Seated Hamstring Stretch

The hamstring stretch is another exercise that can help a pregnant woman relieve muscle tension. In this stretch, you need to sit on the floor with right leg in front and left leg bent. While sitting on the floor, square your hips while bringing the sole of your foot towards your groin. A towel can be placed beneath your right heel to help the stretch. This helps in stretching hamstrings and avoids any pain in the lower back.