When you’re pregnant, there’s a lot to do to get ready for your little one. From painting the nursery to finding the perfect car seat to everything in between, preparing for baby gives you very little time to prepare your own body. However, exercising during pregnancy is an important part of a healthy delivery.
Today, our ATI Women’s Health team brings you simple stretches expecting moms can do to prepare for delivery and help ease the aches that come along with pregnancy. The team suggests you perform these exercises once or twice per day.
Ankle Pumps: Slowly bring your foot up toward the ceiling and then down toward the floor
Purpose: Helps improve circulation and decrease swelling in lower leg which can occur during pregnancy
Ankle Circles: Slowly circle your foot in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction
Purpose: Helps improve circulation and decrease swelling in lower leg which can occur during pregnancy
Knee Extensions: Slowly straighten one knee out in front of you, hold for 1-2 seconds then lower your leg back to starting position
Purpose: strengthens quadriceps muscle group. Strong leg muscles make it easier to walk, stand up from a chair, and compensate for posture changes during pregnancy.
Thoracic Extension: Sitting with ball behind back — place small ball in the middle of your spine, between your shoulder blades. Lean back over the ball while keeping the neck supported with your hands.
Purpose: This is a good stretch for your mid-back, an area that may stiffen up during pregnancy due to posture changes/increased breast weight/having to reach farther for things in front of you.
Lumbar Extension: Sitting with ball behind back — place small ball behind your waist. Lean back over the ball while keeping the neck supported with your hands.
Purpose: This is a good stretch for your lower back, an area that may stiffen up during pregnancy due to posture and center of gravity changes.
Lumbar flexion/extension: Start with your hands and knees on the floor. Keep your elbows straight and your hands placed directly in line with your shoulders. Knees should be hip width apart. Start with your spine in a straight position. Tuck your head down while lifting the middle of your back up. Return to starting position. Then lift your head up and let your back arch. Return to starting position.
Purpose: Changes in a pregnant woman’s posture and movement can affect normal mobility of the spine. This flexion and extension stretch helps maintain spinal flexibility during pregnancy which can help decrease back pain.
Calf stretch: Keep one knee bent in front of you. Straighten other knee while keeping your heel flat on the floor. Lean forward until you feel a gentle stretch behind your knee and calf.
Purpose: Improves flexibility of lower leg muscles and can help decrease muscle “cramps” or “Charlie horses”.
Wrist flexion/extension: Gently bend wrist back/up and then forward/down
Purpose: Wrist movement helps decrease swelling in the wrist and hand which can contribute to symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy.
Kegel Exercise: Tighten/pull in the muscles that sit around the vagina and anus. It should feel like you are squeezing muscles inside the pelvis and trying to hold in urine or gas. It is incorrect if you feel any movement in your buttocks, legs, or back. If you are not sure how to do this correctly ask a physical therapist that specializes in women’s health.
Purpose: Kegel exercises strengthen your pelvic floor muscles which are important during pregnancy and delivery. The pelvic floor provides muscular support for your pelvic joints, spine, and pelvic organs (bladder, bowel, uterus). These muscles help you maintain normal bladder, bowel, and sexual function and help during the delivery process.