Pregnancy Stretches

Happy Wednesday! I've decided to do a post today about one of the few difficulties I've had during my first pregnancy: flexibility. I was a gymnast for many many years and it built a really good foundation of flexibility so for the rest of my life in any sport or activity I participated in, I seemed naturally as flexible as can be. During my pregnancy however, I seem to have lost a great amount of flexibility. I know this is simply due to all of the changes my body is going through and the fact that my range of motion has cut down considerably, but being flexible is actually very healthy for you! I've decided to begin stretching every day again and even mix in a few beginners yoga poses to regain some of my flexibility. 

Why yoga/stretching is important during your pregnancy: Your entire body is stretching, relocating things, adding weight, and becoming an almost entirely different body within the span of a few months. Retaining your flexibility and even gaining some helps with these transitions and eases pain. Even your spine adjusts during pregnancy, this makes certain muscles tighter than usual so it's important to properly stretch your back/neck to reduce back pain.

Benefits to flexibility while you're pregnant: Stretching not only improves you physically, but it can give you a boost mentally as well; stretching can relieve the stress that inevitably comes during pregnancy because of emotions running high. It also relieves pain and muscle tension (no-brainer).  There are a million more reasons to stretch that I could list, but it's also a good, easy question to ask your doctor.

Make sure if you plan to do yoga during pregnancy you are participating in a strictly pregnancy-geared yoga class, or know which poses to avoid. There are stretches that can pose a threat to your body during this time. 

A few good stretches:

1. Some of the most pain I've been having is in my lower back. This is normal and can be reduced with a "butterfly" stretch. Honestly I don't know if this is the real term for this stretch, it's just what I was taught to call it during gymnastics. This stretch feels amazing and DOES immediately reduce tension. The bottom-most photo is the butterfly stretch.

2. I spoke with my doctor before writing this post as to not mislead anyone and to make sure I understood some basic things before posting about them, and she gave me this stretch to include because it does the greatest good for the greatest amount of mommies. It's an outer hip stretch. I was having a pinching feeling in my back for the longest time and if I were to sit down and watch Netflix or something for any period of time I'd make sure to do this stretch and it has helped a ton! To do the stretch, sit in a chair that allows your knees to rest at approximately ninety degrees. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee and lightly press down on the knee belonging to that leg....if that makes sense. Here's a little example:

Lastly, the pigeon. This is the stretch in the two photos towards the top. I don't know about you but this stretch was so intense for me. It's the most difficult for me to do out of the three but it's super beneficial. Pregnancy is not the time to push your body too far so after a light work out definitely attempt this stretch, but don't be discouraged if you don't complete it or get as low to the ground as you had wished. Ideally, your back should be vertical and you should pull the heel of your straightened leg towards your booty, but the position I'm in in the photo stretched me quite enough.

I also wanted to include some exercises I've focused on during pregnancy due to the way I've noticed my body changing. First off, I've never had love handles of any sort. I sure do now 😂  so the first exercise I've been doing a lot is standing side leg raises. You literally just repeatedly lift your leg to the side like the little diagram. It seriously burns. Another exercise for love handles is holding a LIGHT weight above your head and slowly ticking like a clock from one side to the other. 

Side leg raises
An easy exercise for expecting mommies to keep their nice booty is donkey kicks. If you worked out a good amount prior to pregnancy and you feel comfortable, you can add light ankle weights to this exercise. Lastly, squats are GREAT for pregnant women. Not for the purpose of maxing out or anything. Just casual, lightweight squats. Squats strengthen your pelvic floor, help with your endurance during labor, help position baby, and help prevent pelvic pain.

*Remember to always listen to your body. While it is very important to stretch and exercise during your pregnancy, it is more important to protect yourself and your little one. If you're feeling any pains while stretching or exercising, definitely stop doing that task, take not of the pain and exercise, and speak with your doctor about it. *

I wish all expecting mommies a healthy and successful pregnancy!

Photo credits to my wonderful husband who is definitely going to be a pro at it soon🙈

leggings - tennis shoes (similar) - athletic top - sport bra - mat 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

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