Pregnancy Relief

Stretches For A Comfortable Pregnancy

If you just found out you are expecting, congratulations! The sequence of stretches below will help you have a comfortable pregnancy throughout each trimester. Once you have delivered, move on to the Post-Pregnancy Restoration. Click on each arrow to reveal pictures and instructions.

DISCLAIMER:

1. These stretches are not designed to be medical advice. First consult a medical professional to ensure you don’t have an issue that requires medical attention.

2. If any of the stretches cause pain, stop doing it and move on to the next one.

1. Do the stretches at least once daily during the trimester that pertains to yours. If any stretch causes discomfort, skip that stretch for now and reintroduce it later. 

2. Once you have delivered your baby, start into the Post-Pregnancy Restoration.

If In 1st Trimester, Do These - Takes 11 Mins

HOW: ARMS BENT 90 DEGREES IN A STICK’EM UP POSITION. FEET PIGEON-TOED. USE PILLOWS OR WALLS TO EVENLY PRESS THE ARMS BACKWARD SO THE SHOULDER BLADES COME CLOSER TOGETHER. RELAX IN THIS POSITION.

HOW: ARMS BENT 90 DEGREES IN A STICK’EM UP POSITION. USE PILLOWS TO EVENLY PRESS THE ARMS BACKWARD SO THE SHOULDER BLADES COME CLOSER TOGETHER. RELAX IN THIS POSITION. NOW SQUEEZE ANKLES.

HOW: ARMS BENT 90 DEGREES IN A STICK’EM UP POSITION. FEET PIGEON-TOED. USE PILLOWS TO EVENLY PRESS THE ARMS BACKWARD SO THE SHOULDER BLADES COME CLOSER TOGETHER. RELAX IN THIS POSITION. NOW BEND THE KNEES TO BRING BOTH HEELS TOWARD THE BUTT AND THEN STRAIGHTEN. THEN REPEAT.

HOW: STAND WITH HEELS, BUTT, SHOULDERS, HEAD & ELBOWS AGAINST WALL. PLACE ONE FOOT ON CHAIR WITH KNEE BENT. KNEE LINED UP OVER BIG TOE.

HOW: WHILE STANDING TALL WITH ROLLED TOWELS BEHIND YOUR NECK AND LOWER BACK. REST HEELS, BUTT, SHOULDERS, HEAD AND ELBOWS AGAINST THE WALL.

HOW: WHILE STANDING TALL WITH ROLLED TOWELS BEHIND YOUR NECK AND LOWER BACK. REST HEELS, BUTT, SHOULDERS, HEAD AND ELBOWS AGAINST THE WALL. NOW SQUEEZE YOUR BUTTOCKS TOGETHER FOR A 2-SECOND HOLD. THEN RELAX AND REPEAT.

HOW: WHILE STANDING TALL WITH ROLLED TOWELS BEHIND YOUR NECK AND LOWER BACK. REST HEELS, BUTT, SHOULDERS, HEAD AND ELBOWS AGAINST THE WALL. NOW SQUEEZE YOUR SHOULDER BLADES TOGETHER FOR A 2-SECOND HOLD. THEN RELAX AND REPEAT.

HOW: WHILE STANDING TALL WITH ROLLED TOWELS BEHIND YOUR NECK AND LOWER BACK. REST HEELS, BUTT, SHOULDERS, HEAD AND ELBOWS AGAINST THE WALL. NOW SQUEEZE YOUR KNEES TOGETHER FOR A 2-SECOND HOLD. THEN RELAX AND REPEAT.

HOW: LIE ON YOUR BACK, WITH ROLLED TOWELS UNDER NECK AND LOWER BACK. ONE LEG BENT 90 DEGREES RESTING ON CHAIR OR PILLOWS. OTHER LEG IS STRAIGHT. BOTH FEET MUST POINT TO THE SKY. PROP FEET UP IF NEEDS BE. RELAX IN POSITION.  

*STRETCH IS COMPLETE WHEN YOU CAN PRESS STRAIGHT LEG KNEE DOWNWARD AND FEEL CONTRACTION AT THE TOP OF YOUR THIGH RATHER THAN AT THE BOTTOM OF THIGH. THEN SWITCH LEGS.



HOW: LIE ON YOUR BACK WITH ROLLED TOWELS UNDER YOUR NECK AND LOWER BACK. NOW TOUCH YOUR KNEES WHILE WALKING YOUR FEET APART. HOLD POSITION. THEN REVERSE TO TOUCH BOTTOM OF FEET TOGETHER WHILE KNEES FALL AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.

 

HOW: TOUCH YOUR KNEES WHILE WALKING YOUR FEET APART. HOLD POSITION. THEN REVERSE TO TOUCH BOTTOM OF FEET TOGETHER WHILE KNEES FALL AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.

HOW: CIRCLE FOOT CLOCKWISE. THEN CIRCLE FOOT COUNTERCLOCKWISE. KEEP KNEE STILL SO MOVEMENT COMES FROM ANKLE. REPEAT ON OTHER LEG. THEN FLEX FOOT UP AND DOWN.

HOW: LIE ON YOUR BACK, KNEES BENT. ONE TOE IS TOUCHING THE GROUND. THE OTHER KNEE IS HALF RAISED TO YOUR CHEST. HOLD THIS POSITION AS YOU NOW RAISE YOUR SHOULDERS OFF THE GROUND TO FLEX YOUR ABDOMINAL MUSCLES. THEN RETURN TO START HIP FLEX POSITION.

HOW: GET ON ALL FOURS. KNEES HIP WIDTH APART. WHILE KEEPING ARMS STRAIGHT, DIP BELLY, DROP HEAD AND SQUEEZE SHOULDER BLADES TOGETHER. LEAN WEIGHT INTO YOUR HANDS. HOLD POSITION.

HOW: HANDS ON BED OR STAIRS. RAISE ONE FOOT TO STEP NEXT TO HAND. THEN RETURN FOOT TO GROUND AND REPEAT STEP WITH OTHER FOOT.

If In 2nd Trimester, Do These - Takes 7 Mins

HOW: LIE ON BACK, BOTH LEGS BENT 90 DEGREES ON CHAIR OR PILLOWS. ARMS REST WITH PALMS UP. RELAX AS HOLD POSITION. FOCUS ON BREATHING.

HOW: LIE ON BACK, BOTH LEGS BENT 90 DEGREES ON CHAIR OR PILLOWS. ARMS REST WITH PALMS UP. RELAX AS HOLD POSITION. FOCUS ON BREATHING. NOW CLASP HANDS AND LOWER STRAIGHT ARMS OVERHEAD TO PRESS STRONG INTO THE FLOOR.

HOW: ON ALL FOURS, ARCH YOUR MIDDLE BACK UP AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE WHILE DROPPING HEAD TO LOOK AT KNEES. THEN REVERSE TO DIP BELLY TO THE GROUND WHILE RAISING HEAD TO LOOK AT THE SKY. REPEAT.

HOW: GET ON ALL FOURS. KNEES HIP WIDTH APART. WHILE KEEPING ARMS STRAIGHT, DIP BELLY, DROP HEAD AND SQUEEZE SHOULDER BLADES TOGETHER. LEAN WEIGHT INTO YOUR HANDS. HOLD POSITION.

HOW: FROM YOUR HANDS AND KNEES, PUSH UPWARD TO LIFT BUTT AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE BY STRAIGHTENING BOTH KNEES AND SHOULDERS. FOCUS ON HINGING HIPS AND FLATTENING HEELS ON THE GROUND. HOLD POSITION.

*HERE IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF DOWNWARD DOG ON THE FLOOR RATHER THAN ON A BED:

HOW: WITH STRAIGHT ARMS, HINGE AT YOUR HIPS, PRESSING BELLY TOWARD THE GROUND SO AS TO CREATE A TABLETOP WITH YOUR BACK. NOW WITH VARIOUS FOOT POSITIONS, FIRST PIGEON-TOED, HOLD POSITION. THEN DUCK-TOED. THEN FEET LINED UP.

HOW: WHILE STANDING TALL WITH ROLLED TOWELS BEHIND YOUR NECK AND LOWER BACK. REST HEELS, BUTT, SHOULDERS, HEAD AND ELBOWS AGAINST THE WALL.

HOW: WHILE STANDING TALL WITH ROLLED TOWELS BEHIND YOUR NECK AND LOWER BACK. REST HEELS, BUTT, SHOULDERS, HEAD AND ELBOWS AGAINST THE WALL. NOW SQUEEZE YOUR SHOULDER BLADES TOGETHER FOR A 2-SECOND HOLD. THEN RELAX AND REPEAT.

HOW: WHILE STANDING TALL WITH ROLLED TOWELS BEHIND YOUR NECK AND LOWER BACK. REST HEELS, BUTT, SHOULDERS, HEAD AND ELBOWS AGAINST THE WALL. NOW SQUEEZE YOUR BUTTOCKS TOGETHER FOR A 2-SECOND HOLD. THEN RELAX AND REPEAT.

HOW: FIRST PRESS YOUR KNEES TOGETHER. THEN DO OPPOSITE BY WRAPPING A TOWEL AROUND THE UPPER LEGS TO PRESS KNEES OUTWARD.

HOW: FEET TOGETHER. SHOULDERS BACK. ARMS RAISED OUT TO SIDE. KNUCKLES PULLED BACK. THUMBS POINT FORWARD. CIRCLE ARMS UP AND OVER FORWARD. THEN TURN THUMBS TO POINT BACKWARD AND REVERSE TO CIRCLE ARMS UP AND OVER BACKWARD.

If In 3rd Trimester, Do These - Takes 4 Mins

HOW: EVENLY SQUEEZE THE KNEES TOGETHER, THEN RELEASE. KEEP FEET PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND DON’T LET STOMACH OR UPPER BACK PARTICIPATE.

HOW: WHILE STANDING TALL WITH ROLLED TOWELS BEHIND YOUR NECK AND LOWER BACK. REST HEELS, BUTT, SHOULDERS, HEAD AND ELBOWS AGAINST THE WALL.

HOW: WHILE STANDING TALL WITH ROLLED TOWELS BEHIND YOUR NECK AND LOWER BACK. REST HEELS, BUTT, SHOULDERS, HEAD AND ELBOWS AGAINST THE WALL. NOW SQUEEZE YOUR BUTTOCKS TOGETHER FOR A 2-SECOND HOLD. THEN RELAX AND REPEAT.

HOW: WHILE STANDING TALL WITH ROLLED TOWELS BEHIND YOUR NECK AND LOWER BACK. REST HEELS, BUTT, SHOULDERS, HEAD AND ELBOWS AGAINST THE WALL. NOW SQUEEZE YOUR SHOULDER BLADES TOGETHER FOR A 2-SECOND HOLD. THEN RELAX AND REPEAT.

HOW: WHILE STANDING TALL WITH ROLLED TOWELS BEHIND YOUR NECK AND LOWER BACK. REST HEELS, BUTT, SHOULDERS, HEAD AND ELBOWS AGAINST THE WALL. NOW SQUEEZE YOUR KNEES TOGETHER FOR A 2-SECOND HOLD. THEN RELAX AND REPEAT.

HOW: GET ON ALL FOURS. KNEES HIP WIDTH APART. WHILE KEEPING ARMS STRAIGHT, DIP BELLY, DROP HEAD AND SQUEEZE SHOULDER BLADES TOGETHER. LEAN WEIGHT INTO YOUR HANDS. HOLD POSITION.

HOW: ON ALL FOURS, ARCH YOUR MIDDLE BACK UP AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE WHILE DROPPING HEAD TO LOOK AT KNEES. THEN REVERSE TO DIP BELLY TO THE GROUND WHILE RAISING HEAD TO LOOK AT THE SKY. REPEAT.

HOW: EVENLY SQUEEZE THE KNEES TOGETHER, THEN RELEASE. KEEP FEET PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND DON’T LET STOMACH OR UPPER BACK PARTICIPATE.

HOW: HOLD ON TO WALL OR COUNTER AS YOU RAISE YOUR HEELS OFF THE GROUND USING THREE ANGLES. FIRST, TOES POINT FORWARD. THEN TOES POINT INWARD. THEN POINT TOES OUTWARD.

Congratulations!

If you have delivered your baby, start into the Post-Pregnancy Restoration phase for a speedier bounce-back.