Ten-minute stretches for an achy pregnant body

Stiff after a night's sleep, tight after a long day at the desk, achy after standing at the cooker: pregnancy can leave your body feeling stretched in all the wrong ways. A few minutes of gentle stretching can ease tension, improve your posture and give you a quiet moment to breathe. Here is a simple ten-minute routine you can do at home.

Before you start

• Check with your midwife or doctor if you have a health condition, pelvic girdle pain or have been advised to rest.
• Move slowly and gently. Pregnancy hormones loosen your joints, so it is easy to overstretch. Aim for a mild, comfortable stretch, never pain.
• Breathe steadily throughout. Do not hold your breath.
• Have a chair or wall nearby for balance.
• After about 16 weeks, avoid lying flat on your back for long periods. Use the positions below instead.

The routine

1. Shoulder rolls (1 minute)

Sit or stand tall. Slowly roll your shoulders up, back and down, about ten times. Then reverse the direction. Lovely after time at a desk or carrying shopping.

2. Gentle neck stretch (1 minute)

Sitting tall, slowly lower your right ear towards your right shoulder until you feel a gentle stretch. Hold for a few breaths, then switch sides. Do not force it.

3. Side stretch (1 minute)

Sit on a chair with your feet flat. Raise your right arm and gently lean to the left, feeling a stretch along your right side. Hold for a few breaths, then switch sides. This can create a little more space when your ribs feel squashed.

4. Cat and cow (2 minutes)

Come onto your hands and knees, hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Breathe in and let your back gently dip, lifting your head a little. Breathe out and round your back up towards the ceiling, tucking your chin. Move slowly between the two, about eight to ten times. This is a favourite for easing lower back ache.

5. Pelvic tilts against a wall (1 minute)

Stand with your back against a wall, feet a little away from it and knees soft. Gently flatten the small of your back towards the wall by tilting your pelvis, hold for a few seconds, then release. Repeat about ten times.

6. Seated hip stretch (1 minute)

Sit on a chair and rest your right ankle on your left knee, if this is comfortable. Sit tall and lean forward slightly until you feel a stretch in your right hip. Hold for a few breaths, then switch. Skip this one if you have pelvic girdle pain.

7. Calf stretch (1 minute)

Stand facing a wall with your hands on it. Step your right foot back, keeping the heel down and leg straight, and bend your front knee until you feel a stretch in your right calf. Hold for a few breaths, then switch. Doing this before bed may help with night-time leg cramps.

8. Ankle circles (1 minute)

Sitting down, lift one foot slightly and slowly circle your ankle several times each way. Switch feet. This helps circulation and may ease swelling.

9. Quiet breathing (1 minute)

Sit comfortably or lie on your side with a pillow between your knees. Place one hand on your bump. Breathe in slowly through your nose and out through your mouth, letting your shoulders soften. This is a good moment to pray.

If you have pelvic girdle pain

Avoid stretches that take your legs wide apart or put weight on one leg, and stop anything that increases pain. Ask your midwife or doctor for a referral to a pregnancy physiotherapist, who can suggest movements that suit you.

Stop and call your midwife or doctor if

• You feel sharp or increasing pain.
• You have vaginal bleeding or fluid leaking.
• You feel dizzy, faint or short of breath.
• You notice calf pain with swelling or redness.
• You have regular tightenings, or your baby is moving less than usual.

Girded with strength

“It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect” (Psalm 18:32). Stretching is a gentle reminder that your strength is not only in your muscles. As you breathe and release the tension of the day, you can also release your worries into His hands. He holds you together when your body feels pulled in every direction.

A prayer as I stretch

Lord, ease the aches in my body and the tension in my mind. Thank You for strength that comes from You. As I breathe slowly, help me let go of what I cannot carry and rest in Your care for me and my baby. Amen.