THE IMPORTANCE OF stretching DURING PREGNANCY

Your body is going through some amazing changes while you are pregnant.

Your centre of gravity will shift as your little bump gets bigger to accommodate that growing bub.

This means you are probably feeling the effects of this postural shift with tight shoulders, achy lower back, hips and everything in between.

Stretching during your pregnancy can help relieve muscle pain and tightness caused by your changing body and maintain your freedom of movement, helping to prevent muscle injury and tightness such as headaches of sciatic pain.

There are many benefits of stretching while you wait for your baby to arrive. Stretching during your pregnancy will help you relax and feel calm.

When you stretch, you relieve physical and mental tension, counterbalance the biochemical effects pregnancy can have on your body and help relieve some of that emotional stress as well.

Taking a few moments a day to stretch and focus on your breathing can also help to lower your heart rate, allowing you to relax, and help with blood pressure levels.

If that doesn’t sound like a good enough reason to start stretching during your pregnancy already, the benefits it can have to help you physically feel better definitely will.

A daily stretching routine helps increase blood flow to aching and tight muscles, helping to flush out any unwanted toxin build up.

You might be feeling stiff through the neck and shoulders from sleeping in a different position than usual, or a tired lower back from your growing bump.

Adding a couple of different stretches into your day to target these areas will make a huge difference in how you are feeling.

Of course, as you continue on throughout your pregnancy, certain stretches should be avoided or changed to accommodate, so make sure you’re getting a proper stretching routine by a qualified therapist.

So, give yourself that much-needed five minutes of daily stretching to really help you and your baby throughout your amazing journey. You still need time for you!

Shannon Driscoll is a remedial massage therapist at The Health Creation Centre in Ocean Grove.