As pregnancy progresses, especially in the second and third trimesters, it’s common to feel more tightness or discomfort in your low back, hips, and legs. Gentle pregnancy stretches can be a helpful way to release some of that tension and help your body feel a little more at ease.
But which stretches are best during pregnancy? Are there certain stretches you should avoid, like twisting or lying flat on your back? We’ll answer those questions and walk you through a few simple stretches to help relieve tightness in the areas that often need it most.
Read on to learn:
- Why pregnancy can cause tightness in your lower back, hips, and legs
- Four pregnancy stretches that can help release tension
- Whether twisting and back-lying stretches are safe during pregnancy
- The best way to help prevent pregnancy aches and pains
Quick Answer: The best stretches for pregnancy are often the ones that target areas that commonly become tight as the body changes, including the low back, hips, and legs. Gentle stretches such as the Kneeling Hip Flexor & Hamstring Stretch, Kneeling Side Stretch, Side-Lying Windmill, and Seated Figure-4 Stretch can help relieve tension and improve comfort. While stretching can be helpful for symptom relief, strength training is often the most effective strategy for preventing many common pregnancy aches and pains in the first place.
NOTE: This article focuses on stretches that help release pain & tightness. For stretches that help prepare your body for childbirth, check out Pelvic Mobility Exercises to Prepare for Birth.
Why Pregnancy Can Cause Tightness and Pain
Let’s begin with a brief explanation of what causes some of the pain and tightness you might be feeling. Understanding the “why” can help you choose the right stretches and make small adjustments that may help reduce further aches and pains.
The body undergoes significant changes to grow a human in roughly 40 weeks. Two changes, in particular, tend to drive much of the tightness people feel in the low back, hips, and legs: pregnancy weight gain and hormonal changes.
1. Weight Gain and Alignment Shifts
Most of the weight gained during pregnancy is centered in the belly. This added mass shifts your center of gravity up and out, which may lead you to lean backward to counterbalance. As a result, the muscles on the back side of the body, including your neck, back, and hamstrings, have to work harder.
The growing belly can also pull your body out of neutral alignment. Specifically, the belly often tips the pelvis forward, pulling the lumbar spine into extension, or an excessive low back arch, as you see pictured below. This places more pressure on the low back and can contribute to tightness in the hips and hamstrings.
2. Hormonal Changes
While there are a host of hormonal changes during pregnancy, one key change is an increase in the hormone relaxin. Just as the name sounds, relaxin works to relax the joints, ligaments, and connective tissues to allow the body to adapt to carrying a growing baby and to provide increased mobility for birth. However, this increased laxity in your body’s soft tissues can further exacerbate the alignment shifts described above, increasing stress on the low back, hips, and legs.
4 Pregnancy Stretches for Low Back, Hip, and Leg Relief
Now that you understand two of the primary contributors to the pain and tightness you might be feeling, let’s walk through a few pregnancy stretches that can help release tension in your low back, hips, and legs.
For all the stretches below, take slow, deep breaths in each position, focusing on a long exhale to help release tension in the muscles. Spend two or three breaths in each stretch and think about “melting” into the end range. Repeat for 2–4 reps per stretch, or as many as feels good to you.
1. Kneeling Hip Flexor & Hamstring Stretch
The hip flexors and hamstrings often work harder as pregnancy progresses and body weight increases. This kneeling stretch creates a little flow in your end ranges at the hips. This kneeling stretch creates a little flow in your end ranges at the hips. As an added bonus, you may also notice a stretch through the front and back sides of your whole body
2. Kneeling Side Stretch
We tend to neglect the sides of the body, but tightness in this area can cause the lower back to jump in and compensate. Releasing tension through the side body can help reduce some of that added pressure on the lower back.
To get the most out of this stretch, create the longest line possible between your pinky toe and pinky finger. You can also play with the angle by turning your chest slightly toward the ceiling, then slightly toward the ground, to feel the stretch in different areas.
3. Side-Lying Windmill
This stretch helps release tension in your mid-back, which often has to work harder during pregnancy to help counterbalance the increased load you’re carrying in front.
After extending your arm fully to the opposite side, pause and take a few slow, deep breaths before bringing your arm back to the starting position.
4. Seated Figure-4 Stretch
This simple seated stretch is a deceptively effective way to open up the hip rotators, the muscles on the outside of your hips that work overtime during pregnancy, especially during single-leg activities like walking, climbing stairs, or getting up from the ground.
To get the most out of it, keep your spine neutral as you move forward. You likely only need to move a few inches to feel the stretch.
NOTE: If you are experiencing symptoms of pelvic girdle pain, such as SI joint pain or SPD, do not perform this stretch because this type of deep, single-leg stretch could aggravate pain. See the articles on SI Joint Pain and Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) for exercises and other tips to help prevent and address these different forms of pelvic pain.
Are Twisting and Back-Lying Stretches Safe During Pregnancy?
After seeing the stretches above, you might be wondering: Is it safe to twist or bend during pregnancy? Is it safe to lie on your back?
When it comes to stretching, the short answer is yes, provided you feel comfortable.
For twisting and bending, the key distinction is between loaded and unloaded movement. Once you develop a belly, it’s best to avoid loaded movements (strengthening exercises) that involve twisting or spinal flexion or extension. However, unloaded movements (stretches) are perfectly fine. For more information, see Core Exercises to Avoid During Pregnancy and Is Twisting Safe During Pregnancy?
For lying flat on your back, research has shown that short periods in the supine (back-lying) position are safe throughout pregnancy, provided you are comfortable. For more information on this topic, including what the research shows for shorter and longer durations in the supine position, see Can You Lie Flat On Your Back During Pregnancy?
The Best Way to Prevent Aches & Pains During Pregnancy
Stretching can be a helpful way to release tension when you’re already feeling tight. But when it comes to preventing many common pregnancy aches, pains, and injuries in the first place, one strategy can be even more effective: strength training.
Developing a stronger body can make it easier to carry the added body weight of pregnancy, mitigate the alignment shifts that can contribute to stiffness, and increase stability to help counteract the effects of relaxin. It’s simple. The stronger you are, the more prepared your body is to withstand the increased stresses that come with the physical and physiological changes of pregnancy.
To read more about the research-backed benefits of strength training, and learn 4 strategies for safe & effective strength training, see Your Guide to Strength Training During Pregnancy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stretching During Pregnancy
Is it safe to stretch during pregnancy?
Yes. Gentle stretching can be a helpful way to release tension and tightness during pregnancy. When stretching, go only to where you feel a natural stopping point. Do not push further, as the body tends to have increased mobility during pregnancy due to hormonal changes, and we want to avoid creating too much of a disparity between mobility and stability. Take slow, deep breaths in each stretch, focusing on a long exhale to help release tension in the muscles.
What are the best stretches during pregnancy?
The best stretches during pregnancy are often the ones that target areas that commonly become tight as the body changes, including the low back, hips, and legs. This article highlights four options: the Kneeling Hip Flexor & Hamstring Stretch, Kneeling Side Stretch, Side-Lying Windmill, and Seated Figure-4 Stretch.
Is it safe to twist while stretching during pregnancy?
Yes. Unloaded twisting movements, such as stretches, are safe during pregnancy. The primary concern is loaded twisting during strengthening exercises once you develop a belly. For more information, see Is Twisting Safe During Pregnancy?
Is it safe to lie on your back for stretches during pregnancy?
Research has shown that short periods lying on your back are safe throughout pregnancy, provided you are comfortable. If you want a deeper dive into the research, see Can You Lie Flat On Your Back During Pregnancy?
Will stretching prevent pregnancy aches and pains?
Stretching can help relieve tension and tightness, but strength training is often the more effective strategy for preventing many common pregnancy aches, pains, and injuries in the first place.