What To Stretch When You’re Expecting
by Andrea Jervinis, ATC
Pregnancy. At the end, you hold a beautiful new baby in your arms. But the 40 weeks prior to that day, you and your body are going through a lot of changes – physically, hormonally, and physiologically. And while those changes are occurring, you are still trying to go through your day-to-day.
As an industrial athlete, that requires using your body to perform job tasks, which may become a little more difficult as your body grows and aches and pains are likely to occur. Let us help you be PREPARED for your work day!
These stretches are for all stages of pregnancy
(Hold for at least 20 seconds and do on both sides)
Physical changes that happen during the course of pregnancy lead to both the lengthening and shortening of muscles as the uterus grows and the center of gravity shifts forward. Stretching has many benefits during pregnancy including increased flexibility, reduced stress, reduced back pain, and reduced risk of hypertension.
While stretching is an easy thing to incorporate into your daily routine with great benefits, always be sure to check with your OB-GYN if it is safe for you to do and follow any work or activity restrictions. Also keep in mind, your joints may seem a little more flexible than before you were pregnant. That is because pregnancy hormones relax the ligaments supporting the joints, which increases the risk of injury. Be conscious of this as you perform any physical activity.
Andrea is a Reno, NV-based athletic trainer for Work Right NW. On top of working as an ATC in the collegiate, clinic, and industry settings, she also has experience as a Sports Information Director, Social Media Manager and Website Content Planner. She has great insight into the nuances of pregnancy as a full time working mother to two rambunctious girls.
Be sure to check out our other blogs for further injury prevention education and tips from Work Right NW!