The 7 best and safest stretches specially for pregnant women.

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When it comes to exercising and pregnancy, many women are left conflicted, confused and full of questions.

Is it safe to exercise? What kind of exercise? Is there a certain stage where I should stop?

The answer is yes – but with certain safety measures in mind. Staying active during pregnancy is perfectly safe, healthy and helps you prepare for arguably the hardest race of your life: labour.

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Of course, it all starts (and ends) with stretching. We asked personal trainers and fitness experts to reveal the seven best stretches for pregnant women.

The most important thing to remember is that nothing should feel painful. You want to feel the stretch, but it should be no more than uncomfortable at best. If it’s not, stop immediately.

1. Lower Back Stretch

According to personal trainer and health coach Kristy Curtis, the lower back and in particular the lumbar spine can get very sore during the second and third trimester due to the increased weight at the front of the body. A pelvic rock is an effective stretch that can ease any lower back pain.

How: Sit on an exercise ball with your feet firmly placed on the ground. Sitting up tall with good posture, gently rock your pelvis from side to side to ease any tightness through the hips and back.

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2. Chest Stretch

"The chest muscles will tend to tighten up during pregnancy as a result of hormones and increasing fluid in the breast area," says Curtis.

"To avoid the round-shouldered look and improve your posture, it's important to stretch the pectoral muscles out."

How: Take both arms behind your back and try to lace your fingers together. Look towards the ceiling as you are doing this to relieve any pressure through the neck. Hold for 10 to15 seconds. (Post continues after gallery.)

3. Seated Glute Stretch

"This is a great one to stretch tight glutes and hips," says Genevieve Brock, Fernwood Personal Trainer and Fitness expert.

How: Sitting on a chair in a seated position, keep one leg at a 90 degree angle and cross the other one over. Place one hand over the top of the knee and gently apply pressure onto the knee, pushing it down. Make sure you try and remain upright and focus on easing the bent knee to be level with the supporting knee.

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4. Side Stretch

Curtis says the torso area can cramp a lot as your growing baby pushes up organs and stretches the abdominals out.

How: Lying sideways on a Swiss ball, anchor your feet against a wall and position your torso over the ball to stretch out the side of the body. For an increased stretch, take your bottom hand and grab your top wrist and gently apply some pressure downwards. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds and repeat each side.

5. Hip stretch

"Hip stretches are important to prime a woman for the actual birthing process," explains Brock.

"They also serve to relieve hip flexor tightness that can prevent lower back soreness."

How: In a lunge position with one knee on the floor, lean your body forward to feel the stretch. Keep one arm raised, reaching for the sky and leaning slightly to the side. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds and repeat on the other side.

6. Calf Stretch

"The redistribution of body weight and an altered centre of gravity can leave your whole body out of alignment, and many pregnant women experience aching legs particularly at the end of the day," says Curtis.

How: Stand next to a wall and with one leg, keep your heel on the ground but place the ball of your foot on the wall. Bend the same knee towards the wall to feel a deeper stretch. Hold the stretch for at least 20 seconds and repeat on the other leg.

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7. Feet stretch

"Imagine the additional pressure on your feet when you are carrying around all of the extra blood, fluid and a baby!" says Curtis.

"The feet can suffer from oedema (fluid retention) particularly in the latter stages of your pregnancy.

How: Stretch your feet out by standing in your bare feet on a tennis ball, or stretch your arches out by standing on a foam roller. It should feel like a relaxing reflexology massage. (Post continues after gallery.)

Stretches to avoid

"Most stretches if done gently and modified for pregnancy are fairly safe," says Brock. However, any stretches that cause discomfort should be avoided.

She also recommends staying away from any stretches that require you to touch your toes with your hands, as the positioning squashes the belly and blood will rush to the head.

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"Avoid any stretch where you need to balance during the later months of pregnancy as the centre of gravity becomes compromised and so you could fall," she says.

Curtis advises refraining from doing dynamic yoga poses.

"The hormone 'relaxin' is produced by the body to allow the muscle and ligaments to stretch in preparation for birth," she explains. (What not to do: Post continues after gallery.)

"Due to this hormone it becomes increasingly easier to tear ligaments and muscles by over-stretching. Try to avoid Yoga poses that are dynamic in nature or quite powerful and stick to Hatha Yoga which tends to focus more on breathing," she says.

Curtis also recommends staying away from any stretches that are ballistic (involve bouncing) as they involve forcing a part of the body beyond its range of motion.

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"Also avoid stretches that place any undue pressure on the abdominal wall as this can tear very easily and cause abruptions/bleeding," she says.

"Lastly, avoid PNF (proprioceptive muscular facilitation) which takes a stretch to a certain point and is continually challenged further until mild discomfort is reached."

What exercise do you do? How did you adapt your fitness regime during pregnancy?

If you're pregnant, we recommend consulting your doctor or health professional about the exercises and stretches you're capable of doing.