Effects of a 10-week light-intensity stretching program on arterial stiffness in third-trimester pregnant women: a...

To determine whether a 10-week light-intensity stretching program reduces arterial stiffness and blood pressure (BP) compared with walking in pregnant women with obesity at risk for preeclampsia.

Between 27 and 37 weeks' gestation, pregnant women with obesity (Body Mass Index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2; <24 weeks' gestation) were randomized to daily 30-minute stretching or moderate-intensity walking. Both groups received motivational coaching and adherence monitoring.

Arterial stiffness, assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), and brachial BP were measured at 27, 32, and 37 weeks' gestation and analyzed using linear mixed-effects models adjusted for age, BMI, race/ethnicity, and trait anxiety.

Baseline characteristics were similar between groups (mean age = 31.9 ± 4.9 years; BMI = 36.7 ± 4.9 kg/m²). Fifty-three participants were allocated to stretching and 55 to walking. No significant between-group differences were observed. At 37 weeks, cf-PWV was 0.44 m/s lower in the stretching group (95% CI: -1.06 to 0.18; p = 0.16). Systolic and diastolic BP were 3.6 and 3.0 mmHg lower (95% CI: -7.7 to 0.58; p = 0.09 and 95% CI: -6.32 to 0.34; p = 0.08, respectively) in the stretching group.

Light-intensity stretching produced non-significant reductions in arterial stiffness and BP compared with moderate-intensity walking in pregnant women with obesity. The study enrolled fewer participants than planned, while participant attrition and lower-than-anticipated intervention adherence may have limited the statistical power to detect between-group differences. A larger trial is needed to determine whether stretching produces clinically meaningful reductions in arterial stiffness, BP and preeclampsia incidence.