Early Post Natal Programming

This course focuses on fitness professional training tools to utilise when working with postnatal clients returning to training after the birth of their baby. It covers ways to introduce postnatal women back into training, taking into consideration the individual time taken for post natal healing, restoring of strength and tone in the abdominal wall and the pelvic floor, and regaining of pelvic stability following pregnancy and birth. 

This course is suitable for fitness instructors who are:

• Providing personal training to women 
• Providing group fitness programs where modifications can be provided to the client.
• Teaching boot camps or circuit classes
• Providing training to postnatal clients

• Understand how hormonal changes of pregnancy impact the abdominal wall, the pelvis and the pelvic floor and how this affect postnatal recovery 
• Learn how to assess postnatal posture and program to improve posture in your early postnatal client
• Explore the roles and function of the abdominal muscle wall for core stability
• Understand the role of the pelvic floor and it’s interaction with the core and abdominal wall 
• Learn how pregnancy and birth can impact the pelvic floor in relation to continence and pelvic organ support 
• Understand the effect of pregnancy and childbirth on the pelvic floor and the potential longer term effects
• Learn about planning early progressions of exercise for postnatal clients who will be rebuilding their core control
• Understand how to teach clients postnatal abdominal bracing in a range of positions and correct their technique for core stability
• Explore progressions of how to modify training to match the client’s level of core control and pelvic floor fitness 
• Explore the factors that can influence the degree of rectus abdominus diastasis (RAD) 
• Understand how to assess a postnatal client for an abdominal muscle separation and prescribe exercises to improve abdominal muscle wall function for core stability
• Learn about screening for and identifying risk factors and when to refer a client to a Women’s, Men’s and Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, Medical Practitioner or Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist.

All attendees should hold at least a Certificate III in Fitness or equivalent.

CEC Expiry Date: 31/08/2025. Lifetime access to course content. In order to obtain AusActive CECs, this course must be completed by the CEC Expiry Date.