Answers (7)
1
Hey, Alex! Good for you for finding a population that needs your expertise. Pregnant women are just like anyone else- if you get a release from their doctor you should be covered as far as insurance goes. You can verify this directly with your insurance agent if it is a major concern for you. The client's doctor should mention any exercises that are contraindicated. Joanne is right in saying that most personal training certs encourage working with prenatal and postnatal women. I'm not familiar with the materials provided by AAPT but they may include pre- & postnatal exercise considerations under a topic like "special populations".
While working with these women keep in mind a few things: 1) The hormonal changes make it easier for pregnant women to over-stretch and/or develop a joint injury. Proper alignment in all exercises is key & they should not attempt to improve flexibility but rather try to maintain mobility. These joint laxicity issues can continue for up to 12 months after the birth of their child! 2) The increase in blood volume during pregnancy can lead to fluctuations in blood pressure, especially during transitions (stand to sit, sit to stand, getting off of the floor, etc.) and sometimes causes lightheadedness or dizziness. Bottom line: go slow. 3) After the first trimester, most professionals agree that supine & inverted body positions are a no-no due to the pressure of the child against the woman's aorta. Err on the side of caution if you're not sure if it's appropriate. 4) Pregnancy is not the time for maximal lifts or maximal heartrates! Regulations for a pregnant woman's safe exercising heartrate are lower than the average individual.
There are, of course, other things to consider when training the prenatal woman. If you'd like more info check out the following links-
http://www.acefitness.org/blog/2139/are-you-equipped-to-coach-the-6-000-...
http://www.acefitness.org/blog/60/i-recently-found-out-that-i-m-pregnant...
Good luck & it's nice to hear from a fellow Massachusetts trainer!
While working with these women keep in mind a few things: 1) The hormonal changes make it easier for pregnant women to over-stretch and/or develop a joint injury. Proper alignment in all exercises is key & they should not attempt to improve flexibility but rather try to maintain mobility. These joint laxicity issues can continue for up to 12 months after the birth of their child! 2) The increase in blood volume during pregnancy can lead to fluctuations in blood pressure, especially during transitions (stand to sit, sit to stand, getting off of the floor, etc.) and sometimes causes lightheadedness or dizziness. Bottom line: go slow. 3) After the first trimester, most professionals agree that supine & inverted body positions are a no-no due to the pressure of the child against the woman's aorta. Err on the side of caution if you're not sure if it's appropriate. 4) Pregnancy is not the time for maximal lifts or maximal heartrates! Regulations for a pregnant woman's safe exercising heartrate are lower than the average individual.
There are, of course, other things to consider when training the prenatal woman. If you'd like more info check out the following links-
http://www.acefitness.org/blog/2139/are-you-equipped-to-coach-the-6-000-...
http://www.acefitness.org/blog/60/i-recently-found-out-that-i-m-pregnant...
Good luck & it's nice to hear from a fellow Massachusetts trainer!
0
Alex, I've never heard of a "certification" to train pregnant women. However, pregnancy is not an illness.
While I applaud you for want to be safe while working with the pregnant population the ACSM states that "healthy pregnant women without exercise contraindications are encouraged to exercise throughout the pregnancy." The ACSM states "regular exercise during pregnancy provides health/fitness benefits to the mother and child."
The guidelines in ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription" are quite thorough regarding exercise testing, special considerations and contraindications with the pregnant population ans they are with other populations.
For the most part any workshop that you attend that focuses on training the pregnant population will utilize the science that comes from will come from the ACSM and the ACOG.
Hope this is of help to you.
While I applaud you for want to be safe while working with the pregnant population the ACSM states that "healthy pregnant women without exercise contraindications are encouraged to exercise throughout the pregnancy." The ACSM states "regular exercise during pregnancy provides health/fitness benefits to the mother and child."
The guidelines in ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription" are quite thorough regarding exercise testing, special considerations and contraindications with the pregnant population ans they are with other populations.
For the most part any workshop that you attend that focuses on training the pregnant population will utilize the science that comes from will come from the ACSM and the ACOG.
Hope this is of help to you.
0
Hi Alex,
Check out these great books from ACE Fitness. I use them in my practice with pre and postnatal clients. They are a great starting place for someone new to that market:
http://www.acefitness.org/continuingeducation/fitness-continuing-educati...
Check out these great books from ACE Fitness. I use them in my practice with pre and postnatal clients. They are a great starting place for someone new to that market:
http://www.acefitness.org/continuingeducation/fitness-continuing-educati...
0
Hello, Alex!
I would like to add something to this topics.The safety of the mother and her unborn child is the primery concern during Your workouts with clients.Stop exercising and consult their doctors if something like this happen:
Pain
Tachycardia
Dizziness
Palpitations
Faintness
Back Pain
Difficulty Walking
Bleeding
Pubic Pain
Shortness of Breath
Also, Alex You may teach Your clients how to do Kegels exercises. The simple Kegel exercise is an excellent way to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
1. Tighten the muscles used to stop the flow of urine, hold for a count of ten seconds, and release. Repeat at least five times.
2. Rapidly tighten and relax the muscles.
3. "Elevator" exercise - gradually tighten the muscles slowly to the count of three, pulling up and holding at each "floor" : then relax slowly, stopping at each "floor" to the count of three.
4. When doing the "elevator" in preparation for giving birth, allow the muscle to totally relax. This very relaxed state is used during pushing to ease the baby down the birth canal and through the pelvic floor muscles with less resistance.
Pregnant women should be done up to 5 to 10 sessions pelvic floor workouts each day.
Also , Alex, You may read books:
Clapp, J.F. "Exercising Through Your Pregnancy.Champaign, IL:Human Kinetics Publishers, 1998.
Tupler, J. and Thompson, A.Maternal Fitness. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1996.
With regards, Miroslava.
I would like to add something to this topics.The safety of the mother and her unborn child is the primery concern during Your workouts with clients.Stop exercising and consult their doctors if something like this happen:
Pain
Tachycardia
Dizziness
Palpitations
Faintness
Back Pain
Difficulty Walking
Bleeding
Pubic Pain
Shortness of Breath
Also, Alex You may teach Your clients how to do Kegels exercises. The simple Kegel exercise is an excellent way to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
1. Tighten the muscles used to stop the flow of urine, hold for a count of ten seconds, and release. Repeat at least five times.
2. Rapidly tighten and relax the muscles.
3. "Elevator" exercise - gradually tighten the muscles slowly to the count of three, pulling up and holding at each "floor" : then relax slowly, stopping at each "floor" to the count of three.
4. When doing the "elevator" in preparation for giving birth, allow the muscle to totally relax. This very relaxed state is used during pushing to ease the baby down the birth canal and through the pelvic floor muscles with less resistance.
Pregnant women should be done up to 5 to 10 sessions pelvic floor workouts each day.
Also , Alex, You may read books:
Clapp, J.F. "Exercising Through Your Pregnancy.Champaign, IL:Human Kinetics Publishers, 1998.
Tupler, J. and Thompson, A.Maternal Fitness. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1996.
With regards, Miroslava.
0
Hey Alex-
That is awesome that you are looking to serve a specific population. Becoming an expert is definitely something I would suggest. There are certain things women cannot do after the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters so the more you can research and gain knowledge of that the more comfortable you will be training them, as well as they will be getting trained by you. Here are a couple of organizations that I know of that you can add a certification to your current training credentials
*AFPA- Pre Post Natal Exercise certification
*IFPA- Pre Post Natal Exercise certification
I hope that helps,
Andrea
That is awesome that you are looking to serve a specific population. Becoming an expert is definitely something I would suggest. There are certain things women cannot do after the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters so the more you can research and gain knowledge of that the more comfortable you will be training them, as well as they will be getting trained by you. Here are a couple of organizations that I know of that you can add a certification to your current training credentials
*AFPA- Pre Post Natal Exercise certification
*IFPA- Pre Post Natal Exercise certification
I hope that helps,
Andrea
0
Hi Alex,
There are a number of excellent programs out there that will inform the teaching of pre and postnatal clients.
You may want to think about why and how you want to train this population.
The Center for Women's Fitness offers a program that will "prepare the body" for the birth and "recover the body" after the birth. The program concentrates on the true anatomy of a pregnant and postpartum woman, the changes the body ungoes and what exercises will support these changes.
www.thecenterforwomensfitness.com
There are a number of excellent programs out there that will inform the teaching of pre and postnatal clients.
You may want to think about why and how you want to train this population.
The Center for Women's Fitness offers a program that will "prepare the body" for the birth and "recover the body" after the birth. The program concentrates on the true anatomy of a pregnant and postpartum woman, the changes the body ungoes and what exercises will support these changes.
www.thecenterforwomensfitness.com
0
Hi Alex!
Although it is true as an independent trainer you do not need a specific certification for perinatal fitness it is within your interest to obtain one. If you really want to feel confident there is much more to it than knowing a few safety facts. This is not to scare you but to encourage you to take a leap forward and become as educated as possible, especially if you want this to be your niche. How are you suppose to set yourself apart from others? Also have the proper knowledge to discuss different common pregnancies symptoms and how to alleviate them or even prevent them can be a wonderful added benefits for the pregnant mom.
Most importantly you can help change the world with just a little bit of knowledge on childbirth, the history, where we are today and how it is affecting the population.
Look into Fit For Birth's Pre and Post Natal Exercise Specialist.
There is both an at home study program and live courses!
http://www.getfitforbirth.com/prepost-natal-personal-trainer-certificati...
This certificate is pre approved to receive continuing education for NASM and ACSF
Although it is true as an independent trainer you do not need a specific certification for perinatal fitness it is within your interest to obtain one. If you really want to feel confident there is much more to it than knowing a few safety facts. This is not to scare you but to encourage you to take a leap forward and become as educated as possible, especially if you want this to be your niche. How are you suppose to set yourself apart from others? Also have the proper knowledge to discuss different common pregnancies symptoms and how to alleviate them or even prevent them can be a wonderful added benefits for the pregnant mom.
Most importantly you can help change the world with just a little bit of knowledge on childbirth, the history, where we are today and how it is affecting the population.
Look into Fit For Birth's Pre and Post Natal Exercise Specialist.
There is both an at home study program and live courses!
http://www.getfitforbirth.com/prepost-natal-personal-trainer-certificati...
This certificate is pre approved to receive continuing education for NASM and ACSF
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