PostNatalExercise.co.uk

The Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors

We specialise in teaching fitness and exercise to women before, during and after pregnancy.

We provide networking opportunities and continuing education for qualified instructors.

Welcome to the Guild!

Our aim is to provide networking opportunities and continuing education for qualified instructors specialising in teaching fitness and exercise to women in pregnancy – antenatal - and after their babies are born - postnatal. You can also use this site to search for a pregnancy exercise or postnatal exercise instructor near you. Our members include Pilates teachers, personal trainers, and group exercise and fitness instructors teaching exercise to music, and general fitness classes for antenatal and postnatal mums.

Some of our member instructors are also trained to teach outdoor buggy workouts.

The benefits of pregnancy exercise with a specialist instructor  and postnatal exercise after the birth of your baby include:

• Maintenance of a healthy weight range
• Increased strength and stamina to help you cope with the physical demands of pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal recovery
• Improved posture and pelvic floor control to help your body cope with the physical demands of pregnancy (Pilates can be particularly helpful here)
• Raised body awareness and self confidence
• Better quality sleep and feeling of relaxation and calm with reduced anxiety levels.
• Reduced risk of injury and joint problems
• Better balance and co-ordination

We hope that you will find what you are looking for here and that you have a healthy and happy pregnancy and good postnatal recovery, hopefully helped to achieve this by one of our member instructors.

If you have any comments or feedback about us or our instructors please contact us at megwalker@pnex.freeserve.co.uk 

Are you qualified as an ante and/or postnatal exercise teacher or trainer and looking for a support organisation to keep yourself up to date and expand your knowledge? Then the Guild could be the organisation for you. You can keep up to date by attending study days. Whilst some study days are open to everyone, members get first choice and a substantial discount. Members also receive a copy of our newsletter, Scoops, and most importantly have their name and contact details listed on this website.

Membership of the Guild costs £35 per annum (full) or £25 per annum (associate). To join, click here.

Renewal forms and website permission forms are available for download on the Information for Instructors page

 

This website is copyright of the Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors ©.

PostNatalExercise.co.uk

The Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors

We specialise in teaching fitness and exercise to women before, during and after pregnancy.

We provide networking opportunities and continuing education for qualified instructors.

APPLICATION FORM TO JOIN

If would like to join the Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors then you can download an application form below. This is in pdf format which is an internet standard document. If you have any problems then just email us with your name and address and we will send you a paper copy to complete.

Guild membership is open to instructors who have a qualification in fitness and/or exercise to REPS level 2, plus an ante and/or postnatal specialist qualification carrying  a minimum of 20 REPS points. Other qualifications will be considered, but the Guild reserves the right to refuse membership to those who, in the Guild's opinion, do not fulfill adequate criteria. All applications for membership will be reviewed on an individual basis. If in doubt please contact us for advice at the email address below.

As a member of the Guild you will be expected to undertake at least one full day (8) hours of CPD each year. This must be directly relevant to pregnancy or postnatal exercise.

APPLICATION FORM

BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

• Members  receive Scoops, the Guild quarterly newsletter.

• Members are part of  the Guild e-group community.

• Members get discounts on our study days.

• Members can be listed on the Guild website.

All memberships are renewable on 1st June each year. Membership is £35 per annum. Your initial membership cost will depend on which quarter of the year you decide to join as follows:-

MEMBERSHIP FEES - FULL MEMBER

December - February  £17.50         March - May £8.75      June - August £35    September - November £26.25

Only full members can be listed on the Guild website, and they have to have a recognised qualification in the teaching of ante/postnatal exercise, and be insured.

Alternatively, associate membership is available for those who would like to help and support the Guild and be kept up to date, but are not actively teaching.  Benefits are as for normal membership, but does not allow  your details to be posted on the Guild website. As with full membership, associate memberships are renewable on 1st June each year. Membership is £25 per annum. Your initial membership cost will depend on which quarter of the year you decide to join as follows:-

MEMBERSHIP FEES - ASSOCIATE MEMBER

December - February  £12.50         March - May £6.25      June - August £25    September - November £18.75

For any other details or queries, or problems downloading the form, please contact megwalker@pnex.freeserve.co.uk

This website is copyright of the Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors ©.

PostNatalExercise.co.uk

The Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors

We specialise in teaching fitness and exercise to women before, during and after pregnancy.

We provide networking opportunities and continuing education for qualified instructors.

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR INSTRUCTORS

If you would like to join the Guild then go to the application form page.

If you wish to renew your membership you can download a form to complete below.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM

Please note that if you are an active teacher you must have appropriate insurance and you are responsible for checking with your broker and/or insurer that your insurance is current, relevant and at an appropriate level for you and your clients' needs. Make sure your insurance covers the special groups you teach, the type of exercise you do and the environment you teach in. And make sure you have baby cover if babies are present - see below. It is your responsibility to ensure you are fully insured.

You are also expected to undertake one study day per annum relevant to ante and/or postnatal exercise as part of your continuing professional development.

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR INSTRUCTORS

Do you teach classes where babies are present?

Important changes have been made to the Children & Disabled Persons Act of 1996 which affects all instructors who teach sessions with babies present. This Act was amended in 2004 and is now being enforced.

The Duty of Care clause within the Children's' Act states that everyone, including parents, has a total duty of care for the safety and well-being of children. From a teaching perspective this means that although the mother is present, the instructor is still responsible for the safety and well-being of the baby in the class. If a baby incurs injury whilst in your class that child has a right to sue you when they reach 18. This applies to any type of exercise session being conducted.

Instructors must act responsibly and not include anything in the session which increases the potential risk to babies either directly or indirectly i.e. using the baby for resistance exercises/running with the buggy or positioning them near/in potentially hazardous surroundings. The Guild policy is set out here.

Additional insurance cover is available to instructors and is strongly recommended.

‘Mothers exercising with babies with buggies’ is available to Fit Pro members. For details ofFitPro policies click here

 

This website is copyright of the Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors ©.

PostNatalExercise.co.uk

The Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors

We specialise in teaching fitness and exercise to women before, during and after pregnancy.

We provide networking opportunities and continuing education for qualified instructors.

Are you a new mother? Congratulations!

If you have you recently given birth and are just wondering how to begin safely exercising to help your body come back to its pre-pregnancy condition, then read the article below.

Firstly, it is important to know that a group of hormones called ‘Relaxin’ are produced in early pregnancy to make the ligaments in the body elastic. Normally  ligaments are relatively inelastic, which is necessary to maintain joint stability. But during pregnancy relaxin is produced in various amounts to help the body accommodate the growing baby. Production of relaxin, in these quantities, ceases after birth.

The effect of the ligaments becoming more supple and pliable means, for instance, that back problems can be made worse by excessive twisting and if you return to high impact or inappropriate exercise you can put your body at unnecessary risk of injury.

Why does the body produce relaxin?

The purpose of relaxin is to provide increased movement in the pelvis to accommodate the growing baby and to allow an easier birth. It also helps the abdominal muscles to stretch during pregnancy and the pelvic floor muscles to stretch during delivery.

Although relaxin is no longer manufactured in the postnatal period, the effects of the hormones on the ligaments are still evident.  Relaxin has an effect on every joint in the body (even the little finger) and the effect on the joints lingers on until about five months post birth.

So what sort of things do I need to be aware of to avoid problems?

In her book ‘The Complete Guide to Postnatal Fitness’ Judy diFiore offers the following guidelines when undertaking any exercise.

Gentle exercises can be commenced at home in the first few weeks after the birth.

Wait until you have had a satisfactory postnatal check-up before commencing more vigorous exercise.

If you had a caesarian delivery it is advisable to wait eight to ten weeks.

Wear a good supporting bra to protect the breasts when exercising.

Wear appropriate footwear for the activity.

If you are breastfeeding, feed before exercising.

Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise.

Don’t exercise on an empty stomach.

Incorporate exercise into your daily activities as much as possible.

Swap your exercise session for a rest if you are feeling particularly tired.

The level of exercise must be comfortable and achievable.

Recognize when your body has had enough.

Stop immediately if pain is experienced or make adaptations if you feel uncomfortable.

How do I regain (re-train) my  pre-pregnancy posture

·         Start pelvic floor exercises and some gentle abdominal exercises as soon as you can (for example, some pelvic tilts, static abdominal contractions, head and shoulder raises) 

·         You may feel that the pelvic floor exercises don’t seem to do much, but they are really well worth doing, the more you do the stronger the muscles will get.

·         Start any exercise gradually, allowing yourself to build up over a number of weeks.

·         Always warm up the body before doing more exercises, have water handy to drink, especially if you are breastfeeding and always stop when you feel your body has had enough.

·         Try and take the baby for a walk in the pram or carry papoose and ‘power’ walk till you feel warm and your breathing is a little faster than normal.

·         Pull in your deep tummy muscles (called transversus muscles) whenever you think about them - when walking along, when driving and stopping at the traffic lights, whenever you feed your baby.

·         Structured exercise may take many forms – swimming, walking, postnatal exercise class. But it is a good idea to leave anything that creates ‘impact’ on your body until you are at least five months postnatal. Impact can be defined as taking both feet off the floor at the same time.

·         If you can get to a specific postnatal exercise class you will meet other mothers with babies of the same age and you will probably find you have much in common. The class can be a really great way to meet others and develop new friendships at this time, especially if you can take your baby along too and afterwards go for a coffee in the cafe.

·         Look on the Guild  webpage members for a qualified teacher or personal trainer near you. Most of these exercise teachers run classes specially for mothers and babies. 

·         If you cannot find a class near you, investigate a ‘ low impact’ class, arrive early and let the teacher know you have just had a baby.  He or she should encourage you not to jump, bounce or use jerky movements or work harder than you are really ready to do and build up your strength gradually. If you feel pressured into working too hard you can do damage so do not overdo it!

·         Don’t work into any sort of pain. Pain is a warning signal that should never be ignored. Make adaptations or stop altogether.

Abdominal Muscle Separation – Is this normal?

Under the influence of relaxin the abdominal muscles undergo a tremendous amount of stretching in all directions. Sometimes the mid-line separates to allow more space for the growing uterus. This is known as diastasis recti – separation of the recti muscles and in quite common, occurring in 66% of women in the third trimester. It is not painful in itself, but can result in backache, and does not look too attractive!

What is the best exercise to regain tummy strength?

Transversus Abdominal Exercise / Tummy retraction. Here is a sample exercise from Judy DiFiore's book "The Complete Guide to Postnatal Fitness"

Preparation: Kneel on your hands and knees with knees under hips, hands under shoulders and fingers facing forwards. Keep the back flat and the neck long.

Action: Breathe out and pull in the tummy muscles, lifting your abdomen up towards your spine. Keep the elbows slightly bent to prevent them locking. Hold for a count of six, continuing to breathe. Lower with control to the starting position, taking care not to let the back arch.

Repeat eight times.

This exercise can  also be carried out sitting or standing in everyday contexts.

·         When it comes to the abdominal work, stick to static transversus tightening, classic rectus abdominal work (with transversus tightening) and work on all fours until you are sure your rectus abdominal muscles have come back together.

·         Leave out oblique muscle exercises until you are sure your abdominal muscle separation has come back to ‘less than two fingers’. 

·         You can ask your midwife, physiotherapist or your postnatal exercise teacher to show you how to check on these muscles.

Remember, the best course is to attend classes given by qualified teachers such as those given by members of the Guild, YMCA, or Fitness Professionals. Ask if your teacher is qualified to teach postnatal exercise if you are not sure.

If you have, or know someone who has, Pelvic Girdle Pain then you can visit the website of the the Pelvic Partnership who are a registered charity and offer helpful information on this condition - www.pelvicpartnership.org.uk

Or the site of the Pelvic Instability Network Scotland www.pelvicinstability.org.uk 

The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Womens' Health also offer good information and you can download helpful leaflets from their website

This website is copyright of the Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors ©.

PostNatalExercise.co.uk

The Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors

We specialise in teaching fitness and exercise to women before, during and after pregnancy.

We provide networking opportunities and continuing education for qualified instructors.

TRAINING INFORMATION 

The Guild does not offer training courses for new instructors.

If you have already undergone a course and are wondering if you can join the Guild, then please email us with your qualifications and experience and we will let you know.

The Guild does run specialist study days for members and these count towards the Guild's annual CPD requirement.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

CONTACT   megwalker@pnex.freeserve.co.uk

This website is copyright of the Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors ©.

PostNatalExercise.co.uk

The Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors

We specialise in teaching fitness and exercise to women before, during and after pregnancy.

We provide networking opportunities and continuing education for qualified instructors.

The following article on ‘The Effect of Exercise During Lactation on short- and Long-term Immune Status’ by Laurie Nommsen-Rivers MS, RD IBCLC was originally published in the Journal of Human Lactation and was submitted by Elizabeth Mayo, who is an Infant Feeding Advisor with Cheltenham Hospital and NCT Breastfeeding Counsellor. It helps to answer a commonly asked question. Does exercise adversely affect breastfeeding?

After recovering from childbirth, many new mothers are motivated to “get back in shape” through dieting and/or exercise. However, some women worry that regular exercise is not compatible with lactation. Some of this concern may stem from a well-publicized study showing a decline in the concentration of immune factors in breast milk within the first 30 minutes of a bout of maximal exercise (1).  While the results of 2 previously published randomised trials show that breast milk volume and calorie content, in addition to the lipid, protein and lactose concentrations, are not affected by either an intense, short-term (11 days) aerobic exercise program (2) or a more moderate, sustained (10 weeks) regimen (3), neither of these 2 studies measured the effects of exercise on immune factors in breast milk. The anti-infective properties of human milk confer powerful immunity to the breastfed infant. It is understandable that mothers would not want to jeopardize this important benefit of breastfeeding. 

Exercise scientists have described the relationship between exercise intensity and immune status as an “inverted J”. In other words, it has generally been observed that as the amount of exercise increases, immune function is enhanced, up to exhaustive levels of exercise (such as running a marathon), which suppresses immune function. Based on the inverted J hypothesis, Lovelady and co-authors theorized that even though Gregory at al found a short-term decline in milk SigA following a test session of exercising to exhaustion (VO2 max test) (1), more realistic levels of exercise would not affect the immune status of lactating mothers or cause a decrease in the levels of immune factors in their breast milk. 

To test this hypothesis, Lovelady et al recruited exercising and sedentary mothers of exclusively breastfed 12  plus or minus  2-weeks-old infants to participate in a cross-sectional study of exercise and immune status. A sub-sample of the exercising group also participated in a randomized crossover study of the short-term effects of moderate exercise on immune status. In the first study, the immune status and breast milk composition of 29 lactating women who exercised at least 30 min/d for a minimum of 3 d/wk were compared to that of 24 lactating women who were sedentary (exercised less than 1 d/wk). On the day of laboratory measurements, subjects expressed 30 ml of breast milk during the first morning feed. Study subjects then came into the lab to have a fasting morning blood sample drawn while at rest, followed by a treadmill test. 

Although the exercise group showed significantly better cardio respiratory fitness, confirming their regular exercise status, no differences between the exercising and sedentary groups were found in any of the immune factors measured. 

Maternal immune status – whether expressed as percentage of absolute counts of Blood T cells, cytotoxic cells, helper T cells, B cells and natural killer cells; leukocytes; lymphocytes; monocytes; neutrophils; haemoglobins or hematocrit – was not significantly different between the groups. Furthermore, breast milk concentrations of secretory IgA, lactoferrin and lysozyme were not significantly different between the exercise and sedentary groups. These results suggest that moderate, regular exercise does not cause long-term alternations in maternal immune status or milk composition. 

In the second study, a sub-sample of the regular exercisers (n=17) returned to the lab on 2 separate occasions to have their breast milk sampled before and 10 and 60 minutes after either a 30-minute test session of exercise or rest. The order of the sessions (exercise or rest) was randomly determined for each mother. Unlike the Gregory study, mothers were not exercised to exhaustion. Instead, mothers walked or jogged on the treadmill at a pace that elicited an intensity of approximately 75% of predicted maximum heart rate. 

Researchers found no significant difference in breast milk SigA, lactoferrin or lysozyme concentrations between rest and exercise sessions at any of the time points studied (1, 10 and 60 minutes postsession).  The only significant comparison was in breast milk lysozyme, which declined significantly over time (from 1 to 10 to 60 minutes post-session), but the degree of decline was similar during both rest and exercise, perhaps reflecting changes in milk composition related to a great degree of breast emptying with each subsequent milk sample. 

The combined evidence from these studies provides support for the compatibility of exercise during lactation. Moderate levels of exercise do not appear to have a short- or long-term detrimental effect on the levels of the major immune factors in breast milk. Thus, lactating mothers can be assured that by exercising regularly and continuing to breastfeed, they are providing both themselves and their babies with health benefits. 

This  article was originally printed in the Journal of Human Lactation  20(4), 2004

 

This website is copyright of the Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors ©.