Home Page of the Guild of Antenatal and Postnatal Exercise Teachers

Welcome to the Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors

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. Members can keep up to date with our study days.

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

You will also find book and DVD reviews by instructors from our professional journal ”Scoops”.

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.
	Effective, up to date and correct abdominal muscle training
	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

You can order books direct from Judy diFiore who is a Guild member and has produced excellent information to help you get started on exercise if you are new to it, or plenty of ideas and routines for those who want to develop their routines. Her books are beautifully produced and you can read a detailed write up in our review section if you want to know more. To order click here.

Judy's completely revised 2nd Edition of The Complete Guide to Postnatal Fitness is now released. To order click here or on the book. It's the definitive practical handbook for the regular exerciser who wishes to do more than flatten her tummy after having a baby.

Are you a new mother? Are you thinking of doing some pregnancy exercise to begin to tone up the muscles stretched during your pregnancy - ? If so, turn to the qualified instructors list to see if there is one running postnatal exercise classes in your area. You can also find important information on when and how to exercise in information for mothers and if you are wondering whether to buy one of those books or exercise videos check out our video and book review section.

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 click on future study days. Study days are open to everyone, not just Guild members, so come along if you are interested. However, we welcome your support so do join the Guild if you can. You will receive a copy of our quarterly newsletter, Scoops.

Membership of the Guild costs £35 per annum (full) or £25 per annum (associate). Full members can have their contact details put on the Guild website for access by mothers. To join, click here. Renewal forms and website permission forms are available for download on the Information for Instructors page

Ante and Postnatal Exercise Teachers need specialist knowledge to design an appropriate class and care for women during this period. Teachers who enrol on the Guild's pregnancy exercise or postnatal exercise study days will receive specialist in-depth training, which will explore abdominal work, pelvic floor and appropriate relaxation skills.

If you would like a flavour of our quarterly magazine click here Scoops! Or you can download a sample issue.

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

The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Womens' Health also offer good information and you can download helpful leaflets on SPD from their website - http://www.acpwh.org.uk/index.php?topic=leaflets&page=leaflets

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This website is copyright of the Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors. You may copy information but please acknowledge us. Website updated 12th January 2009.