Pre & Post-Natal
Helping Pre And Post-Natal Clients Past The Barriers To Exercising
From the FASTER syllabus: this article is taught in full in Pre and Post-Natal Exercise (Level 3), where this unit is taught →
In short: Pre and post-natal clients meet barriers that are physical, emotional and practical, and the FASTER Pre and Post-Natal course (unit J/617/6335, criteria 3.1 and 3.2) teaches how to support each one. The ways in are education and reassurance about what exercise is safe and what it does for mood, sleep and recovery, and programmes modified to the client's stage with low-impact options and gradual progress. Fatigue is met with short, frequent sessions such as 10 minute walks. A trainer needs the pre and post-natal qualification before training these clients, and FASTER teaches it.
The short version
A pre or post-natal client who wants to exercise will usually have a reason it is hard. The FASTER Pre and Post-Natal course names those barriers as physical, emotional and practical, then teaches how to support each one. Education and reassurance come first, then a programme modified to where the client is.
First, the qualification
Training pregnant and post-natal clients needs a pre and post-natal qualification before it needs a programme. A trainer without one is working outside their insurance, however well-meaning the session. FASTER teaches that qualification: Pre and Post-Natal Exercise (Level 3). Once you hold it, the Core and Pelvic Floor course is the route to go deeper on the area many post-natal clients ask about.
Three kinds of barrier
The course text opens unit J/617/6335, criterion 3.1, with three groups.
Physical. Fatigue is the plainest example: low energy during pregnancy or after the birth. Postnatal recovery, including recovery from a C-section or pelvic floor concerns, can also limit what a client feels up to.
Emotional. A client may be anxious about whether exercise is safe for them and for the baby.
Practical. Time, tiredness and a day that belongs to someone else.
Meeting them, from criterion 3.2
The course text says helping a client past these barriers "requires empathy, education, and practical solutions".
Education and reassurance. Clear guidance on what types of exercise are safe during pregnancy and after childbirth, and the benefits: improved mood, better sleep and enhanced recovery. Reassuring a client that activity can benefit both their health and the baby's well-being eases the worry.
Programmes that fit the stage. Low-impact options, stretches and movements that support a changing body, with gradual progress rather than a push for quick results. The course gives examples: a prenatal client can start with low-impact aerobic work such as walking or swimming, and a post-natal client might focus on pelvic floor strengthening before moving on.
Short sessions for fatigue. The course suggests short, frequent sessions, such as 10 minute walks, to ease fatigue and give some energy back.
Seeing the individual
The point underneath all three is that each client's barrier is their own. The same word, tired, can mean a sleepless week or a long commute. A trainer who has been taught to ask finds the one that applies and builds around it.
Learning it your way
The course comes as written text, audio and video, with answers you can type or dictate. The unit is assessed like any other part of the qualification, so a trainer finishes with the knowledge and the certificate.
What to do next
Pre and Post-Natal Exercise (Level 3) teaches this unit in full. PT Manager is free with any FASTER course and holds the client records, calendar and programmes you will use afterwards.
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FAQ
Can I train a pregnant client with just a Level 2 or Level 3 qualification? Pre and post-natal clients need a pre and post-natal qualification first. FASTER teaches one, the Pre and Post-Natal Exercise (Level 3) course, which includes this unit.
What barriers do pre and post-natal clients face? The course groups them as physical, emotional and practical. Fatigue and the changes of pregnancy and birth recovery are examples of the first.
What helps a very tired client keep exercising? The course suggests short, frequent sessions, such as 10 minute walks, to ease fatigue and lift energy.
Where do I go after this course? The Core and Pelvic Floor course goes deeper on the area many post-natal clients ask about.
You just read one answer. The course is all of them.
Pre and Post-Natal Exercise (Level 3), where this unit is taught: every answer marked by a real tutor, with free return access for life. The price is on the page, payment plans at checkout, no sales calls.
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Frequently asked
Can I train a pregnant client with just a Level 2 or Level 3 qualification?
Pre and post-natal clients need a pre and post-natal qualification first. FASTER teaches one, the Pre and Post-Natal Exercise (Level 3) course, which includes this unit.
What barriers do pre and post-natal clients face?
The course groups them as physical, emotional and practical. Fatigue and the changes of pregnancy and birth recovery are examples of the first.
What helps a very tired client keep exercising?
The course suggests short, frequent sessions, such as 10 minute walks, to ease fatigue and lift energy.
Where do I go after this course?
The Core and Pelvic Floor course goes deeper on the area many post-natal clients ask about.
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