Pregnant and postpartum exercisers represent a special population in the fitness environment, with a specific set of training needs particular to their evolving condition. A prenatal/postnatal fitness certification qualifies you to teach prenatal/postnatal group exercise, including muscle conditioning and stability ball classes, as well as train individual pregnant and postpartum clients. Prenatal/postnatal yoga and water aerobics are separate certifications.
Certification Prerequisites
Requirements prior to enrolling in a certification course vary, but generally, you must be at least 18 years old and hold a current CPR/AED certification. Courses that don’t require you to be CPR/AED certified upon enrollment may withhold exam results or certification until you present a valid CPR/AED certification card. Some certifications, such as the one offered by the American Fitness Professionals & Associates, recommend -- but don’t require -- that you hold a personal training or general group exercise certification prior to becoming prenatal/postnatal certified. Others, such as the specialist certification offered by the American Council on Exercise, require you to hold a current personal training certification.
Course of Study
Because prenatal/postnatal fitness certifications cover an area of specialty in great detail, they don’t review anatomy, kinesiology, physiology or injury prevention for the general population. Instead, the focus is on a pregnant woman’s changing anatomy, kinesiology and physiology. Other topics include fetal growth and development, emotional changes during pregnancy and the stages of labor and delivery. All prenatal/postnatal certifications present the guidelines for exercise during pregnancy set by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or ACOG. This includes recommendations as well as contraindications. Information on client program design and group class design might also be included.
Certification Process
As with a large majority of general personal training and group exercise instructor certifications, most prenatal/postnatal fitness certifications are completed through self-paced, at-home study. Some certifications combine materials and exam fees in a single price, while others, including the certification offered by the American Council on Exercise, allow you to pay individual fees for each component. This can be beneficial, for example, if you’d prefer to find the course books for a lesser price. Most prenatal/postnatal fitness certifications have open book short answer exams, which you complete and mail back within a specified period of time.
Benefits of Certification
If you’re a trainer or group exercise instructor already in the fitness industry, a prenatal/postnatal fitness certification increases your marketability and earning potential. Long-term personal training clients who become pregnant needn’t switch to a qualified trainer to get them through their pregnancies if you hold the appropriate certification. Even if you teach general group exercise classes, such as muscle conditioning, indoor cycling, aerobics, step or water aerobics, a prenatal/postnatal certification supplies you with the knowledge you need to safely modify your classes for pregnant or postpartum participants.
References
- Healthy Moms: Instructor Training Programs
- American Fitness Professionals & Associates: Pre/Post Natal Exercise Specialist Certification Course
- International Fitness Professionals Association: Pre and Post-Natal Certification
- American Council on Exercise: Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist Certification
