4 Ways Becoming a Certified Pre- & Postnatal Coach Will Change Your Career

https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/

This month marks my 14th year of being deeply involved in the health and fitness industry.

From the very beginning, I was committed to seeking out the absolute best training and nutrition information available. Not only did I read everything I could get my hands on, but I constantly spent time learning from super smart health and fitness professionals including powerlifters, bodybuilders, corrective exercise experts, physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, sports performance coaches, psychologists, registered dietitians — anyone I believed could help me hone my craft.

By 2010 I was co-owner of a gym in Lexington, Kentucky and by 2011, we had a couple hundred members, 80 percent of them women. Our clients got great results and really enjoyed working with us.

But I didn’t realize I had been making one huge mistake, a mistake that had been preventing my clients from getting the coaching they deserved.

What was it? I wasn’t well-educated on working with pre- and postnatal women.

I knew the basics about keeping them hydrated, not letting them overheat, their ligaments becoming more lax, and their shifting center of gravity, but I literally knew nothing about pelvic floor dysfunction, diastasis recti, or pelvic organ prolapse. I thought incontinence was just “something that happens” to women who have children, and they just have to deal with it.

And worse? I never considered the fact that once a woman has a baby, she is always postnatal. Approximately 80 percent of my clients were women, and more than 75 percent of them had children — which means I was doing over 60 percent of my clients a great disservice by not understanding how to work with postnatal women. And I’m not alone in this.

Two important stats:

• 67 to 75 percent of folks who hire a coach or trainer are women.
• 85 percent of women in the U.S. will have a baby at some point in their lives (and once they do, they’re technically postnatal forever). Not to mention that number is higher in other countries.

That means if you train both men and women, one-half to two-thirds of your clients are likely pre- or postnatal women. And if you train only women, the number jumps to four out of five.

This means understanding how to working with pre- and postnatal women is a critical part of helping women get the coaching and care they deserve. And I refuse to let other coaches and trainers make the same mistake.

That’s why last year I assembled a team of 16+ world-class women’s health professionals to create the world’s first evidence-based, body-positive, interdisciplinary Pre- and Postnatal Coaching Certification for health and fitness professionals. These professionals include:

• 6 physiotherapists
• 4 pre- and postnatal fitness experts
• 3 PhDs in psychology, exercise science, and molecular biology
• 1 OB/GYN
• 1 doula
• 1 nurse practitioner and midwife

To get all of the details about our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification you can click here.

In the meantime, here are four ways becoming a Certified Pre- & Postnatal Coach through Girls Gone Strong will change your career.

1. Up-to-Date, Evidence-Based, Comprehensive Knowledge of Working With Pre- and Postnatal Women

At Girls Gone Strong, we pride ourselves on providing the most up-to-date, evidence-based, body-positive information possible. We combine the latest research with decades of professional experience to provide best practice recommendations that are not only rooted in science, but are actually effective in the real world.

Every single chapter of our Pre- and Postnatal Coaching Certification was written and reviewed by no fewer than six women’s health experts ranging from pelvic health physios to OB/GYNs, pre- and postnatal experts, psychologists, and midwives, and we are certain you won’t find a more comprehensive certification on these topics anywhere else.

Additionally, we dive into the psychology and coaching aspect of working with pre- and postnatal women, so you not only understand their unique anatomical and physiological needs, but you get a better understanding of how to best support and coach them through this important life transition.

2. The Confidence to Believe You’re Giving Your Pre- and Postnatal Clients the Coaching and Care They Deserve

As a health and fitness professional who deeply cares about your work, you probably agree there’s nothing worse than feeling like you aren’t qualified to help your clients and patients. And working with pre- and postnatal women requires a specialized knowledge, and not just a couple of pages worth.

Our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification textbook is nearly 500 pages of high-quality, evidence-based, information about pre- and postnatal nutrition, exercise, rest and recovery, psychology, and coaching. It also comes with 100+ page workbook and mobile-friendly online portal that houses educational videos, downloadable forms and PDFs, workout templates, and other bonus materials.

We even include dozens of case studies to help you understand how to put this information into action with your clients and patients. When you’re done with our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification, you’ll have the confidence to believe you’re giving your pre- and postnatal clients the coaching and care they deserve.

3. The Resources You Need to Empower Your Clients to Choose What’s Right for Them and Their Bodies

So much of the information geared towards women and fitness is about what women “should” and “shouldn’t” do with their bodies.

Women should lift heavy weights.
You shouldn’t lift more than 3 pounds.
If you want to lose weight, you should only do distance cardio.
You should do Pilates, Yoga, and Barre classes to get long, lean muscles.
Women should avoid running, and just lift and do HIIT if they want to change their body.

At Girls Gone Strong, we aren’t interested in giving women more rules to follow. It’s our goal to help women see all the possibilities for their lives and their bodies, and to give them the space to choose what they want for themselves, without shame or judgment. Furthermore, we want to provide evidence-based, body-positive information to help them reach their goals in a fun and sustainable way.

The information provided in our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification empowers you with the knowledge to empower your clients to choose what’s right for them and their bodies. This leads to stable of happy, healthy, empowered long-term clients who love you, and refer everyone they know to you.

4. The Opportunity to Make a Greater Impact in Your Community and Enjoy Greater Financial Success

Having the knowledge and confidence you need to help empower your pre- and postnatal clients to have a strong, safe, happy, and healthy pregnancy and postpartum experience is incredibly fulfilling for any health and fitness professional. It can also be incredibly rewarding from a financial success perspective as well.

Coaches, trainers, and other health professionals don’t usually get into this field of work for the financial rewards. We do what we do because we are passionate about it, and we like helping people. But hear me out: you deserve to be successful and well compensated for what you do. And being financially successful often goes hand-in-hand with the number of lives you can impact.

Learning how to coach pre- and postnatal women can be a huge part of this success and impact. Listen to this story from my good friend Jon Goodman, of The Personal Trainer Development Center and OnlineTrainer.com:

The scene is burned into my memory. My client Jessica was pregnant with her second. I had done a tremendous amount of research and knew how to take care of her. After our session one day another member came up to me, a client of another trainer, to tell me that she was pregnant, told her trainer about it, didn’t feel like her trainer had the education necessary to look after her, and requested to change to me. This client was worth over $9,000 to me that year. — Jon Goodman

Most coaches and trainers don’t understand the unique needs of working with pre- and postnatal women. If you become a Certified Pre- & Postnatal Coach, you can become the go-to coach in your area for working with women, and help ensure that the women in your community get the coaching and care they deserve.

What You Need To Know About Our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification

We only open enrollment for our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification a couple of times a year and the next enrollment starts February 6th, but only if you’re on the pre-sale list. Joining the pre-sale list not only gives you the chance to enroll 24-48 hours before the public, but you can save $200 too. Click here to join the pre-sale list.

What Do You Get When You Enroll?

Our certification includes:

• A 500-page hardcover textbook divided into five units, with dozens of case studies and resources you can reference for years to come.

• An accompanying workbook with practice questions and case studies to help you deepen your understanding of the materials, practice what you’ve learned, and study for the exams.

• Custom-built, mobile-friendly online portal filled with:
  • High-definition coaching and demonstration videos for every unit.
  • Bonus workout templates for every trimester and phase of postpartum recovery and return to exercise
  • Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaires to use with pregnant and postpartum clients.
  • Multiple assessment tools to use with pregnant and postpartum clients, including a daily assessment tool to help you adjust a client’s programming day to day as needed.
  • Additional reading and resource recommendations for further exploration.
  • Comprehensive unit exams.

• Access to a closed Facebook group where you can engage with the authors of the certification as well as other students, participate in group discussions, and get help when you need it.

• An interdisciplinary approach to all of this information. Of the 16 women’s health experts from five countries who created this curriculum, here are their areas of expertise:
  • 6 Physiotherapists
  • 4 Pre- & Postnatal fitness experts
  • 1 OB-GYN
  • 1 Doula
  • 1 Nurse Practitioner who is also a Midwife

When Does the Course Start?

If you’re on the pre-sale list, you can register on February 6th, with a limited number of spaces available (you’ll also save $200!) If there are any spaces left, we will open registration to the general public later on. You will have 24/7 access to the online course materials right away, and you can get started immediately. Your textbook will be shipped within five to 10 business days of your payment being processed.

The Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification will be available for enrollment for a limited time only and then won’t be available until we open the course again later this year!

How Much Time Do I Need to Complete the Course?

Our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification is a self-paced course. That means you can work through the materials at your own pace and make sure it fits your individual schedule.

The pace that seems to work well for many people is one chapter per week, including: reading the chapter in the textbook, watching any accompanying videos, answering the worksheet questions and case studies, digging into any relevant resources or reading materials, and possibly taking the unit exam if you’re at the end of a unit. Following that structure, you can expect to spend three to five hours per week on the materials. Since there are 22 chapters, you’ll finish your certification in four to five months.

What Is the Investment in the Course?

The full investment in the course is $1,200. However, you can save $200 by getting on the pre-sale list here, (and purchasing during the Early Bird pre-sale enrollment period that ends February 7th at 11:59 pm) and you can save an additional $200 if you pay in full for a total investment of $800.

I’m Not a Certified Trainer Yet (but I’m Working on It), Can I Still Purchase This?

Yes, you are still able to purchase our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification, however, we do strongly recommend that you hold at least one other basic personal training or fitness certification from a major certifying body like NSCA, NASM, ACSM, etc. before working with any clients. Since it’s a self-paced course you can always purchase it on February 6th, and then wait to take it until you’ve completed another baseline cert, or you could wait until our registration opens again later this year.

You won’t find a more well-researched, practical guide to working with pre- and postnatal women anywhere. You can feel confident that you are helping your future clients get the best results possible while keeping them safe and healthy — both physically and psychologically — all while adding more tools to your toolbox. Experience is a big part of what makes a trainer great, and using this program allows you to gain the experience you need to become an incredible trainer while having the confidence that you’re not “guessing” with your clients.

The post 4 Ways Becoming a Certified Pre- & Postnatal Coach Will Change Your Career appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.

Filed under: Fitness