Introduction

The World Health Organization recommends that all pregnant and postnatal women without any contraindications take part in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity for substantial health benefits. Worldwide, many women are not meeting these requirements. Only 38% of women in Ireland are meeting the National Physical Activity Guidelines despite well-documented physical and psychological health outcomes. In the United States, only 20.4% of women meet the recommended guidelines. Postnatal women are even less active compared with age-matched peers, fathers, and parents of older children. Common postnatal pelvic health issues such as urinary incontinence create a barrier to exercise. Physiotherapists and other rehabilitation professionals are ideally placed to support women in their return to physical activity and exercise after birth.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course you will be able to:

• summarise the physical activity guidelines for pregnant and postpartum women
• design a return to running programme for postnatal runners
• discuss considerations for the return to physical activity and exercise in postnatal women
• explain ways to overcome barriers to exercise in the postnatal period
• list at least three benefits of postnatal exercise

Target audience

This course is aimed at Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy clinicians, students and assistants. Other interested professionals such as athletic trainers, occupational therapists, nurses or medical doctors interested in this subject are also invited to participate.

Practicalities

• Availability - this course is online and can be completed on your own schedule.
• Hours of Learning - No deadlines are applied to this course and it can be started and completed in your own time according to your personal schedule. We expect the required elements to take around 1.5-2 hours depending on your schedule and learning style. Additionally there are many optional resources provided and if you choose to review these the course could take longer to complete.
• Types of Activities - This course includes instructional and/or practical videos, reading activities, AI supported learning activities, reflection, evaluation forms, a quiz and additional resources.
• Certificates - At the end of the course, when you have completed all of the required elements, you will be able to download a certificate of completion and 1.3 Plus points will be added to your personalised learning dashboard.

Instructor financial and non-financial disclosures

Fiona Healy: No relevant relationships disclosed by instructor.

Accessibility and Non-Discrimination Policy

Physiopedia Plus is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible learning environment for all participants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, national origin, religion, sex, disability, military status, sexual orientation or age in any aspect of our continuing education services. We are dedicated to ensuring that all learners can fully participate in our programmes. Participants who require accommodations or have special needs are encouraged to contact us with details so that we can make all reasonable efforts to meet these requirements.