By Jen Dugard
YOUR
MUM CLIENT
PRE-EXERCISE
SCREENING
A
s with all clients,
it’s important to
complete a pre-
exercise questionnaire.
When working with
pregnant, postnatal and
‘mum’ clients in general,
I believe it is even more
important to do so.
From experience, many pre-exercise
questionnaires only ask if a woman has
had a baby in the last 6 months and
often don’t go into any more depth.
As a pre/postnatal or ‘mum’ specialist,
my belief is that we need to be asking
more in-depth questions to mums with
children of any age.
Our first session and assessment is an
opportunity to get to know each other,
ensure I have a full and complete
picture of where she is right now, and for
me to take the time to understand her
aims and aspirations.
Getting started with any kind of exercise
program can be daunting, especially if
there has been a long gap in between
16
physical activity. For that reason, your
must aim to never overdo it. In fact, your
client should walk away from her session
thinking it was a little too easy. Trust me,
making your first session too difficult
greater reduces your chances of them
coming back. There is plenty of time for
you to increase their effort and intensity.
For your postnatal mum:
What kind of birth did they have?
Caesarean birth:
• Ask about scarring or pain.
• If your client still has pain, ask if
they have spoken to a healthcare
professional about it. Suggest
mentioning it next time they are
there with their baby and monitor it.
• Do they have full sensation back at
the scar site?
Guide on technique, support on effort,
measure on reaction, set goals on
feedback and always be professional
Let’s take a look at what should be on
your medical pre-exercise questionnaire:
Natural birth:
If they are pregnant:
• Ask your client about their second
stage of delivery - the pushing
stage. If it was long. If it was 45
minutes or more, then there has
been excessive downward pressure
on their pelvic floor. This highlights
that there may be a weakness to
watch out for.
• Ask your client about tearing and/or
episiotomy and if they had stitches.
If yes, to what degree (they may or
may not know)? Ask how they are
healing and discuss any pain during
the session.
How many weeks pregnant?
Remember it is important not to train
your client lying flat on her back after her
first trimester.
Do they have a history of miscarriage or
did they undergo IVF to fall pregnant?
If your client has a history of miscarriage
or has undergone IVF she will most likely
have guidelines around exercise from
her medical professional. It’s always a
good idea to consult with her care team
and stick within their guidelines to be on
the safe-side.
WHAT’S NEW IN FITNESS - AUTUMN 2018