Participants who register for this course have the option to attend the course live-online and/or watch the recording later. The recording will be available to all registrants for a 6-week period and access is provided on the next business day following the course. This allows participants who may not be able to attend live-online to still benefit from the course content. To facilitate attendance tracking, please indicate on your registration form if you won't be attending live.
Course Description:
In the world of pelvic health, we are moving away from the era of fragility and into the era of resiliency. The evidence is now undeniable: resistance training is a frontline intervention for managing maternal blood pressure, glucose, and mental health, while significantly reducing pelvic floor complaints like SUI and prolapse. However, applying this research in a clinical setting requires more than just a "general exercise" approach - it requires deep clinical reasoning and a shift in how we manage the pregnant body.
This course devotes the majority of our time to the science and safety of prenatal movement. We dive deep into the physiology of pregnancy and how it dictates exercise tolerance, learn to transform a standard physiotherapy assessment into a high-level exercise screen, and master the art of scaling for complex pain presentations such as PGP, Diastasis Recti, and pelvic floor dysfunction. We will dismantle the myths that keep patients sedentary and replace them with a robust, evidence-based framework for strength.
The final portion of the day focuses on practical implementation. For providers looking to expand their impact, we provide the blueprint for transitioning these clinical principles into a group class format. This allows you to provide low-cost, high-value, community-based care that keeps pregnant people moving safely through all three trimesters. Whether you are working 1-on-1 or in a group setting, it is time to stop telling pregnant people what they can’t do and start providing the clinical framework for what they can achieve.
Course Objectives - By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Physiological Mastery: Understand the systemic changes of pregnancy and their direct impact on strength training and cardiovascular output. Identify how physiological changes across the trimesters affect exercise tolerance and modify programming accordingly.
- Advanced Clinical Screening: Develop a robust screening protocol to identify contraindications while clearing pregnant patients for resistance training as a part of the prenatal care health team.
- Pain-Informed Scaling: Master specific modifications and loading strategies for patients presenting with PGP, low back pain, and pelvic floor symptoms.
- Analyze & Apply Research: Integrate the latest global guidelines and evidence-based benefits of prenatal resistance training into clinical practice. Understand myths around exercise and pregnancy and learn to confidently address them with the latest evidence.
- Programming Framework: Leave with templates that allow you to build individualized workouts that are safe, effective, and evidence-based for all trimesters.
- Group Delivery Blueprint: Learn the logistics of structuring a prenatal strength class for those looking to implement community-based care in their clinic.
Prerequisite: There are no prerequisites for this course, but we recommend having completed the Beyond Kegels course prior to beginning this course to have the knowledge of specific exercises that can be used in prenatal strength classes.
Schedule
Time: One-day course from 10:00am-6:30pm ET (Toronto). Please convert to your local time zone.
Delivery Format
Live attendance is not mandatory for the online portion of this course. Enjoy a 6-week period to access and review the course recording, which is sent out on the next business day. We understand that life can be busy, which is why we offer you the freedom to access the course recording(s) during the time-limited viewing period.
Instructor
Clare Donaldson
Clare Donaldson is a pelvic floor physiotherapist and co-owner of CONNECT Rehabilitation Yoga Fitness in Owen Sound, Ontario.
Clare received her Masters of Physical Therapy from Western University in 2016 before starting her career in orthopaedics, where she spent 6 years before transitioning exclusively to women’s health.
Driven by a vision for a more patient-centered approach, Clare co-founded CONNECT in 2019, challenging the traditional physiotherapy model. At CONNECT, physiotherapists spend more time with their patients, emphasizing active care and long-term well-being over short-term symptom relief. The clinic offers innovative programs tailored to women’s health needs, from the #NewMomStrong postpartum exercise series to Barbells4Bones, designed for women in menopause. Clare is committed to empowering women through movement, education, and strength training, ensuring they feel strong, confident, and supported at every stage of life.Beyond clinical practice, Clare is deeply passionate about teaching and mentorship. She regularly takes on physiotherapy students, providing education in both orthopaedics and pelvic health. Now, she is excited to expand her teaching on a broader scale, aiming to raise the standard for clinical education in exercise-based care. Her goal is to help physiotherapists deepen their knowledge and empower their patients through movement and strength training.
You can connect with Clare via email at clare@connectrehab.com, or reach her on Instagram at @performance_pelvicpt or @connect.rehab