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Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist Certification

Online Core and Pelvic Floor Programs

Professional Certification

Pregnancy and postpartum corrective exercise training for health and fitness professionals

The Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist Course is leading a movement in women's fitness and healthcare. This certification focuses on pregnancy modifications, postpartum timelines, limitations, and special considerations. You will learn proven corrective exercises that progress pregnant or postpartum clients with Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (leaks, tightness, and prolapse), Diastasis Recti, SI Joint Pain, and Low Back Pain into high-intensity exercise.

Dr. Sarah Duvall, DPT, PT

Dr. Sarah Ellis Duvall, PT, DPT, CPT, CNC

Dr. Anna Hammond, DPT, OCS

Dr. Anna Hammond, DPT, OCS

Programs for Women

Online core and pelvic floor rehab programs for pregnant and postpartum women

The CES team is the last stop for many women on their path to recovery. We are passionate about finding solutions to the problems no one else has been able to resolve. Through our comprehensive, industry-leading online programs, the CES team has rehabbed thousands of women with prolapse, leaking, pelvic floor pain and tightness, diastasis recti, hip pain and much more.

Articles

CES articles cover a wide range of topics including diastasis, the pelvic floor, hip strength, back pain, posture, working out and personal motherhood triumphs.

EXERCISING AFTER A C SECTION

Exercising After a C-Section

January 28, 2022

GINA ARTICLE

How Getting Organized with Workouts Will Save You Time, Stress, and Frustration

December 8, 2021

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING A C SECTION

What to Expect During a C-section

November 22, 2021

SECRET TO FLAT ABS

The Secret to Flat Abs

November 8, 2021

c section

C-section: Reasons, Risks, Recovery

October 27, 2021

safe exercises with prolapse FI

Safe Exercises with Prolapse and Ones to Avoid

July 20, 2021

More Articles >

Videos

Improve Pelvic Floor With Posture

What is Pressure Management: Diastasis Recti Recovery, Pelvic Floor Recovery and Hernia Health

How to Train Pelvic Floor Muscles | Isolate and Contract

Front Pelvic Floor Contraction

Why Strengthening Your Middle Traps Helps Core and Pelvic Floor Issues

Why Does a Full Squat Cause Back Pain?

More Videos >

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@drsarahduvall

144k followers

Aug 11

I’d love to invite you to a live Q and A call where we can get to know each other a bit more. This will be a great opportunity for me to answer questions you may have about the PCES course or any pelvic floor or diastasis issues. I’m happy to run through my thoughts on these topics. We can learn more together and have a little fun! I think live calls are a much better way to get to know someone than short social media posts. 😍Most of us go into women’s health and fitness because we’re trying to solve our own issues, so this is a great time to ask questions about yourself and dip your toe into learning more if you think it’s a direction you might want to start focusing on. And if you’re a veteran of the field, let’s dive into those deep issues and have a bit of fun talking through the more complex topics. Be sure to send your questions in, I’m excited to go through them! There are no bad questions, so please don’t feel embarrassed asking! To sign up for the live call, simply follow the link in my bio. After signing up, you’ll receive a confirmation email. Hit reply to this email with any questions you have for the call. I’ll get all the questions organized, and we’ll be ready to dive into some great discussions on the call! Save the date: Thursday, September 8th at 10 am US eastern time. The call will be recorded, so feel free to catch the replay after. I’ll send out an email the morning of the call with the Zoom link, then I’ll send the replay later that day. Can’t wait!!!! Please say hi below 👇so I can connect a face to your email. Looking forward to getting to know you better! #fitpro #fitnessprofessional #personaltrainer #yogateacher #yogainstructor #pilatesteacher #pilatesinstructor #physicaltherapist #physicaltherapistassistant #strengthandconditioningcoach #fitnesspro

Aug 9

Your walking posture doesn’t matter – or does it? It might, if you have hip pain. Of course, our posture while walking is just a product of our muscle balance throughout our hips and pelvis, so it’s usually a little more complex than the familiar cue to “stand up straighter.” ⁣⁣For that reason, I don’t love to over-cue walking; I prefer to change patterns from a strength and exercise front. But sometimes old habits die hard, and a little cueing while walking can be a good thing! ⁣⁣One simple tip is to assess what is leading the way. Does your chest lead the way when you walk, or are you leading more with your hips? If your hips lead the way and you have hip pain, you might be shoving your femur forward in the socket due to how your deep hip rotators are firing. Try shifting your hips back a bit and let your chest move forward instead, and see if that helps to relieve the pressure. ⁣⁣We have some amazing exercises to help with hip pain during walking and improving movement patterns in the new Pelvis Pro course. ⁣⁣We don’t have a Graduate Map for this course ready quite yet, since it’s so new; but we should have one soon! Be sure to check our website in the near future to find a Pelvis Pro professional in your area who can help get your hips and pelvis feeling 💃 again!⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#hippain #hippainrelief #fitpro #physicatherapist #fitmom #strongmom #fitmum #strongmum #walk #walking

Aug 4

Let’s talk about 🍆, but first, I want to clarify that I don’t think ALL prolapse is caused by tightness. Mostly because I’ve had some patients whose prolapse appears worse after pelvic floor release work. The little bit of tightness they had was helping to support the prolapse. BUT, with that said, I think a SIGNIFICANT portion of minor prolapses are tightness-related, and decreasing tightness helps! I love the analogy of an accordion. When you shorten the sides, you get folds. When you lengthen the sides, the folds disappear. This is always how I’ve looked at tightness worsening prolapse, way before the biotensegrity model was introduced. (It is awesome, by the way, to now have research confirming this! 🎉). In this video, do you see how as I bring the paper sides together, mimicking tightness, it bulges more? Now you see why tightness can contribute to the appearance of prolapse being worse. I know it’s super scary to breathe down and relax your pelvic floor when you have prolapse, but hopefully this visual helps you see why it it useful. Check out the happy baby poses from last week if you’re looking for calming pelvic floor exercises. I’ll also do another video soon on my favorite prolapse relief position. Happy baby is great for relaxing, but sometimes you need to relax while helping the bulge move back in. 😉 And, ladies; that’s a good reason to have some 🍆 in your life if you enjoy it. At one point a few years ago, I was thinking about writing up an article for Men’s Health on things to say to women with prolapse in the bedroom. You know, things like, “I love how your bulge wraps around my “eggplant,” it feels so good.” I’m sure you could help me come up with some more fun and diverse comments to add! I feel very strongly that just because you have prolapse, it doesn’t mean that your sexuality has to go out the window.💃If you’re looking for a good pelvic health OT/PT or pelvic floor-focused fitness professional in your area, shoot me an email. We have an awesome list of PCES grads all over the world who can help renew your confidence in your body and help you make progress, or as Justin Timberlake put it…. “bringing sexy back.”

Aug 2

This hands and knees position can be amazing as a great starting point and all the way to really advanced loading! I love starting out with some arm or leg lifts to hit those abs and mulitifidi, training your deep inner core to help stabilize your spine. Then you can move into more intensive ab work by making it a bit harder. Be mindful to limit shifting side to side or back and forth as you lift. Aim to keep your back in neutral and not let it drop down as you lift a leg. Pressing away or lifting hits your serratus as well, which is often an underworked muscle in need of a bit more strengthening. This is also a great position to work on abdominal bracing and back breathing expansion. So much goodness here. All you have to do is pick your level, and enjoy! #fitpro #exerciseprogression #yogateacher #pilatesteacher #exercise #abexercises #abexercise #strongmom #strongmum

Jul 29

⁣I’ve finally figured out over the years that I need space in my life where I don’t have to feel like a mom. Something that is all mine, where I can feel passion and a sense of adventure. Having my own outlet helps me feel whole, and I’m pretty sure it keeps me sane. 🤪 Climbing fills that bucket for me and helps me embrace the rest of my roles. ⁣⁣When it’s all-mom-life or all-work-life, I feel like I lose a little bit of who I am. There were a few touch-and-go moments over the last couple of years where my work/life balance became trying to work and parent at the same time. If you’ve ever tried it, you know how poorly it goes and how frustrated everyone is left feeling. ⁣⁣Pandemic or not, I couldn’t work full time with my kids at home and stay sane. It just wasn’t possible for me. Something had to give. Figuring out how to balance the first part of the pandemic with work and kids was beyond hard; but it helped me slow down and figure out how to do less. As much as I don’t want to admit it, it also helped me embrace my mom side in a way I hadn’t before, and learn to enjoy my kids more. I don’t know why it took me a bit to see that I could really enjoy my children. Maybe it was me, or maybe it was the age of my kids; but mom-life in general is easier now.⁣⁣What do you think? Do you need a non-mom/non-work outlet? Can you tell the weeks when you don’t get that “me” time? Please comment below and let me know what your outlet passion is! I know there are a lot of us out there looking for ideas to spark that passion for self-care. ⁣⁣I will also admit to being addicted to the Home Edit show, and buying way too many containers. 😂 It just makes me feel good to organize. It’s to the point where I should probably claim it as a hobby! ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#selfcare #selfcarefirst #selfcarematters #strongmom #strongmum #fitmom #fitmum #rockclimbingwomen

Jul 28

Happy baby pose is amazing for relaxing and easing tension from the hips and pelvic floor. ⁣Let’s take a minute and do some happy baby pose exploration. You might find a position variation that surprises you, so I highly recommend you give them all a try. ⁣⁣Happy relaxing and releasing! ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#happybabypose #yogaposesforbeginners #yogateachers #yogainstructor #fitmom #fitmum #strongmum #strongmom #relax

Jul 26

Bringing some mobility to your feet can go a long way for foot awareness and arch function, as well as improving hip, pelvic floor, and core function all the way up the chain. Foot mobility drills can be particularly important if you wear narrow shoes (whether heels or flats), or your sport includes tight-fitting footwear like climbing shoes, dance shoes, or cleats. ⁣⁣That being said, some of the moves can feel a bit boring or ungratifying. That’s why I like finding ways to include what I call “fidgety” exercises during the day (while working on the computer, bathing kids, even hanging out with family🤫...though they’re starting to notice when I try to sneak in exercises…🤔). Doing some of these moves in my daily activities helps to improve my mobility and awareness with every step I take and encourages better movement patterns as I go about my day. ⁣⁣The moves:⁣⁣🔹Finger spacers between toes: Toe wedges can be great, but they can easily be misplaced. Conveniently, our hands are always available! Wedge your fingers between those toes to encourage them to spread (it can be a bit of a tight fit at first). Hold on to your heel to isolate your mid foot. That’s where we want the action to come from as you take your foot in circles.⁣🔹Foot massage: Use your finger (or even the end of a pencil or pen) and gently rub between your toes. If it feels tender at first or a little gritty, ease into it and take it as a sign that your foot will benefit from this.⁣🔹Toe yoga: Oh, the Jedi mind tricks of toe yoga! The goal is progress, not perfection. Feel free to use your hand to assist any toes that want to stay down or lift up. Sometimes putting a small sock wedge under the base of your big toe or inside the heel can be helpful. ⁣⁣Check out our stories for a further breakdown of foot massage and toe yoga.⁣⁣Feel free to outsource this work to a partner or friend, and tell them we made you do it😉⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#footmobility #fitpro #toeyoga #fitmom #fitmum #strongmom #strongmum #hipmobility #pelvicfloorhealth #core ⁣

Jul 22

Bonus points if you can tell me who the “visitor” was toward the end of the video. It’s quick, so watch closely 😂 ⁣⁣Bringing length through your torso and your hips can help unload your pelvic floor better connect to your abs. ⁣⁣Here’s a wall downward dog exercise to work on getting that nice lengthening through your whole body. ⁣⁣Your heels will stay slightly elevated throughout, with knees over mid foot. You can put a 1-2 inch book under your heels if that’s more comfortable, but be sure to keep reaching your weight back toward your heels while keeping your toes down.⁣⁣Reach through the tip of your scapula as you push into the wall to send your hips back. Make sure you don’t collapse at your spine or drop your chest down. ⁣⁣Holding this position, now think of straightening your knees, but don’t actually straighten them. You should feel your hamstrings engage but also your tailbone lift up slightly and sit bones widen. ⁣⁣Make sure to keep your ribs lifted as you do this so you don’t arch your back.⁣⁣Hold, and breathe into the opening. Inhale into your armpits, back, hips, and chest wall. Exhale, feeling your abs and ribs gently knit around toward each other while you maintain the length through your body. ⁣⁣If your shoulder range of motion or glute length is limited, start higher first and work on walking your hands down the wall as things start to open up.⁣⁣If you feel your quads working, you most likely lowered your butt toward the ground. Focus on sending your hips back more and lifting them up to counter their tendency to lower down. ⁣⁣You can add squeezing something between your knees to help open your glutes some more.⁣⁣Enjoy some wall yoga!⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#yogainstructors #yogainstructor #yogateacher #pelvicfloorhealth #fitpro #abdominals #wallyoga

Jul 19

Welcome to bath time Part 2! I love working on better breathing during the day. It’s the perfect movement intention to practice at random times and leaves you feeling so good. If you’re like me and pawn bath time off as a daddy job, then you can sneak these in anywhere. It doesn’t have to be at bath time. The point is to get in some purposeful movement during the day that helps you focus on great breathing! ⁣⁣When someone has just found out they are in a shallow breathing pattern, they often ask, “How long does it take to retrain deep breathing?” This can be hard to answer because it’s part habit and part strength. I usually tell them, “It’s going to take 300 practice sessions before it's a habit.” This might be too long or too short, depending on the person; but the idea is that changing a habit takes a lot of repetition! If you’re in the habit of holding too much tension in your torso and breathing into your neck and shoulders, then you’ve got to take the time to rewire the habit. ⁣⁣It will be a lot quicker to retrain if you reinforce it several times throughout each day than if you only work on it 3 times per week during your exercise session. So, sneak it in where you can. The more you do, the quicker it will become second nature and the better you will feel!⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#fitnessprofessional #breathwork #fitmom #fitmum #strongmom #strongmum #momhacks #habitstacking #breathingexercises #breathingtechniques

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