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Core and Pelvic Floor Programs | Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist Certification

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.

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

low down on lube FI

The Low Down on Lube

June 28, 2021

DR- definition, causes and treatment feature image

Diastasis Recti: Definition, Causes and Treatment

May 10, 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

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Dec 3

Dr. Anna here! Today I am going to take you through a front plank variation. We will be using our hamstrings to help with pelvic positioning. This will help you better connect with your abs and get back-body expansion while breathing. ⁣⁣This can be a great warm-up or modification to try if you are having a hard time progressing your planks lower to the ground without getting rectus dominance, doming, or separation at your midline, especially if you have diastasis. It can help as well if you are feeling pressure on your pelvic floor during planks. ⁣⁣You can also try this as a warm-up if you’re having trouble with push-ups. Watch the video to see a full demonstration of this front plank variation and let me know if you could feel a difference.⁣⁣Enjoy exploring the exercise!⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#planks #fitpro #certifiedpersonaltrainer #diastasis #pelvicfloordysfunction #pushup #hamstrings

Nov 19

Dr Anna here! Today we are going to talk about a side plank variation that can be really helpful if you are having trouble finding your abs during this exercise, or keeping it out of your low back, neck, and shoulders. We are going to do this by turning the side plank into a full body exercise! We will be thinking about how we can use pelvic muscles to reposition our pelvis and improve the resting tension in our abs as well as create a better stack of our rib cage over our hips. Check out the video for a full demonstration of how to do the side plank variation and give it a try!Were you able to find your hamstrings and really feel your abs kick in?#sideplank #sideplankvariation #sideplanks #fitpro #fitnessprofessional #fitmom #strongmum #hamstrings

Nov 15

You may have taken the plunge to start thinking about your feet. Maybe read or heard some about barefoot running, or maybe you’ve simply gotten used to pandemic life of no shoes and are asking yourself, “can I work out barefoot?” 😂Check out this great article Dr. Anna wrote to find out the benefits of working out barefoot and how you could use it to enhance your workouts.Read the full article here (live link in bio): https://www.coreexercisesolutions.com/exercise-barefoot-for-added-benefit/

Nov 12

Sometimes you're in foundation building mode and other times you’re in bring the 🔥mode and ready to up the challenge. This is one of my favorite core exercises for coordinating an abdominal brace with scapula engagement. Climbing often has a lot of moving parts all at once so it’s fun to work on some of these more extended positions in the gym so I feel stronger on the wall. If you’re ready to increase the challenge, give this one a try! I think you’ll enjoy it. Form Tips: Be sure to use all the same great form tips you’d use for a regular plank. Focus on using your abdominals to brace and hold you upMake sure you’re not doming or coning out significantly in your midlinePay attention to the pressure down on your pelvic floor. Any abdominal exercise has the potential to put tremendous pressure down on the pelvic floor if pressure isn’t managed well. Try to keep your head up in line with your body as much as possible (arguably the most challenging part of this exercise), knees soft not hyperextended, hips down and low back lifted. For the scapula horizontal abduction part, I highly recommend getting this exercise down in standing or half kneeling before trying it in combo. Focus on your scapula coming back and down, slightly opening your chest and shoulder using your middle and lower traps. If you feel your shoulder creeping up by your ear when you try these, you can lighten the weight of the band to make it a bit easier. The great part about holding a plank while doing these is it’s hard to cheat for those lower traps by arching your back since you’re actively preventing arching with your abs. So, that’s a win-win situation! If you notice a lot of neck tightness after, I’d take a look at your serratus strength on the supporting arm. If your serratus isn’t strong enough to support you in this position, then you’ll switch to those neck muscles instead. Lastly, have fun!! And let me know how it goes if you give it a try. 🙂 #exercisedemo #fitnessintructor #fitpro #scapula #serratus #abs #abexercise

Nov 10

Do you have questions about your current workout plan and if you should switch to a new one? Not sure what would be best? Swipe through the images for suggestions of when you should stick with it, or switch it up and get a new plan! Sometimes it’s time for a new plan and sometimes you just need to switch it up.How are you feeling about your workout plan? Do you even have a plan? 😅 Does your plan reflect your goals? Goals can be things like walking 3 miles without my hip aggravating me afterward, doing my first pullup, exercising for 30 minutes 5 days a week for a healthier heart, or building glutes that can run me uphill fast! Goals don’t have to be wrapped up in grand athletic plans. They can be simple and made to fit your life! If you’re like me 🙋‍♀️ parenting, working, or simply trying to balance it all, having a goal helps me focus the little time and energy I have left over. With a goal, I can tailor my workouts and time to what matters most! It’s amazing what you can accomplish over 6 months to a year with a plan#workout #workoutplan #injuryprevention #goals #fitpro #fitwomen #postnatalfitness

Nov 8

Flat abs are an aesthetic sign that you've been hitting the gym and watching what you eat (probably more on the eating side), but as a physical therapist, I'd like to dive deeper into this topic than aesthetics.I've seen enough patients who have “met aesthetic goals" but are in pain that I think it's a topic worth talking about, because their neck, back, and pelvis pain are being caused by their abdominals or their approach to strengthening them. Why waste your time trying to be fit if you can't enjoy it by feeling great in the process?! More neck tightness and back pain does not equal life happiness! (Constantly restricted eating trying to reach an unreasonable fat loss goal doesn’t often equal life happiness either, but that’s a topic for another article.)Our goal as we dive into this topic is to look at how we can create an amazingly strong and supportive core that doesn’t dome, bulge, create excessive pressure or contribute to pain. The human body is truly incredible! Read the full article here: https://www.coreexercisesolutions.com/the-secret-to-flat-abs/ (Link also in bio)#flatabs #abs #fitwomen#fitnessinstructor #postpartumrecovery #postnatalrecovery

Nov 5

I got a great question recently. Someone asked, “Does the diaphragm contract on the inhale or the exhale, and then what happens with the pelvic floor?" The answer is important to know so you can understand how breathing affects your pelvic floor.Watch the video for a demonstration of how the diaphragm and pelvic floor coordinate. It is amazing how everything works together to create a pressure system. The human body is just so fascinating! 🤓We want to make sure this system is working efficiently to help improve issues like prolapse and diastasis. The good news is the human body is incredible, and given the right environment it has tons of room for improvement! 😊Did you learn anything new from the video? Can you feel this happening? If not, that might be a sign of pelvic floor tightness. If you’d like more information on pelvic floor tightness, check out my Instagram stories today for helpful article links. #pelvicfloor #diaphragm #diaphragmaticbreathing #postpartumfitness #postnatalfitness

Nov 3

I’ve been training harder lately, and the need for managing the extremes is really hitting home. I’ve swung both ways with my training over the years, and hindsight clearly shows the lack of progress from not managing my schedule well. There have been times when I haven’t trained hard enough. I’ve exercised, but not consistently enough or with a good enough plan or enough overload to see a lot of gains. I’ve also had the other extreme where I’ve trained too hard and worked out too much, and that’s had a negative impact on making improvements. There really is a sweet spot. Too little, and you fail to stimulate positive muscle adaptation. Too much, and you don’t give yourself time to recover. Recovery is actually when our muscles heal and get stronger. The workout part is what breaks them down. Recovery is important! One of the main things I’m learning as I get older is that I need more rest days. Complete rest days too, not active rest. 😅And sometimes, two in a row. 😳Take a moment and assess the state of your physical strength. Are you where you want to be? If not, think about why, and what you can easily change to help you make more progress. Are you doing the same workouts over and over? Are you working out hard enough and often enough? Are you giving yourself enough time for recovery, or are you running your body into the ground? 🤔Goals can be met! They just need a little planning and good habits in place. Do you have any goals you’d like to reach? Any questions I might be able to help you with, or injuries you need to overcome to be able to train harder? Just comment below, and I’ll see what I can do to help! 👇#goals #traininghard #balance #fitwomen #fitpro #fitnessmotivation #postnatalfitness #postpartumfitness

Nov 1

Have you ever wanted more information about a c-section? Knowing what to expect may help you feel more comfortable with the procedure as well as contribute to your healing, because knowledge is power. I think we should prepare all soon to be moms with a little more knowledge in this area, just in case! Needing a c-section does not mean you had a failed delivery or took the easy way out. It’s simply needing a c-section and sometimes it’s the safest birth option for mom and baby. Part of my job is helping to prepare women for all options. Have a plan, but be ok if things need to change. I have helped various women work through their thoughts on wanting a v-bac, or wanting a scheduled c-section due to trauma from their previous delivery. The right way to give birth is the way that is the best fit for the mom that’s giving birth! Dr. Anna wrote an amazing in depth article about reasons, risks, preparation and recovery from a c-section. Stay tuned, because she has two more articles in the works about the c-section experience and returning to exercise after the procedure!Read the full article here (live link in bio): https://www.coreexercisesolutions.com/c-section-reasons-risks-recovery/#csection #csectionrecovery #csectionscar #postpartumrecovery #postnatalfitness #postnatalrecovery

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