Mild to moderate incontinence will affect 50-65% of people at some point during their lives¹, with well over half of them never seeking treatment. In addition, there are other pelvic floor problems that are often unreported to a personal trainer, such as prolapse, breathing problems, and lower back pain². The rates are two to three times higher in athletic populations, and as personal trainers, it is vital that we develop an understanding of how our movement prescription may contribute, and how we can avoid contributing.

1CEC/CPD with AusActive and NZREPS, this course will take 1-2hrs to complete.

Learning Outcomes:

1. To gain a basic understanding of the deep core muscles and how they interact.

2. Become competent in delivering and interpreting the assessment tools.

3. Gain some insight into what stresses the pelvic floor – so much more than having a baby!

4. Learn the “stress test” – how to check for a functional pelvic floor in an absence of symptoms

5. Get a starting point for your understanding of the female pelvis.

This course is for trainers who:

• Realise they’ve had next-to-know education in the pelvic floor muscle group
• Want ready-to-go tools for assessing the deep core and pelvic floor
• Train women
• Would like some understanding in how the male and female pelvis and pelvic floor musculature is different
• Are ready to take their training to the next level.

REFERENCES

1http://www.continence.org.au/pages/key-statistics.html

Smith MD, Russell A, Hodges PW. Disorders of Breathing and Continence Have a Stronger Association with Back Pain than obesity and Physical Activity. Aust J Physiother. 2006;52(1):11-16.