Pilates CPD for supporting Diastasis recti

The Center’s Diastasis Recti Recovery course will inform the end user of a progressive exercise program that focuses on optimal musculoskeletal and fascial performance to facilitate recovery and prevent reoccurrence.

Course Description & Objectives

Designed for Fitness, Pilates and Yoga Professionals, The Center Method™ for Diastasis Recti Recovery program investigates the history, anatomy and epidemic of diastasis recti commonly known as a separation of the rectus abdominus muscles.

Utilizing breathwork, pelvic floor information, whole body movement and myofascial release techniques, this rehabilitative course equips you with the skills you need to help your clients release, realign and restore the core musculature.

The program offers a series of deep stabilizing exercises with progressions that will allow you to progress towards your regular exercise program, if that is your goal. The deep understanding of the working of your body will ensure the prevention of a recurrence of this condition.

Continuing education credits:

6 NPCP– National Pilates Certification Program
.9 ACE– American Council on Exercise
7.5 PAA– Pilates Alliance Australasia

You will gain a deep understanding of:

The condition of diastasis recti.
Why it happens and how you may prevent it.
How it affects all populations not just postpartum women.
The role of the pelvic floor and fascial connections to the abdominals and other “core” muscles.
The connection of the thorax to the pelvis and breath.
Correct activation of the pelvic floor and abdominals.
Correctly performing exercises that have been traditionally contraindicated for this condition.

Course Outline

Lecture

History of Diastasis Recti and the exercise boom.
Anatomy of the anterior and posterior abdominal wall.
Anatomy of the Thorax.
Anatomy of the pelvic floor.
Fascial connections through the pelvic floor and abdominals.
Why release work is important.
Re learning how to breathe without over recruiting.
Understanding muscle and bone connections using the breath.

Practical

Assessing the client for DR and indications of holding patterns and restrictions.
Learning to read the body and the movement patterns.
Applying myofascial release techniques to release restrictions.
Re patterning the body to aid in restoration of the abdominal wall.
Foundational exercises for rehabilitation of diastasis recti.

Requirements for Specialist Track

Live or online coursework
1 self-assessment video
10 hours self practice log (log book included)
10 hours teaching log (log book included)
1 teaching video

Course Fees & Registration

Online Course
USD400.
Includes manuals,
6-hr Recorded Course

In-Person
with Carolyne Anthony
USD450/400 with faculty

This includes one manual and two balls.

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The Center for Women’s Fitness

We teach fitness of the body, mind and spirit.

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The Center for Women’s Fitness was founded by Carolyne Anthony in 1994 out of a sense of frustration at the lack of programs designed for women going through pregnancy (as she herself was) and the postpartum period. As an ex professional dancer, active in running and swimming, she found a serious lack of information surrounding one of the most life changing events in a woman’s life.

This has started the journey of creating comprehensive exercise programs and teacher trainings around the world that help women balance their physical, emotional and spiritual bodies through all stages of life.

Today The Center for Women’s Fitness leads the way in Women’s Health Programs by offering The Women’s Health and Exercise Specialist Certification™ and The Women’s Health Pilates Specialist Certification™ . The Center has over 3000 teachers in 41 countries with 30 faculty members and host sites worldwide.

Story of The Center for Women’s Fitness

Carolyne’s search for effective and safe programs for pregnancy led her to find the late Sylvia Klein Olkin, author of The Positive Pregnancy Fitness and Postpartum programs in 1991. Carolyne eventually became a Master Teacher for Sylvia before Sylvia’s untimely death.

Inspired to learn more, Carolyne started to study under well known midwives in her community and certified to be a Birth Doula with Patty Brennan, studied the pelvic floor with midwife Amanda Smith (who did the illustrations for her books). Carolyne attended births and helped women recover postpartum for several years.

As a new mother and pregnant again for the third time, Carolyne set about trying to balance motherhood with designing and teaching the pregnancy fitness program. Opening a home studio worked well in those early years. The time was spent refining the prenatal program that was to become the highly acclaimed international Pre and Postnatal Health and Exercise™ Certification.

Carolyne was first introduced to Pilates in 1982 as a professional dancer in London. Her first teacher was Alan Herdman. She then went on to learn from Real Isacowitz of BASI- where her pre and postnatal program became a part of his advanced education offering. Next in line was a certification through Polestar, PhysicalMind and The PMA. This led to designing programs specifically for Pilates culminating in The Pre and Postnatal Pilates Specialist™ Program. She has also certified as a group fitness instructor with AFAA and AEA.

In 2004, Carolyne began thinking about ways in which she could enhance the postpartum period for women and began her journey into her native Malaysian culture of massage and binding of the abdominals after birth. She discovered that this technique is instrumental in aiding in the recovery and prevention of diastasis recti- a condition that many postpartum women suffer from. Finally in 2011 The Gentle Birth Project™ was born.

As Carolyne experienced her own life changes, she has kept up with her education and has continued to develop movement programs specific to the female anatomy and physiology. Out of the prenatal program has come her Support your Floor™- Pelvic Floor Health, The Center Method for Diastasis Recti Recovery™ and her Pilates for Menopause™ programs for fitness and Pilates instructors.

Carolyne teaches from the whole body perspective – the physical, mental and emotional bodies. As an advocate for women, she uses movement to empower and educate women about their bodies through every stage of life, understanding that without mental or emotional health there can be no physical health. Her training in Esoteric Healing has helped her understanding of the subtle bodies and how to integrate them into movement using breath and gentle rocking. This along with her training as a John Barnes Myofascial Release Practitioner, led to the development of the popular Rocking and Rolling to Release™ course.

Our Founder

Carolyne Anthony

Carolyne began her professional career as a dancer in London having completed her Diploma in Dance at The Stella Mann College in 1982.She went on to dance in companies in the UK, Europe and East Africa. Along with dancing, Carolyne has always had an interest in movement, she has swum competitively and was a keen runner in her younger days.

While attending company class in London in 1983, she was referred to Alan Herdman for Pilates and thus began her love affair with this amazing method. Carolyne has gone on to certify with Polestar, BASI, The PhysicalMind Institute and the Pilates Method Alliance.

Upon her relocation to the USA in the mid 80’s Carolyne became involved in the Fitness industry and went on to certify in group exercise, personal training and aquatics. She was also a professor of Dance at The Hartford Conservatory of Music and Dance and the Artistic Director of the Enfield Civic Ballet Company.

Carolyne’s journey into women’s health began with the birth of her first daughter in 1988. Dismayed by the lack of information available for women during the childbearing years, she went on to complete her Birth Doula training as well as studying under well known Midwives such as Patty Brennan and Pat Kramer. The illustrations for her pre and postnatal teacher training manual are the product of midwife Amanda Smith in Ann Arbor MI.

Being a birth doula has informed her program design for the pre and postnatal work that she does. Her philosophy is about preparing the body for birth and repairing the body after birth with exercises that truly address the changes that are taking place in the pregnant body.

This desire to work according to the female anatomy and physiology has led Carolyne to study other modalities such as myofascial release (she is a John Barnes practitioner) Out of his work has come the Rocking and Rolling to Release™ course. She has also completed the level four Esoteric Healing Program and in-depth anatomy courses.

Learning from her own life’s experiences Carolyne has developed her Pilates for Menopause™ course, Support your Floor™ (Pelvic Floor Training) and the very successful The Center Method for Diastasis Recti Recovery™ program, the Women’s Health and Exercise Certification™ and The Women’s Health Pilates Specialist Certification™.

Her work has taken her all over the world, training the trainers to be able to help their female clients through all stages of their lives. She currently has over 3000 teachers in 41 countries plus 30 faculty teaching her methods.

Carolyne continues to develop her own curriculum for women that incorporates all her studies in myofascial release, esoteric healing, anatomy, ballet, fitness, Pilates and lifelong moving.

She has 3 daughters, one grandson and two granddaughters on the way!

Carolyne's Education
Doreen Bird School of Theatre Dance –Teaching Diploma in Theatre Arts (1979)

Stella Mann College Diploma in Dance Education London, UK (1982)

Member, The Royal Academy of Dancing (1982)

Associate of The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance (1982)

Professional Certifications
AFFA (1992) – Group Exercise Leader
Step Reebok (1994) – Group Exercise Leader
AEA (1997)- Group Exercise Leader
Birth Doula (1998)
Yamuna Bodyrolling (2002) – Myofascial release certification
PhysicalMind Pilates (2005) – Comprehensive Pilates Instructor certification
Polestar Pilates (2006)- Comprehensive Pilates Instructor Certification
BASI Pilates (2008)- Comprehensive PIlates Instructor Certification
NCPT -Certified Pilates Teacher
Pilates Dance Specialization with Karen Clippinger (2009)
Level II Reiki
John F. Barnes-Myofascial Release Practitioner
Esoteric Healing Practitioner level 4

EMPLOYMENT
Gin-Pac Ballet Company Nairobi, Kenya (1984)

The Black Theater Dance Company of London (1985)

The Hartford Conservatory of Music and Dance, Hartford, CT (1986 – 1987)
Professor of Dance-choreographer, taught daily ballet and jazz classes, and taught pedagogy to diploma students.

Enfield Civic Ballet Company, Enfield, CT (1988 – 1989)
Artistic Director-Auditioned and trained teenage girls, choreographed dances, and organized and supervised rehearsals.

New England Dance Theater, East Long Meadow, MA (1986 – 1989)
Ballet Dancer

BASI PIlates Advanced Education Faculty for Pre and Postnatal Education (2007-2008)

Balanced Body Faculty (2008-2011)