Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for Fitness and Movement Instructors: A Focus on Cancer Rehabilitation

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Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is essential for fitness instructors, Pilates instructors, yoga and dance instructors, physiotherapists, and other medical movement professionals.  This blog post aims to explore the available CPD courses and qualifications for cancer rehabilitation, with a particular focus on breast cancer survivors.  We will look at longer courses as well as shorter taster workshops.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses and workshops play a crucial role in equipping fitness and movement instructors with the knowledge and skills necessary to support cancer patients and survivors.  Longer, more detailed training programs, such as those offered by Mbodies Training Academy and CanRehab, provide in-depth education and thorough assessment, ensuring that instructors are well-prepared to work with this special population.  In contrast, shorter workshops from companies like STOTT Pilates and BASI Pilates offer valuable introductory knowledge without formal assessments, allowing instructors to gain a basic understanding of working with breast cancer survivors but do not offer a toolbox to take away and feel confident to work with without further deeper understanding of the condition and exercise options.

CPD Courses for Cancer Rehabilitation

1.  CanRehab Specialist Exercise Instructor Course

The CanRehab education focusses on cancer in general running typically over 6 days or equivalent of online live interactive sessions.    The course is high quality but broad.  It trains fitness professionals to create and deliver individualised exercise programmes for cancer patients.  It includes cancer-specific community-based programs, pre-surgery, during treatment, and post-treatment exercise regimens.  Assessment includes a summative test at the end to check both knowledge and application.

2.  Mbodies Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Post Rehab Course

Mbodies Training Academy is Europe’s leading training school for delivering courses for instructors and physiotherapists working in breast cancer oncology units, both government-run and private hospitals.  Qualified instructors regularly partner with Breast cancer and wider cancer charities and this course is regarded as the leading training course for this special population.

Their course provides a comprehensive toolbox for instructors, medical professionals, Pilates instructors, physiotherapists, and fitness instructors to work safely and effectively with breast cancer survivors.  It covers breast cancer etiology, treatment stages, surgical effects, client evaluation, and creating tailored exercise programs.  It also includes measuring and evaluating the range of movement and understanding psychological and physiological side effects.

Length: Equivalent to 16 hours of face-to-face learning with a further 25-30 hours of exam and practical submission preparation the course is delivered as in your own time online learning.   Students are allocated a tutor for support during the course if or as needed.    The course is a standalone course but also forms a part of a wider Women's Wellness Specialist Qualification.  Assessment is rigorous requiring students to complete a written examination, practical teaching assessment, and case study all following the main learning.

3.  Pink Ribbon Program

American Pink Ribbon Program, delivered in the UK by APPI Health Group

This online course is the leading course in the USA where it is predominantly taught one-on-one to breast cancer survivors - there is no evidence of the course being taught to groups of survivors via hospitals or oncology units.  The course has sections of theory which are easy to understand but not in depth on breast cancer recovery through a six-week three stage (2 weeks per stage) structured Pilates based exercise course.  It includes a theory section covering cancer cell profiles, oncology surgeries, therapeutic exercises, and case studies for various reconstruction surgeries.

The course can be fully completed in a short day and there is a simple computerised test at the end.    The course has held the same format for over a decade and is suitable for those who want to be given a structured simple series of exercises for Breast Cancer survivors - however the course is felt by some of its instructors to be too rigid and unable to cope with mixed age and ability groups and is perhaps more suited to one-on-one work.    Oncology professionals are sometimes critical that the course is somewhat outdated in its theoretical components due to little update in a period that Breast cancer treatment has changed considerably.

Shorter CPD Workshops

STOTT Pilates Breast Cancer Rehabilitation Workshop

This introductory workshop focuses on safe and effective programming for clients with breast cancer.  It covers modified exercises for special populations, understanding surgical impacts, and creating therapeutic exercise programs.   The course does not pretend to be comprehensive or a CPD qualification it is delivered as a 2 or 3-hour workshop with no formal assessment at the end.   It offers an instructor a first introduction and requires the instructor keen to know more to consider a more in-depth course to complement it.

BASI Pilates for Breast Cancer Recovery

This is another short workshop provides providing useful knowledge on the fundamentals of breast cancer rehabilitation within a Pilates context.  It covers post-mastectomy care, reconstruction processes, and managing symptoms like lymphedema.

Recognised by BASI Pilates as part of their professional development programs the course has no formal assessment at or after its conclusion.

By choosing the appropriate CPD courses and workshops, instructors can enhance their qualifications and make a significant impact on the lives of cancer patients and survivors, promoting recovery and improving quality of life for those wishing to feel confident working with Cancer patients in general the CanRehab course comes well recommended.   For a more specific Breast Cancer course the leading provider in the European market is Mbodies Training Academy with its focus on up to date course content, high expectations of its students and a strong reputation in the medical and oncology communities.


Author:  Chris Onslow - Pilates Consultant

Chris Onslow, has run Pilates focussed businesses since 1998.  He and his team specialise in supporting Pilates entrepreneurs and business owners.  With a rich history of owning and running successful Pilates studios in the UK, and supporting others in Europe and the Middle East, Chris has broad expertise in maximising profitability and optimising operational efficiency.  His agency provides top-tier advice on selecting new, pre-owned, and hireable Pilates equipment from renowned brands such as Align-Pilates, Balanced Body or Stott-Pilates/Merrithew.  As the founder of Mbodies Training Academy, Chris continues to revolutionise Pilates education, offering premier online and hybrid CPD and qualification courses for Pilates apparatus instruction and special population CPD.  Discover more about how Chris can support your Pilates Business or home exercise choices at www.pilates-consultant.co.uk 


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