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Fit to Deliver Biographies

Karen Nordahl, MD and Co-Author
Fit to Deliver

Dr. Karen Nordahl graduated from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. with a Bachelor of Science Kinesiology (Physiology) in 1987, and completed her medical degree at the University of British Columbia in 1989. She currently practices family medicine and obstetrics at BC Women’s Hospital in Vancouver, BC.

Early in her medical career, Dr. Nordahl discovered that there was an enormous amount of information and misinformation surrounding exercise during pregnancy. Women who remained active during pregnancy had very little information available to them. Hence the "birth" of Fit to Deliver.

Dr. Karen Nordahl joined forces with Carl Petersen in 2000 to develop the first edition of ‘Fit to Deliver’. The program now includes prenatal and postnatal fitness classes in Vancouver BC, Prenatal Exercise Instructor Certification Programs in Canada, US and the UK, and ‘Fit to Deliver’ second edition published October 2004.

Dr. Nordahl has been quoted in the Globe and Mail, Vancouver Sun, Chatelaine, Flare Pregnancy, Fit Pregnancy and Urban Baby magazines. She is has appeared on Global TV and City TV. Dr. Nordahl is on the Editorial Advisory Board of Fit Pregnancy Magazine and Living Fit Magazine.

Karen is also the Head of the Burnaby Medical Association and is a Clinical Associate Instructor at the UBC Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine.

Carl Petersen, Physical Therapist and Co-Author
Fit to Deliver

Carl Petersen is a Physical Therapist and Fitness Coach. He is a Partner & Director of High Performance Training at City Sports & Physiotherapy Clinics in Vancouver, Canada. He has lectured nationally and internationally at numerous conferences on many aspects of physical therapy, physical training, sports training and pre-post natal exercise. His past roles with the Canadian Alpine Ski Team gave him the opportunity to coach and design training programs for Olympic "Gold", World Championship "Gold" and World Cup medalists. Petersen has also worked as a consultant to numerous sports groups in the area of physiotherapy, injury prevention and fitness training. He currently works as the physiotherapist and fitness coach with a variety of athletes from the club level to World Cup Skiers and professionals on the WTA tennis tour. As well Carl has written two sports training books Fit-to-Play Tennis and Fit-to-Ski. He currently takes an active interest in educating and assisting women in exercise and injury prevention throughout the childbearing years.

Renee Minges Jeffreys, Exercise Physiologist

Renee Minges Jeffreys graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Russian History in 1993. After completing her first marathon 1994 she went on to obtain aerobics and personal training certifications. An avid runner, Renee immediately became interested in women’s health issues, wondering specifically how women would be able to maintain their fitness levels during pregnancy. This passion for women’s health and fitness led to graduate school. In June 2001 Renee completed the course work for a Masters of Science in Exercise Science focusing on Clinical Exercise Physiology from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Her thesis was entitled “Do commercially available prenatal fitness programs positively effect labor and deliver, physical discomforts during pregnancy or maternal self-esteem?” This study was initiated during an internship with James F. Clapp, III, MD, an expert on prenatal fitness. She and Dr. Clapp are also collaborating on a study investigating exercise in the supine position and its impact on uterine blood flow.

In the summer of 2001, she met Karen Nordahl and Carl Peterson, and joined the Fit to Deliver Team. She is co-author of the second edition of the Fit to Deliver, and co-author of the Fit to Deliver Certification Program for Fitness Professionals.

Renee holds certifications from ACSM as a Health and Fitness Instructor, ACE as a Personal Trainer, and Clinical Exercise Specialist, AEA as a Water Aerobics Instructor, AFAA as a Land Aerobics Instructor, USATF as a Level One Track and Field Coach, and the American Red Cross as a Health and Safety Instructor. Renee is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Renee is often quoted in Fit Pregnancy Magazine.

Renee owns and operates Fitness for Women, LLC in the greater Cincinnati, Ohio area, which offers personal training, group classes, and consulting services. Renee is proud to be co-developer of Discover Health’s Adventures in Learning’s Physical Activity and Nutrition Program using Pedometers. She is also the Exercise Physiologist for the Holistic Health Center at St. Elizabeth Medical Center.

Renee is an avid runner, mother to Kathryn, 3 and Victoria, 1, and wife to Mark.

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