Access to Exercise
June 2008 - Lori Fellner


It’s not easy to navigate the winding road from adolescence to adulthood without stumbling into a couple of potholes along the way. And sometimes there are unexpected detours that take you completely off course and you end up in a different place altogether. Kristy Hoornick knows this to be true.

After finishing high school, Hoornick set her sights on a career as a police officer. She enrolled in law enforcement courses at Westervelt College and then Seneca College, and taught fitness classes to pay her tuition. She continued to upgrade her skills as a fitness instructor while completing her studies, which included enrolling in a program to become an emergency response worker. However, when a job offer with a security company came along, she discovered that the shift work meant she wouldn’t be able to teach her fitness classes. “It was a turning point for me. I realized my passion for fitness was always there.” And so she acted on it.

That was more than 12 years ago and today Hoornick has a long list of credentials including elite personal trainer and skills trainer for fitness instructors. She’s also developed a number of workshops and training materials and specializes in pre- and post-natal fitness, Pilates and yoga. Her clients like her no-nonsense approach and her innovative style that combines principles from various disciplines to create unique programs. Goal-setting is the key, explains Hoornick, whether you want to lose weight, take your personal fitness to the next level, or manage chronic pain. Every program is tailored to the client’s individual needs and abilities. And she stays in touch with clients through e-mail or telephone, particularly when they’re starting out, because she recognizes how important the emotional support is to the process and the results people want.

But what makes Hoornick’s passion for fitness unique is that for more than two years now, she’s been working with people with chronic diseases like multiple sclerosis and cancer. She helps these clients manage their pain through exercise, which also helps improve their quality of life. “Everyone, regardless of ability, can participate in some form of exercise, and most exercises can be modified to suit the individual,” says Hoornick. These clients receive an initial assessment including a health history and Hoornick also consults with medical doctors and other health care practitioners to ensure the fitness regimen is safe with respect to the special needs or medical conditions.

Most recently, Hoornick has been bringing her fitness expertise to Hutton House, a centre in London where people with intellectual and physical disabilities can participate in all aspects of community life, from improving job skills and gaining employment, to volunteering and enjoying arts and leisure activities. And with help from Hoornick, now they have the chance to build their physical self-esteem through exercise. “These people are being given opportunities (for fitness) they’ve never had before,” she explains. She works one-on-one with them using hand-held weights, exercise bands and tubes that create resistance using their own body weight. Hoornick carefully explains the exercises in simple language and creates a level of trust with these clients before proceeding. “As long as the exercises are modified to meet their needs, there is really nothing that my clients can’t do,” she asserts. And she’s creating awareness about the benefits of exercise. “Many of these clients and their families used to think, ‘Why do I need to exercise if I’m in a wheelchair?’ (but) now they see the results in their increased muscle tone and core strength that they didn’t have before,” says Hoornick. Family members and support workers also notice how much easier it is to move or transfer a person from a wheelchair to a bed because they’re stronger. “Seeing them perform an exercise that is simple for you and I to do is a huge accomplishment for them,” she says. When family members can assist with the exercises, and participate themselves, it becomes even more meaningful because the whole family can be involved, adds Hoornick.

Mixing things up keeps fitness interesting, so Hoornick is always reinventing her program, focusing on fun and never doing the same workout twice. “It’s all about experimenting and using your imagination,” she says. Volunteers help with the more than 40 clients she sees weekly from Hutton House, and she’s currently developing a training program for staff there.

In a typical week, Hoornick will see between 80 and 90 clients, working 12 or even 14 hours a day. She says she hasn’t been able to settle into one specialty and prefers to work with a wide range of clients. Her own fitness routine includes working with a personal trainer twice a week, running and kick boxing. She chooses to work at this pace because she loves it. “It’s about the passion. I love the fitness industry and the people I work with, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”