Moving Through Healing

This week, we were given the opportunity to share our deep passion for a new approach for the fitness industry, one that recognizes the critical role mental health plays in physical well-being and vice versa.

As we spoke of our vision with other social entrepreneurs, they were eager to share with us how a trauma informed lens would radically improve their access. So many shared stories of how fear, shame, and stress were preventing them from undertaking the difficult task of getting started or even envisioning themselves living healthier lives.

We walked away from the conference with new friends, new clients, and a renewed sense of purpose for sharing with others what we have learned over the past three years: the future of fitness is trauma informed.

Today we launch the first level of our Moving Through Healing professional education series: Trauma Informed Fitness, a nationally accredited course for fitness professionals.

This work has been almost two decades in the making, and brings together 3 individuals- Canadian Society for Exercise of Physiology Certified Personal Trainers Zita Dube-Lockhart and Toni Harris and Registered Psychologist/Trauma Expert Janine Groeneveld.

Each brings their own unique professional backgrounds in the fields of behavioural science, psychology, sociology, physiology and exercise science to truly tackle trauma from a lens.

Together they culminate to over 25 years of academic study and 50 years of combined experience working with bodies and minds!

Today, we bring this work to our first cohort- a group of highly passionate fitness professionals who are all already deeply engaged in the process of making change in this world.

We hope to leave them not only feeling equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to be agents of change in their industry, but also feeling inspired and motivated to tackle these uncomfortable but important conversations.

Trauma. It definitely seems like *the* hot topic right now, especially as we all work to come to terms with the psychological and physical changes of the pandemic and begin to envision the return to a post-Covid normal.

But what does this word mean, and how does it relate back to fitness training? The answers might shock you!

We all know that exercise is medicine, especially when it comes to preventative health care.

But did you know that, when properly prescribed and carefully dosed, it is the #1 most effective intervention for anxiety, depression, and other similar mental health conditions?

It is also the most effective way of managing stress, and of recovering from stress related injuries!

Did you also know that your body doesn't recognize the difference between good stress and bad stress? On a physiological level, all types of stress evoke virtually the same responses- from car accidents to exercise.

This makes the gym a particular hot spot for stress and trauma related injuries, often stemming from exercise intolerance, excessive exercise or accidental retraumatization.

Like all good medicine, a thorough understanding of the illness is critical to creating a safe healing environment.

Our Trauma Informed Fitness series introduces participants to the 6A TIF Framework for creating a trauma sensitive practice, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and tangible tools they need to become part of the mental health solution.

Learn more by visiting movingthroughhealing.wordpress.com

*This course is accredited by several nationally recognized fitness associations. Please contact us for more details.*

We are extremely excited to have received our first approval for Continuing Education Credits with

The Level 1: Trauma Informed Fitness Specialist by qualifies for 4.5 CECs and will be an excellent addition to the professional education and skills of any fitness professional looking to broaden their understanding of the human response to trauma, stress from a fitness perspective.

For more information on how to register, visit the link in bio!

Taking on the task of establishing a universal framework for the fitness industry is no small feat. The industry is as vast and diverse as the people who form it. From business owners, physiologists, athletic therapists, personal trainers, group fitness instructors, sport specialists, coaches, and everything in between, the goal of the 6A framework was to bridge the gap between the health care system and the spaces in which health thrives.

We sought to find accessible language and concepts that extended beyond just one area of the industry and would be equally applicable in multiple settings and contexts. Building upon the original pillars of the TIC model, designed for healthcare settings, the TIFS 6A Framework is a starting point rather than an end in and of itself.

We expect it to grow and fluctuate, as knowledge in this field continues to expand and we continue to integrate new learnings and best practices.