Adapted Fitness for Youth!
MOVE is a physical activity and fitness program for Canadian youth with intellectual disabilities or autism, available on Zoom and YouTube.
What is MOVE?
MOVE by GoodLife Kids has been designed exclusively to get youth with disabilities active, and is offered free to families. Once registered, participants get access to 3 live online small group sessions each week led by one of our passionate coaches.
MOVE is for youth ages 12 – 21 years with intellectual disabilities or autism.
NOW accepting participant applications for MOVE! Scroll down to see which program session works for you.
TRY OUT MOVE
Try out MOVE for FREE on the first and third Tuesday of each month
Not sure if MOVE is for you? Our TRY IT sessions are your opportunity to give MOVE a try before joining a class.
What to Expect
We hope YOU will learn to LOVE fitness and physical activity as much as we do!
As a MOVE Participant, you’ll be part of a small group of Participants, and work closely with your Coach to help you achieve your fitness goals – whatever they may be.
You’ll be invited to 3 virtual activities every week – all year long (days and times vary depending on the program in your area). Join us for 30-60 minute adaptive fitness activities like:
- Fundamental Series: Fitness Basics and Stretching/Yoga
- Cardio Series: Dance, Circuit, and Bootcamp
- Strength Series: Upper Body, Lower Body, and Core
A typical MOVE session starts with social time for Participants and your Coach, followed by a fun workout, and finishes with a relaxing meditation.
Once you have joined us for a month, you will be sent a welcome kit in the mail which includes a Participant shirt and some workout gear to make the most of your workouts.
Our long-term goal is to provide MOVE Participants with the skills to increase your physical literacy and build your own love of fitness!
Since fitness is more fun with friends, we would love for your caregiver to join in too!
CLASS SCHEDULES
Choose the schedule that works best for you. Programs are offered in every time zone across Canada!
Keep scrolling to meet the Coaches
Pacific:
- 7pm PT Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with Coach Sara
Prairie:
- 7pm MT Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with Coach Sarah
- 7pm CT Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays with Coach Kristy
Eastern:
- 6pm ET Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with Coach Sherry
- 6:30pm ET Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays with Coach Ash
- 7pm ET Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with Coach Jenna
Atlantic:
- 6pm AT/6:30 NT Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays with Coach Deep
PARTNER CLASSES
We’ve teamed up with these great organizations to bring MOVE to even more youth.
AutismBC:
- 7:00pm PT Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays with Coach Lou
Autism Ontario:
- 7pm ET Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays with Coach Kim
Down Syndrome Association of Ontario (DSAO):
- 7:15pm ET Wednesdays and Fridays, and 1:00pm ET Saturdays with Coach Sherry
FRS (Family Respite Services Windsor – Essex):
- 5:00pm ET Tuesdays and Thursdays with Coach Sobia
Meet the Team
Click to Learn More
Coach Ash
Coach Ash
Coaching Style: I like to coach the whole athlete. It's not just about your fitness goals but also who you are and what motivates and inspires you!
Passionate About: I love going for long walks in nature and relaxing with tea and sudoku puzzles.
Support Agent Dani
Support Agent Dani
Favourite Way to Get Active: Running with my dog, Milo, back and forth in a large field or going on long walks with my family
Passionate About: I want to help children/adults with disabilities find a place where they belong. My past working experiences with Hutton House and ATN INC have helped me in finding my sense of career passion. My end goal is to become a Behavioral consultant for children and adults with mental disabilities. I am also very widely interested in photography, video editing, and crystals!
Support Agent David
Support Agent David
Favourite Way to Get Active: Running and jogging for lower body, pull-ups and arm workouts for upper body, and swimming for full-body!
Passionate About: Drawing, playing video games, swimming and mountain biking, and I want to write a book series with 100 books!
David was a Participant in Coach Sherry's MOVE Class before joining our team as a Support Agent!
Experience with MOVE: It’s a great way to connect to people and converse with them. It is a great experience – you don’t feel uncomfortable. It helps you not feel alone; it is more than just a screen and computer. Exercises help with your body but it helps with your mind too, it gives you motivation to keep going.
Coach Deep
Coach Deep
Coaching Style: I like to know your goals and work together with you to achieve them!
Passionate About: I love social justice advocacy and have attended a multitude of conferences regarding different social justice topics to better learn how I can help make a difference.
Support Agent Devyn
Support Agent Devyn
Favourite Way to Get Active: A clear space where I can easily move around then wear light clothing that's easily to move in so I can stretch out and do some exercises involving situps, pushups, and squats. I also enjoyed virtual reality dancing
Passionate About: Computer tech involving building PC's and changing parts around or working with various programs. Virtual Reality has been a focus of mine lately with having my own avatar I can create videos or bring entertainment to others.
Support Agent Faiz
Support Agent Faiz
Favourite Way to Get Active: Jogging and exercising with MOVE
Passionate About: Badminton and seeing my friends
Support Agent Kathleen
Support Agent Kathleen
Favourite Way to Get Active: I enjoy walking my dog and gardening. I look forward to my weekly MOVE classes.
Passionate About: My favorite animal is the Koala and my favorite singer is Alan Doyle
Kathleen was a Participant in Coach Deep's MOVE Class before joining our team as a Support Agent!
Experience with MOVE: I enjoy the MOVE program because I have discovered many new exercises that I have never done before. There is very limited exercise programs to support me with my disability. This is the first program that is consistent three times a week and Coach Deep supports me in adapting different exercises to my abilities. Providing a virtual platform has been an excellent experience during the COVID restrictions.
Coach Kim
Coach Kim
Coaching Style: I am a high school physical education teacher, Group Fitness Instructor for RPM and BP and I am a yoga instructor. Fitness not only improves my physical health, but also my mental, social, emotional and spiritual health!
Favourite Way to Get Active: I am an early-bird and love to start my day with a run, row or spin. I love my cardio workouts and try to add some core and strength workouts about three times a week. Running is my all time fav - I just need my running shoes and some music!
Passionate About: I love simplicity.... music, essential oils, my family, my dog, nature walks and getting up early to workout. I love nature hikes too!
Support Agent Kris
Support Agent Kris
Favourite Way to Get Active: I love walking in my neighbourhood and helping friends care for their horses.
Passionate About: Movies are the best as well as time spent looking after plants and my garden!
Coach Kristy
Coach Kristy
Coaching Style: In my +20-years of experience in the fitness industry, I've worked with youth and adults with disabilities since 2008, creating inclusive classes and environments.
Passionate About: I also love dogs, animal rescues, and animal sanctuaries. Ask me about my dog Gertie!
Coach Lou
Coach Lou
Favourite Way to Get Active: Apart from taking my dog for a walk, you'll find me in the summer golfing, SUP boarding, and surfing. In the winter I can be found on my Snowboard.
Passionate About: I love to go to concerts and see live bands!
Support Agent Madison
Support Agent Madison
Favourite Way to Get Active: My favourite way to get active is to play adaptive sports such as sledge hockey and wheelchair basketball.
Passionate About: Other than being involved in sports, I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I also enjoy giving back to the community in as many ways as I can, and advocating for those of all abilities.
Coach Morgan
Coach Morgan
Coaching Style: I like to use lots of examples and demonstrations to find the best way to help you learn!
Passionate About: I love being outside! Hiking, camping and skiing are my favourite ways to spend the weekend.
Coach Sara
Coach Sara
Favourite Way to Get Active: I love to hike in the mountains with my family, run outside, lift weights, do yoga, and play games with my kids.
Passionate About: Supporting others in achieving healthy, sustainable habits for lifelong vitality. I also love the outdoors, painting and exploring the world and its many cultures.
Coach Sarah
Coach Sarah
Favourite Way to Get Active: I stay active by teaching group fitness classes! My favourite is Les Mills body attack. Outside of the gym I enjoy hiking with my family in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.
Passionate About: I grew up figure skating and am passionate about the sport! I still love to get on the ice and I truly enjoy watching my favourite athletes perform!
Coach Sherry
Coach Sherry
Coaching Style: I want to motivate you to be the best you can be and have a ton of fun!
Passionate About: I love spending time with my family and exploring new adventures!
Coach Sobia
Coach Sobia
Favourite Way to Get Active: Zumba, Yoga and going on walks
Passionate About: I love to read and bake healthy treats!
Support Agent Teresa
Support Agent Teresa
Favourite Way to Get Active: Seated Aerobics
Passionate About: Volunteering is very important to me: I am a Big Sister Mentor and enjoy spending time with my little sister.
Coach Vi
Coach Vi
Favourite Way to Get Active: I love teaching classes! Otherwise, out to the mountains on a snowboard or bike rides with the kids.
Passionate About: I love planning events, especially weddings!
Supervisor Christina
Supervisor Christina
Favourite Way to Get Active: Yoga, stretching and meditation, or walks in nature. I love to get fresh air whenever possible and explore my beautiful province!
Passionate About: Being an advocate! I started advocating for myself during a health scare, and have started advocating for all communities, regardless of age, race, abilities or gender.
Supervisor Larissa
Supervisor Larissa
Favourite Way to Get Active: Teaching group fitness and doing yoga
Passionate About: I have danced and played the piano since I was very young and still to this day love music and dancing!
Program Director Kyla
Program Director Kyla
Favourite Way to Get Active: I'm absolutely a morning person and love getting my workouts done first thing to kickstart my day. Strength training is my favourite way to get active as it makes me feel strong, not only physically, but mentally. I'm the best version of myself when I move my body.
Passionate About: I love learning, and think podcasts are such a great tool to learn from others on many topics. Some topics I'm passionate about are leadership, health & fitness, and self-development. One of my favourite podcasts to listen to on my daily walk is, "On Purpose with Jay Shetty". I love podcasts so much that I hope to have my own one day soon!
Are you ready to COACH?
Did you know that youth with special needs often face additional barriers to participation in physical activity? Many typical youth programs don’t offer additional support – or the cost is prohibitive to families. MOVE has been designed to deliver a live online workout and to address a number of the barriers youth face in order to get moving.
MOVE Virtual Coaches are responsible for providing exceptional participant experience through adaptive and progressive workouts delivered over Zoom.
We will provide training on how to work with youth with special needs – if you have a passion for helping everyone thrive through physical activity and fitness, this could be the job for you!
We are not currently hiring, but if you want to be notified of future job postings, follow the link below to subscribe to hiring updates.
Our Partners
Ausome Canada
All of our Coaches and Support Agents are trained in how to work with youth with intellectual disabilities or autism in a fitness setting by our friends at Ausome Canada. This training ensures MOVE Participants receive the best experience, tailored to their specific needs.
Canadian Tire Jumpstart
Along with Jumpstart, we understand the role sport plays in the health and well-being of kids and their families and are doing everything possible to help community sports continue. With Jumpstart’s support, we ran 2 programs in 2021: MOVE with FRS and MOVE with Janus Academy.
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