7 Things About Our 2021 Outdoor Kid's Fitness Program

7 Things About Our 2021 Outdoor Kids Circuit and Fitness Program

By: Sumera Garcia-Quadri

1. We instruct for kids!

   Kids are not mini-adults. They're kids! Our program combines age-appropriate games, music, and fitness and circuit drills to create a fun experience to help our little friends ages 7 to 11 learn the fundamental movement skills (FMS) outlined by the Coaches Association of Canada

   Each class contains a warm-up and cool down, fitness drills, and pair and circuit activities relating to the sport skill for that week. To see the FMS we're teaching, click here
   

2. We have a 0 bullying policy

   We do not believe in “tough love” or the “no pain no gain” philosophy. Because if you're in pain, the only thing you'll gain is an injury and that's anything but fun!

   Our instructors provide constructive feedback and options that aim to encourage kids to keep trying a movement or activity that may be difficult. When it comes to peer to peer bullying, we do not tolerate bullying in any form. This includes verbal and physical bullying towards their peers or instructor. To find out about our bullying and warning policy, click here

3. We're beginner-friendly

   We adapt our instruction for multi-levels, especially for kids with basic movement skills. To keep kids motivated, we encourage them to go at their own pace and offer various options. Our program is also designed to teach a new FMS each week which means your child can join in at any time.

4. We're trained to work with kids

   Sumera and any instructors under her have a love of kid's fitness and experience working with kids through work, sports teams, and/or education. Additionally, all instructors will have training in CPR and First Aid and a police check. To know more about Sumera, click here

5. We're Embracing The Outdoors During Covid-19

   Due to routine gym and community center closures, this program will be offered for the first time outdoors at a local park in the High Park area. For more info on what happens when we cancel or reschedule a class, click here.

6. We're seasonal

   We're offering our program from May 2021 to July 2021, multiple times a week, and at different times. We have lunchtime hours for kids homeschooling, after school hours, and weekend mornings. To see the tentative schedule and/or join a waitlist, click here.

   Our program will adhere to COVID-19 protocols at that time

7. We May Be Able To Come To You!

   If you're in the west end of Toronto, have a large park by you and a group of 6 kids (maximum 8), we can try and bring this to you! To find out about our program syllabus, park, and schedule, click here.

5 Highlights From Our Summer Outdoor Kid's Fitness Program

By: Sumera Garcia-Quadri

Before Fall rolls in, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the key takeaways from our first outdoor kid’s fitness program in the High Park area.

1. We had a total of 18 kids registered across 2 sessions - that showed me that there was more demand for a program like this than I had imagined (YAY!)

2. We never had to cancel a class due to rainy weather (YAY!)

3. All of the parents were highly flexible and communicative -parents were always ready to reschedule a class in case of bad weather and awaited my email updates 2-hours before a class start time. I was lucky to have parents disclose their child’s needs ahead of time so that I could plan accordingly to support them in a group setting

Please note: I am not trained to work with children with special needs, but I do my best to accommodate all children where I can. If I cannot, I have an honest discussion with the parent(s) on what I feel is best for them when it comes to this type of program. That may include having the parent(s) assist in the class and/or issue a refund back to them so that they can enroll their child in a program that fits their needs.

4. Every child enrolled participated in ALL of the activities - I encouraged children to learn core fitness exercises through games and circuits that ranged from non-competitive to competitive at their own pace and by encouraging them to try different levels/variations as long as they did not have injuries.

5. All of the kids got along - It’s not easy to participate in a group activity with people we don’t know! That is why I was blown away by how well the kids came together in such a short period of time to get to know me and their peers.

We have a 0 bullying policy and I am proud to report that we had 0 bullying - this includes hitting, object throwing, name-calling, gossiping, and swearing.

What’s Next?

We’re gearing up for an outdoor Kid’s Fitness program this October with a Halloween element to it in hopes of keeping our little friends motivated to burn off some extra sugar before Halloween Day!

For more info on this 4-week session/to join a waitlist, click here

10 Things We've Done Since Social Distancing Began

By Sumera G. Q.

When I hear some say that they are not affected by the Coronavirus, I'm lost for words!

Like us, some of our class participants have lost their jobs or their partners have, some are living with the pain of losing a parent and not being able to attend the funeral and grieve physically with their family members, and for those with kids, some have had no choice but to home school their children and help them with their homework assignment which can take hours to finish.

Keeping these realities in mind, I felt it was important to shed some light on 10 that we have done to try to keep our participants, family, and friends moving and feeling less stressed out at home since we officially stopped in-class programs on March 17. We are also coping with the effects that the virus has had on our families and personal lives at the same time.

1. In March, we created over 90 videos to replace the remaining classes for the 2020 Winter session for mom and baby Ballet workouts, kids fitness and games march break camps, and women's Bollywood dance and Bollywood fitness programs offered across 4 locations.

2. Implemented 3-weeks of free trial online classes for feedback and to encourage current and new participants to get used to the new normal. These included: Zumba Fitness, Pound Fit, Mom and Baby Ballet, Bollywood Dance, Classical Indian Dance, Stick Dancing, Bollywood Dance Fitness, and Strength Training workouts

3. Implemented our first online kid's programs for May in under a week with 2 free trials and 2 instructors

4. Contacted participants to provide credits or refund options if necessary - We are very lucky in that many of our clients were generous and supportive during this time

5. Created a COVID-19 gift package to support both a friend and us at home

6. Made the tough decision to proceed with 3 locations this Fall, and to give up one

7. Planned for a fall return with basic programming and 3 primary instructors

8. I decided to strengthen our current partnerships and relationships with fellow instructors in hopes of supporting each other where possible and just to say, you're not alone! So often when we're doing well or on the go, we forget to do small things like say hello or thank you!

9. I'm proud to say that where many large gyms and studios have failed (by freezing memberships, refusing to correspond with customers in a timely manner, and not provide other alternatives) we stepped in. With the city changing the rules on a daily basis, so did we!

10. I applied to a hand full of grants for artistry and to run virtual youth dance and fitness sessions for those living in unsafe communities and violent homes - I have been fortunate to have received some support due to my volunteer work and supportive partnerships with youth and community organizations

2 things that let us know that what we're doing is needed in some capacity is first, the sweet notes and reviews we've gotten, and two, some of our friends and family members from Edmonton to Spain that aren't into the home workout thing have signed up for our online classes to bond and sweat with us. That's something we don't get during normal times!

We have high hopes of returning both in-person and online (if necessary) this September.

To stay in the loop, follow us on Instagram and Facebook @fusioncardiotoronto or join our mailing list on the home page here.

Stay home and stay well,

Sumera

We're More Than Dance & Fitness - We Promote Wellness & Livliness!

During this time of social distancing and “homeness,” it’s the heartwarming reviews that have reminded me why I’m still here after 6 years.

I believe that instructors/owners that listen to and incorporate feedback from their clients, where reasonable, are more likely to grow over things like how beautiful their logo or space looks! Although I still find fancy studios super exciting - don’t tell anyone!

I’ve come to realize that what I was looking for in a dance and fitness class for myself in my 30’s was what many other women were looking for too. Weight-loss wasn’t the main reason!

Here are some of the reasons

• A supportive environment - we always welcome women of all abilities, ages, and health conditions, most of our participants were looking for a space for women over 40+

• A caring team - our small team of instructors thrive to be reliable, fun, energetic, safe, and extremely creative in our instruction and ability to adapt to different needs

• A weekly outlet - we provide a class that allows participants to workout while they relieve stressors from work and daily life

• Positive connections - our classes provide participants with the opportunity to connect, should they want to, in a friendly space before, during and after class - we don’t allow bullying!

• A unique workout experience - we provide fun low impact workouts that are unique to the market, filled with sweat, and beat working out on any old treadmill

• A female-only space - we provide an alternative option for women & girls that are not comfortable working out in a unisex environment

• Accessibility - our classes are now offered at 4 locations across the GTA and are located close to the Bloor subway line to make our programs accessible to a wider group

• Feedback - we ALWAYS welcome constructive feedback (even when it is difficult to hear) to help us improve our class experiences and keep our participants happier!

If any of what I’ve mentioned above speaks to you and you’re looking for a fun workout in a community and female-only setting, we may be for you.

To take a class, please go through the Class Schedules Menu at the top of the page.

Sumera