Do I need the assessment before training?
Yes, if you are starting 1-to-1, semi-private, a specialist block, or remote programming. The 90-minute screen is how we write the first 12-week block, and the $140 fee is credited in full toward a package bought within 14 days. Small-group classes can be dropped into for $28 after a short health screen at the desk; if that screen flags a recent injury, we will still ask for the full assessment and, where needed, practitioner clearance. Employers booking a workplace class block follow a different onboarding, scoped with HR. Returning members who have been away more than six months repeat a shortened screen so the next block is not copied from a stale file.
I haven't trained in years — is the small group too fast?
The class uses a shared template and your own loads, which is why a person who is new to a barbell can stand next to someone in week eight of a block. That said, if you have not trained in years we usually start with the assessment and a handful of 1-to-1 or semi-private sessions so the first class is not also the first time a coach has seen you squat. Members commonly spend four weeks in a quieter format, then join a small group as a third weekly touch. If a class still feels rushed, tell the floor staff; we can move you to a mat session or back to a pair until the pattern is familiar. Speed is not the point of the hour. Completing the prescribed sets is.
Can I use my benefits plan?
We issue a detailed receipt for assessments, session packs, class plans and nutrition coaching, with dates, amounts in CAD, and the service name. Whether a plan reimburses kinesiology, personal training or a similar line is a question for your insurer. Coverage often depends on the plan text and, in many Ottawa plans, on whether a kinesiologist is involved; we cannot promise a code will be accepted. Send the receipt to your provider and ask them. We do not bill insurers directly and we do not print a registration number on the receipt. If a workplace is subsidising a studio membership, that sits on the employer invoice rather than on a benefits claim unless HR has set it up that way.
What happens if I miss a session?
A 1-to-1 or semi-private session cancelled at least 12 hours ahead is moved, not used. Inside 12 hours, or on a no-show, the session comes off the pack. Classes follow a two-hour booking window; a late cancel frees the spot and uses the class credit. The next session in a written block is not automatically made harder to “catch up.” The coach decides whether to repeat, reduce or skip ahead, and that decision is dated on the sheet. Monthly class plans do not roll unused visits. If a miss is part of a larger calendar problem, use one of the two monthly check-ins to rewrite the week rather than stacking extra sessions onto a tired Thursday.
How do I freeze a package?
A 10-pack or 24-pack can be frozen once per year for up to 30 days. Email [email protected] with the dates; the freeze is written into the pack’s expiry so the four-month or nine-month window pauses rather than silently running. Monthly class plans and remote months do not freeze; they cancel with 14 days’ notice and can be restarted later. A freeze cannot be used to cover a session you already no-showed. If you need more than 30 days, we will talk through a transfer under the refund policy or a stop and a later restart, rather than stretching a freeze into a second season.
Do you program around an injury without a physio?
If the work would load the injured structure, we need written clearance from a physiotherapist or a physician. We will still train general fitness that stays away from the sore area while that letter is pending, and we will say clearly what we are waiting on. We do not diagnose, progress a post-surgical protocol, or reverse a practitioner’s limit because a lift looked fine on the floor. Post-rehab conditioning is a 12-session block at $1,140 designed for people who already have that clearance. Training services here are general fitness coaching and do not replace medical care.
Is there parking?
Street parking is usually available on Percy Street, a short block from 282 Somerset Street West. We do not have a private lot and we do not validate. Lyon O-Train is about a seven-minute walk, and there is a bike rack at the entrance. For a 06:00 session, Percy is the quieter option. If you are visiting for a workplace workshop at another building, parking is whatever that site already uses; we do not arrange it. Accessibility notes, including the step-free entrance, are on the studio page.
Do you sell supplements?
No. Bodyinmotionlife does not sell powders, capsules, “stacks,” or branded food, and we do not earn a commission from a shop. Nutrition coaching is habit work around meals you can buy at a regular grocer in Ottawa. If a practitioner has you on a clinical product, that stays between you and them. We will not put a tub in your hand at the desk, and we will not write a shopping list that only works if you buy from us. If you want product advice for a medical condition, that is a registered dietitian or your physician, not a floor coach.
How does remote programming work if I travel?
Motion Remote is built for weeks that are not on Somerset Street West. In the first week we agree an equipment list — hotel gym, a park, or a condo room with a band — so the next block is not full of barbell work you cannot do. You tick sessions in the app and send a short note on sleep and soreness; the following week’s numbers move. A time zone change is fine; the check-in is written, not a live 06:00 call. If you add the monthly video review ($219), film the lifts from the angles we specify when you have a stable camera, not from a moving train. When you are back in Ottawa, the same program file continues on the floor so the travel week is a continuation, not a restart.
What's your refund policy?
The assessment is fully refundable if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead; after it is delivered the fee is not refunded, and it credits toward a package bought within 14 days. Session packs can be refunded on unused sessions within 30 days of purchase, with used sessions counted at the drop-in rate and a $40 administration fee. Monthly class and remote plans cancel with 14 days’ notice and are not pro-rated. The full tables, including nutrition blocks, workplace work and consulting, are on the refund and cancellation policy page. Email [email protected] to start a request; we answer by the end of the next business day.