In-Home Personal Training for Seniors in St. Catharines, Ontario
Registered kinesiologists delivering in-home personal training, fall prevention and balance programs to seniors across St. Catharines, with the first consultation free.
Programs and Services for St. Catharines Seniors
Curated programs, community links, and HomeStretch services, all in one place.
Physical Activity and Fitness
Fall Prevention and Health
Caregiver Support
Kinesiology Goes Beyond Personal Training
HomeStretch kinesiologists are degree-trained movement specialists who understand aging bodies, arthritis, joint replacements, and post-surgery recovery. Every program is built around your body and your home, not a generic routine.
- 1-on-1 sessions with the same kinesiologist every visit, building trust and real progress
- Personalized Movement Score Report tracks your top 3 priorities over time
- Programs designed for any mobility level, from walkers to those who can run
- Family communication available with your permission, giving caregivers peace of mind
Melissa Gunstone
BSc Kinesiology, Founder of HomeStretch Active Living
"We all want our parents and grandparents to age safely and comfortably in their own homes. Not just live longer, but live better."
A Western University Kinesiology graduate, Melissa founded HomeStretch after identifying the gap between clinical discharge and true independence. She personally selects every kinesiologist on her Ontario and BC teams, ensuring every client receives the same standard of compassionate, expert care.
Our Services for St. Catharines Seniors
Every service is kinesiologist-led and delivered in-home. No commute, no equipment, and no commitment needed to get started.
In-Home Personal Training with a Kinesiologist
1-on-1 sessions built around your health history. We assess your balance, mobility, and fall risk, then design a realistic plan for your daily life at home.
Build Strength at Home →
Fall Prevention Programs to Keep You Steady and Safe
Balance and strength training to reduce fall risk, restore confidence, and support independent living in the comfort of your own home.
Find Out How We Can Help →
Pre and Post Operation Rehabilitation
Safe recovery support for hip, knee, and shoulder procedures, guided by a registered kinesiologist who specializes in aging bodies.
Recover with Confidence →
Community Workshops and Presentations that Keep Seniors Moving
Brain and Balance Series for seniors groups, Legions, libraries, and community centres across St. Catharines. Education meets movement.
Bring Workshops to Your Community →Why Movement Matters for Seniors
adults over 65 fall each year, and many of those falls are preventable
Public Health Agency of Canadafewer falls among older adults who exercise regularly
Cochrane Reviewthe ages we train, in homes right across Ontario
HomeStretch Active Livingof injury-related hospitalizations among Canadians 65 and older are fall-related
Public Health Agency of CanadaPorch Steps, Basement Stairs and the Escarpment: Training at Home in St. Catharines
St. Catharines has 31,865 residents aged 65 and older, and 32,725 of its 58,900 homes are single-detached houses. Many of them are older houses: 19,160 of the city's homes were built in 1960 or earlier, and another 22,675 between 1961 and 1980 (Statistics Canada, 2021 Census). So a session here usually starts with steps up to the front door, and often a staircase to the bedroom and another down to the basement. We plan each session around the house you live in, and the stairs you climb every day are often what we train for.
Port Dalhousie
Port Dalhousie was a village of its own until 1961, and two of the city's five heritage conservation districts are here, around its old core and harbour. Along the older streets, storey-and-a-half frame houses sit close to the road under big old trees, many with a small front porch a step or two up and the bedrooms tucked under the roof. On the first visit we start at the door you use every day and build the plan from there.
Looking for a program nearby? The Port Dalhousie library is at 23 Brock Street, a few steps from Lakeside Park and the pier. The Good Templars put the building up around 1863, and it later served as the village's town hall. The library lists an accessible main entrance from its parking lot.
For a walk, the Harbour Walkway runs about three kilometres from the base of the pier through Lakeside Park to Port Dalhousie's commercial core, on stone dust, concrete and boardwalk. Along the way you pass the Lakeside Park carousel, carved between 1898 and 1905 and in Port Dalhousie since 1921. The City lists public washrooms at the park, and the beach facilities are seasonal, so check the City's page before you go.
Merritton
Merritton grew up as a mill town on the Welland Canal and was a town of its own until 1961. Along Merritt Street, in the old core, older frame houses stand close to the road, while the streets out toward Mountain Locks Park are lined with postwar brick bungalows with a few steps up to the door. A bungalow keeps most of a session on one level; in the older houses, the staircase becomes part of it.
Looking for a program nearby? The Merritt library branch is on the north side of the Pen Centre at 221 Glendale Avenue. The library lists an accessible main entrance and plenty of free parking, and the branch sits beside the city's second-largest transit hub, so it is easy to reach without a car.
For a walk, Mountain Locks Park along Bradley Street is where the first two Welland Canals climbed the Niagara Escarpment, a stretch once called Neptune's Staircase, and the stonework of the old locks is still there to see. A gravel path winds through the park and the ground rises with the old canal, so it makes a good goal once the stairs at home feel easy.
The Facer Neighbourhood
The Facer neighbourhood, east of downtown, is made up of small wartime houses set close together: storey-and-a-half brick homes and bungalows, many with a short flight of steps up to the front door and a driveway down the side. In a house that size the rooms are compact, so we plan the session for the space you have: a sturdy chair, a kitchen counter, a clear stretch of hallway. No equipment comes in and no furniture has to move.
Looking for a program nearby? The Dr. Huq Family Library at 425 Carlton Street is inside the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre, so the library and the pool are one trip. The library lists an accessible main entrance from its parking lot.
For a walk, Lester B. Pearson Park backs onto the library, beside the aquatics centre on Niagara Street, so a short walk can start right at the library door.
Old Glenridge
Old Glenridge, south of downtown, is a neighbourhood of early twentieth-century houses under mature trees, from bungalows with deep front porches to full two-storey homes. Many sit up on a raised foundation with a set of front steps and a railing, and in the two-storey houses the bedrooms are upstairs, so the stairs are usually part of the plan. On the first visit we walk the route you take every day, from the front door to the bedroom.
Looking for a program nearby? The Central Library is a short drive north at 54 Church Street, downtown. The library lists accessible parking in the City-run lot entered from Carlisle Street or King Street.
For a walk, the Merritt Trail runs along Twelve Mile Creek at the edge of Old Glenridge. It is a wide stone-dust path, mostly flat along the creek, with a short slope down to reach it. Burgoyne Woods, on Edgedale Road east of Glenridge Avenue, has 49 hectares of woodland with trails of tar, wood chips and bare earth, so it is a walk to work up to.
Our kinesiologists come to homes right across St. Catharines, and the same kinesiologist comes to every session. According to Niagara Health's falls prevention page, falls cause most broken bones, especially in older adults, and many of them can be prevented. HomeStretch brings in-home kinesiology into your living room and builds the plan around your house and your stairs, so you can stay strong, steady and independent at home. What happens in an in-home session with a kinesiologist.
Bringing Wellness to St. Catharines Seniors, Together
HomeStretch workshops bring seniors together in community centres, Legions, and retirement residences across St. Catharines. Every session blends evidence-based education with hands-on movement so participants build skills they can use every day.
- Brain and Balance Series delivered in your community or residence
- Educational presentations on fall prevention, muscle loss, and arthritis
- Fun, team-based activities designed for all mobility and fitness levels
- Participants leave stronger in body, sharper in mind, and more connected
Hear from Seniors Who've Found Strength and Confidence with Us
"Melissa is a knowledgeable, engaging trainer who keeps sessions light and fun. We always look forward to her visits and highly recommend her for at-home training."
"Michelle helped me with in-home balance and mobility exercises. She was knowledgeable, professional, and punctual and made it fun. She tailored exercises to my needs, which made all the difference."
"Kseniya is always professional, punctual, and caring, making every session productive and tailored to my needs. I am grateful for her support and look forward to working with her again."
From the HomeStretch Journal
Practical guides for seniors and the families who support them.
Ensuring Safe In-Home Training for Elderly Adults and What You Need to Know
A practical guide for adult children navigating this conversation with aging parents.
Read More →
Guide to Exercises, Custom Plans, and Health Benefits for Older Adults
What to expect from in-home kinesiology and how to get the most from every session.
Read More →
From Fear of Falling to Feeling Confident: A Fall Prevention Program for Seniors
How kinesiology-led programs rebuild balance and trust, right in the comfort of home.
Read More →FAQs for St. Catharines
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Do you provide in-home personal training for seniors in St. Catharines?
Yes. Registered kinesiologists travel to clients across St. Catharines, including Port Dalhousie, Merritton, the Facer neighbourhood, Old Glenridge, Downtown and Western Hill. Sessions run one to one in your own home, so there is no travel, no gym and no equipment to buy. If you live elsewhere in Niagara, ask us when you call.
What is the difference between a kinesiologist and a personal trainer?
A kinesiologist holds a university degree in human movement, and in Ontario kinesiologists are registered with the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario. The training covers working with medical histories, joint replacements, arthritis and post-surgical recovery. For an older adult the goal is safe progress around real health conditions rather than general fitness.
Can you train someone in an older house with a lot of stairs?
Yes. Older houses with stairs are common in St. Catharines: 19,160 of the city's homes were built in 1960 or earlier, and another 22,675 between 1961 and 1980 (Statistics Canada, 2021 Census). Porch steps, a staircase to the bedroom and stairs to the basement are part of daily life in houses like these, so they usually become part of the plan, since climbing them with confidence is what lets you keep living there. No equipment is needed, so nothing has to be carried in.
Can you train someone in a condo or apartment?
Yes. St. Catharines has 6,500 homes in apartment buildings of five or more storeys and another 8,465 in smaller apartment buildings (Statistics Canada, 2021 Census), so a suite is an ordinary place for a session. The session fits the room you have: a sturdy chair, a kitchen counter and a clear stretch of wall are enough. When you book, tell us whether we buzz up or sign in at a front desk, and where a visitor can park.
What senior fitness programs are available in St. Catharines?
We work one to one in your home across St. Catharines, and every plan comes from an assessment rather than a set routine. Most plans focus on balance and fall prevention, strength and mobility for arthritis and joint replacements, or pre- and post-operative rehabilitation. We also run Brain and Balance, a six-week small-group program that pairs balance work with cognitive exercises, and workshops for retirement residences and community groups. Ask what is running near you when you book your consultation.
How do I get started, and is it covered by benefits?
Book a free phone consultation. We talk through your health history, goals and any concerns, and explain how in-home training works and what it costs, with no commitment. If it is a good fit, a kinesiologist visits your home for an initial assessment of balance, strength and fall risk and builds your plan. No equipment is needed. Many extended health benefit plans cover kinesiology services, so we recommend checking with your provider. We are happy to provide receipts and session documentation to support a claim.
Ready to Get Started in St. Catharines?
We come to you. No equipment, no commitment, no pressure.
Or call us directly: 519-427-4522