About

Why We Exist

The inception of Body Alive is the result of a culmination of decades of unrelated events that eventually blended together to form a ‘well-being’ cocktail. This mix of skills, life experiences and passion led to the development of a plan to live a better, more rewarding life presently, and well into the future…and to assist others in doing the same.

Laura’s story
I had been involved in physical activity and competitive sport from as far back as memory serves. I can vividly remember, at age 4, throwing a tantrum when being forced to graduate to real figure skates with toe picks, during a public skating session with my family at the local arena. Whether it was bike riding, track and field meets or a game of tag, physical activity was ever-present. In addition to an active lifestyle, I was raised with a clean, unprocessed diet…which at the time seemed much less appealing than pop tarts and canned spaghetti!

My university years provided a continued opportunity to compete in figure skating and to be immersed in all things health-related – anatomy, physiology, training methodologies, psychology, nutrition, biomechanics, dance, etc.

As a young adult I became a voracious consumer of every type of activity that piqued my interest – making up for lost time due to the intense focus required for skating. Running, boxing, golf, hand-balancing with the circus school, skiing, ice racing, Qi gong, trapeze, suspension yoga and waterski show-skiing…you name it, I tried it.

As the adult years progressed, so too did the stress and long hours in the corporate world. This was likely the first time that, “There has to be a better way” imprinted on my mind. In response, to create better work-life balance, I returned to school to become a Registered Massage Therapist.

Enter the 4th decade…

I suffered serious injuries from a couple of incidents: ski crash at Mont Tremblant, followed a few months later by a head-on collision while cycling. Shortly after my mishaps, a good friend lost control while training for a bike race. Her unfortunate crash resulted in quadriplegia. Clarity soon followed, with the shocking realization that life is precious and unpredictable, and should be both respected and lived.

Also during this time I became an avid observer of human behavior surrounding aging. I watched family, friends and strangers; interested in their chosen range of methods for defying nature and the aging process. At one end of the spectrum were those deeply ingrained on the pharmaceutical side of the equation, medicating themselves for stress, diabetes, improving sleep, high cholesterol, etc. On the other end, there were those who rigorously managed their diet, stress and physical activity. There were also others who avoided their personal health, not having regular check-ups, vision testing, or dental visits. Finally, there was a growing number of people buying quick-fix, reverse-aging solutions via injections, surgery and the full gamut of cosmetic procedures. Again, “There has to be a better way”, or perhaps, a better way FOR ME became present in my mind.

With my personal aversion for unnecessary medical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic interventions, and the need to remain fit, active and independent, the question needed to be solved: How was I going to live a better, healthier, more rewarding life, hopefully a long life, in a way that felt in alignment with my soul? Thus, Body Alive Health & Wellness was conceived. It’s a program to help others, live their best life, and simultaneously helps me ☺

Location

Body Alive is a bricks and mortar wellness studio located along the historic Main Street West district of North Bay, Ontario. Housed within this boutique is a studio area complete with floor to ceiling mirrors, ballet barres, athletic flooring and variety of fitness equipment. The space also includes a one-on-one consultation area, and a tranquil treatment room for massage therapy — complete with fireplace for the cold Canadian winters.

Click here for address, directions and parking information.

Take a virtual tour of our studio

Mission

Our programs, classes and treatments enable clients to take personal control of their health and quality of life. By developing and maintaining healthy bodies, our clients stay young, have fun and look fabulous—on their terms. Body Alive Health & Wellness…live your best life

Vision

To be a leader in guiding people toward improved health and empowered living, with less reliance on pharmaceutical and cosmetic interventions.

Values

The following values are the light posts that serve to guide the attitudes and behaviours at Body Alive Health & Wellness. They provide the foundational framework for all of our business activities and operations.

Objective Empathy:
We are mindful and accepting that everyone walks a different path and holds a different set of priorities. At Body Alive, we meet our clients where they are at, and collaborate to provide services to address their unique needs.
Creativity:
Whether for problem solving, innovation, self-expression, or making everything just a little more fun, we strive to interject creativity into all aspects of the business, and our personal lives.
Quality Service:
We understand that people have numerous financial options and obligations. As such, it is critical that we provide excellent value for the money and time spent at Body Alive. We ensure that clients continually feel they are receiving quality services and information.
Evolving Proficiency:
We are competent leaders, and constantly strive for progress and mastery within our areas of expertise. We limit our partnerships with allied healthcare professionals to only those, of equal (or higher) caliber.
Natural approach:
While there are increasing opportunities for quick fix interventions within health, wellness and aging, we believe that living well is a lifestyle, one that is approached by playing the long game and making conscious, balanced, choices.

Owner & Founder – Laura Hunter

  • York University: Specialized Honours – Kinesiology
  • York University: Post-grad Certificate – Sport Administration
  • York University: Certificate in Health Coaching
  • Canadian College of Massage & Hydrotherapy: Registered Massage Therapist
  • CANFITPRO: Fitness Instructor Specialist (FIS) – completion Winter 2019
  • Fletcher® Pilates: Licensed Provider – towelwork, floorwork, barrework
  • Piloxing®: Piloxing Barre Instructor Certificate

After nearly two decades of balancing a busy massage therapy practice with a high-stress marketing-communications, and operations career, Laura elected to throw in the ‘corporate’ towel and re-locate north of Toronto to pursue her passion and practice wellness on a full-time basis.

As an honours kinesiology graduate and former athlete, Laura brings practical knowledge to her classes, sessions and treatments. She has honed her massage therapy skills in both clinical and private settings; enjoying her time at multi-disciplinary clinics within Toronto – Cleveland Clinic (formerly Sports Medicine Specialists), and Bayview Natural Health Clinic.

Laura was chosen as the massage therapist for a number of professional and amateur athletes, and has had the pleasure of working as team therapist for: Smuckers Stars on Ice – American tour, Canada’s Cup Challenge, Targa Newfoundland (private), Subaru Rally team – various members, and several NHL players.

In order to provide a more rounded offering to her future clients, Laura achieved certification and proficiency in a variety of wellness disciplines that complement Massage Therapy. Laura is a certified Fletcher® Pilates instructor, a certified Piloxing® Barre instructor, has obtained her Health Coaching certificate, and is trained as a group Fitness Instructor Specialist.

The above mentioned modalities were chosen for their specific benefits:

Fletcher® Pilates

  • core strengthening
  • low back rehabilitation
  • posture and alignment
  • breathwork and breathing techniques
  • body awareness
  • shoulder girdle strength and rehabilitation
    creativity

Piloxing® Barre

  • cardiovascular conditioning
  • increasing metabolism
  • strengthening
  • ballet barre requirement
  • fusion of boxing, dance and Pilates
  • fun, high energy group fitness option

Health Coaching

  • evidence-based practice
  • assisting with behavior change
  • motivating
  • an essential, currently missing piece of the wellness puzzle

While Body Alive is currently in the infancy stage, Laura continues to develop the business to incorporate additional programs to assist clients in taking control of their health and the aging process. The over-arching goal – to live an active, vibrant life, filled with fabulous experiences…to look good and feel great.