Inclusion and consent at the heart of Montreal gym studio

Hitting the gym can be intimidating. Often times, it’s because the gym may not be giving most people a welcoming experience.

One fitness studio in Montreal is trying to solve that problem. Located in Verdun, Infinity Movement says they are Montreal’s first inclusive gym – where consent and mindfulness is top priority.

“It’s not exclusive towards the queer community or marginalized communities, but it is definitely the first gym that puts us in the center,” says Heidi Rubin, owner of Infinity Movement.

Having worked as a coach and personal trainer for 25 years, Rubin has never been to a gym studio that actively encouraged inclusion for the 2SLGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities.

“I find that with a lot of Pilates and yoga studios, it’s a little bit easier to move towards a more inclusive and mindful approach to coaching, learning and moving,” Rubin says. “In strength and conditioning studios, I have yet to see a space like that, and that’s where I lie.”

Rubin believes continuously communicating consent with clients is vital to creating a safe space for people, and encourages other fitness studios to implement this practice.

“That’s number one. When you are in the class, we ask before we can adjust you,” says Rubin. “Nobody’s going to come up and put their hands on you and just adjust your shoulders, your hips, your body.

“Every time you come on in here, you’re going to be met with questions asking about consent. ‘How would you like to be coached today? What kind of mood are you in today? What do you need today? And may I adjust you? Do you need verbal or physical adjustments?'”

Unlike most gyms with gendered locker rooms, Infinity Movement has a communal space for people to leave their bags and use toilet and shower signs to indicate the bathroom and shower stalls.

Another key practice for the gym is having the coaches use ‘anti-oppressive traumatic informed vocabulary’ during small group training sessions.

But what does ‘anti-oppressive traumatic informed vocabulary’ mean exactly?

“When we talk about body image, body shape, body mass, body size, the body’s different abilities, it’s to go in a little bit more with curiosity and not say, ‘well, this is how a squad is supposed to look,'” explained Rubin.

“We say, ‘okay, well, this is how your body moves and this is how your body is moving today.’ Let’s see if we can access strength and power without pain.

“An anti-oppressive way of coaching is being very mindful of sexism, of racism, of prejudice, about homophobia, about transphobia.

“We can be very strong and very powerful and lift like crazy and run like maniacs. And we could do it in a way where we’re meeting people where they’re at.”