Athletic Therapy & Personal Training

Exercise and rehabilitation for a lifetime of optimal health

A BETTER FIT is owned and run by Juliette Hunter, a Certified Athletic Therapist and Registered Kinesiologist with seventeen years' experience in the fields of exercise rehabilitation and personal training. 

Through A BETTER FIT, Juliette fosters clients' achievement of optimal health in fitness with carefully designed and implemented exercise and rehabilitation. For some clients, this means becoming active after a sedentary lifestyle or returning to exercise after an injury; for others, it involves training for a competitive event. No matter a client's activity level, A BETTER FIT will support you in tackling your goals with a new found strength and confidence.

The success of A BETTER FIT is built upon the strength of the relationships Juliette forms with her clients. Her services go above and beyond simple exercise and fitness. By getting to know you well, Juliette educates and empowers you to realize your own established goals. 

Meet Juliette ...

A "downhomer" from Newfoundland, Juliette Hunter is an open, come-as-you-are kind of person with a passion for activity as a life-long pursuit. 

Juliette graduated from Acadia University with a Bachelor of Physical Education, and then pursued athletic therapy, earning her diploma in Sports Injury Management at Sheridan College. She recently also qualified as a Registered Kinesiologist with the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario.

As an Athletic Therapist and Kinesiologist, Juliette has practiced her rehabilitation skills in sports injury clinics, gyms, colleges and universities. Before moving to Ottawa in 2005, she was co-owner of an on-site sports injury care company near Oakville, Ontario, where she worked with athletes of all ages and levels, including provincial and national women's hockey.  

Combining her rehab skills with personalized training, Juliette has supported a range of individual clients in achieving their fitness goals. She has worked with her clients both in fitness facilities and in clients' homes. She also has extensive experience designing effective, affordable home gyms for her clients.

Juliette is a born teacher, always educating every client and team. Juliette has also taught athletic injury prevention, care, and rehabilitation in the university setting, and loves any opportunity to educate the general public on prevention and recognition of injuries.

More than just a workout.

Training with A BETTER FIT offers you the combined principles of Athletic Therapy and Personal Training to help you succeed. The result: you are relieved of aches and pains, resilient to injury, and able to maintain activity for a lifetime.

Athletic Therapy

So many people are unable to exercise due to a past injury or accident. Many fear re-injury and are unsure of what exercises are safe and effective.

If this sounds familiar to you, A BETTER FIT could be your solution. Rehabilitation combined with exercise can restore activity; education about how to maintain fitness and function prevents further or new injury.

Complementary Training

Juliette brings her rehabilitative skills to regular fitness sessions, and she brings her personal training skills to rehabilitation. 

If you are free of aches and pains, Juliette's goal is to help you stay that way. If musculo-skeletal problems are getting in your way, Juliette's goal is to get you to the other side of those problems. In both cases, emphasis is on getting you and keeping you functioning. 

Lifelong activity can be your reality.

In-Home Training

A BETTER FIT is a mobile business that specializes in personal training and exercise rehabilitation where you are most comfortable.

For many people, home-based fitness is an efficient, comfortable, and affordable alternative to expensive club memberships. Juliette can help you design a dedicated exercise space that is tailored to your space, budget, and needs.

If you'd rather not exercise at home, Juliette has a private residence-based studio for her clients. When weather permits, Juliette is also glad to take her clients out on Ottawa's extensive pathways and trails.

Whether at home, at Juliette's studio, or outdoors, sessions consist of personal, coached workouts and instructions for exercise activities between sessions. Assessment is ongoing to ensure that you are meeting the goals you've set for your fitness and function.

Seeing results from your hard work is the greatest motivator.

At A BETTER FIT, the combination of athletic therapy principals with fitness conditioning creates an exercise adventure that is goal oriented, safe, and effective.

A goal is a powerful thing. When you add commitment and motivation to the equation, the possibilities are endless.   

At A BETTER FIT, everything starts with a goal, and where it is taken after that is dependent on your needs and how quickly you want to get there. Goals will change with time; therefore, every client's plan is subject to change, constantly providing challenges from one stage of training to another. 

Working towards your fitness goals is an interactive experience between you and Juliette. Feedback is welcomed and strongly encouraged. Client satisfaction is paramount, and it is well known that a client is happiest when set goals are being achieved.

Athletic Therapy: What is it, and what makes it different?

Athletic Therapists provides a variety of care services to assist active people who have sustained or could sustain an injury. This includes:

• Assessment and care of injuries
• Conditioning to prevent injuries
• Equipment selection, fitting, and taping 
• Evaluation of fitness environments

Athletic Therapists also provide on-field immediate and emergency care of athletic injuries. 

Certified Athletic Therapists are registered with The Canadian Athletic Therapist Association (CATA). To be certified, an Athletic Therapist must have successfully completed a comprehensive theory exam and a subsequent oral/practical exam developed and administered by CATA.

Athletic therapy may be covered under your extended health benefits.

For more information visit the Canadian Athletic Therapy Association and the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario. 

Juliette definitely delivered! Five years later, I still continue to be reaping the benefits of her training. Juliette has always been able to find ways to modify exercises so that I could get the most out of an exercise without pain. On more than a few occasions, she had to be creative in adapting an exercise for me. She always found a way to make me do an exercise to strengthen the targeted muscles. In part by Juliette's influence and enthusiasm, as well as seeing consistent improvement in my abilities, I learned to love to exercise, to bike, to walk, to run because I am now able to do so.

C.F.

I started training with Juliette because I was in constant pain and was limited in my training due to back and neck problems. I was always active, but since I started to have back pain, I had to limit my training and other regular activities. I then sought Juliette's help.

She was able to reintroduce me to exercise and at the same time to give me the assurance that I would not hurt myself and could train safely. Gradually, I got stronger and my back and neck hurt less and less. During that period, Juliette was always caring and supportive.

M.P.

In mid-2008, recently retired and in good health, I wanted to improve my fitness level.  Because I had a medical history of compressed vertebrae of the lower back, I sought out an experienced and highly qualified trainer with credentials as a certified athletic therapist.  I found Juliette, worked out with her twice a week and made tremendous progress. 

However, by late 2011, I was having to deal with an increasingly painful arthritic hip that I knew would require surgery.  In collaboration with other skilled health professionals, Juliette provided pre-operative and post-operative exercises and support.  Now, at age 71, and two years after the hip replacement, I am back to a full and active life: walking, cycling, snowshoeing, gardening.

I see myself working with Juliette as long as she is in business! Hugely knowledgeable and professional, she has developed personalized and varied programs for me that have effectively addressed the changing physical challenges in my life.  Last, but certainly not least, she has an engaging personal style that builds up a happy and trusting relationship that keeps you coming back.

E.O.