HomeStretch Active Living Expands to Eleven Communities in Ontario

HomeStretch Active Living, a provider of in-home personal training for seniors, has expanded its operations in Ontario, marking one year since the company entered the province. The company now serves eleven kinesiologists across ten communities in Ontario and continues to support its clients in the Greater Vancouver area.

HomeStretch Active Living Inc. began operating in Ontario in late August 2025 with a single kinesiologist and four service regions. By September 2026, the company had expanded to eleven kinesiologists serving Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton, Burlington, Markham, Brantford, Niagara, Dundas, Peterborough, Norfolk County, and Thunder Bay. This expansion addresses a significant gap in the availability of qualified movement support for older adults, as in-home services delivered by registered kinesiologists remain uncommon outside major cities in Ontario.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada's Seniors' Falls in Canada, Second Report, between 20 and 30 percent of Canadian seniors fall each year. Strength, balance, and mobility training are widely recognized as effective ways to reduce this risk. However, access to such services in the home has been limited. HomeStretch Active Living aims to fill this gap, offering personalized training tailored to the needs of older adults.

Founder Melissa Gunstone, a Registered Kinesiologist, explained the importance of expanding HomeStretch Active Living's presence online. "When I first entered Ontario, nobody knew who we were," Gunstone said. "I had to rethink how we were reaching potential clients, focusing on our online presence and SEO efforts."

In its first year in Ontario, HomeStretch Active Living expanded rapidly. The company now operates in eleven regions, up from the initial four. Key highlights include the delivery of seven Brain and Balance workshops across six communities, including Burlington, Dundas, Port Dover, Simcoe, St. Catharines, and Thunder Bay. These workshops, which are sometimes offered at no cost, aim to educate seniors and their families about the benefits of home-based exercise programs.

Gunstone's recruitment strategy focuses on building a local presence. She calls the role of a kinesiologist who grows their region the "Builderkin." These kinesiologists engage with the community by participating in local events, leading warm-ups at fundraising events, and offering educational presentations in retirement residences.

The company also emphasizes career pathways for kinesiology graduates. Gunstone, who graduated from Western University in 2021, built HomeStretch Active Living partly to provide more opportunities for new graduates. HomeStretch Active Living offers above-typical entry-level clinic rates and runs monthly paid education sessions, bringing in outside presenters on topics such as in-home assessment techniques and supporting clients living with dementia.

One client's experience exemplifies the impact of HomeStretch Active Living's services. An Ontario resident, largely housebound after a health event, improved his strength and confidence over six weeks of at-home sessions. He now continues his routine with HomeStretch on a biweekly basis.

Looking ahead, HomeStretch Active Living plans to continue expanding its Ontario coverage and community workshop program. The company aims to serve more communities and provide more opportunities for older adults to improve their health and mobility through in-home personal training.