This page is for people who are interested in joining a TIME™ program as a participant.
Together In Movement and Exercise (TIME™) is a group exercise program that can help you improve your everyday movement and mobility. TIME™ is offered in community centres across Canada, as well as online through our virtual program called TIME™ at Home.
Who can Benefit from TIME™?
TIME™ is designed for people with mobility challenges. TIME™ participants may use a cane or walker to get around and often find it difficult to walk longer distances in the community.
Common causes of mobility challenges in TIME™ participants include:
- Age-related decline in mobility
- Neurological conditions such as stroke, brain injury, or multiple sclerosis
- Deconditioning after injury or illness
You are eligible to join TIME™ if you can:
- Walk at least 10 metres (30 feet) with or without a cane or walker
- This is roughly the distance to cross a 2-lane street from sidewalk to sidewalk
- You need to be able to walk without the physical help of another person, but your walking does not have to appear smooth or easy
- Follow exercise instructions and/or demonstrations in a small group
- There are 4 participants to every staff for in-person programs
- The virtual program requires the ability to follow along to audio & video from the comfort of your home. A care partner can be present with you at home
- Safely stand and move when holding on to a hand support for balance
- Movement such as reaching to one side or marching on the spot
- This includes being able to rise from a chair to stand up
TIME™ may not be a good fit if:
- You regularly walk longer distances in the community and can manage obstacles such as curbs, ramps and crowds with ease
- In this case, consider joining another functional fitness program in your community
- You need assistance from another person to walk or require a wheelchair for all mobility
- In this case, consider joining a seated exercise class in your community
In-person Program: What to Expect
Functional Exercise Designed by Physiotherapists
TIME™ is designed by Physiotherapists from UHN Toronto Rehab to train your mobility. The exercises resemble important movements performed in daily life, such as: rising from a chair, reaching into a cupboard and stepping up to a curb. These exercises strengthen muscles in the legs and core, improve coordination, overall fitness and ease of movement.
Each class starts with a seated warm-up and ends with a seated cool-down, but most of the class is spent practicing these functional movements in standing.
Small Groups & Skilled Instructors
There is 1 staff for every 4 participants. Class sizes are limited to 12 participants in total.
TIME™ instructors receive specialized training ahead of leading the program and stay connected with a local clinician so that they can best support you to exercise with TIME™.
Frequency and Duration
- One session is 8 to 10 weeks long, with classes held 2x per week
- Classes last for one hour (60 minutes)
Available at Select Program Locations
Over the years instructors and participants have asked for both easier and more challenging versions of the TIME™ program. As such, some of our partners now offer TIME™ Lite and/or TIME™ Plus.
TIME™ Lite is for people who may not be able to walk the full 10 meters that we usually ask of participants, and who may need more frequent seated breaks. TIME™ Plus is for people who can do the classic TIME™ exercises with ease but still need hand support to exercise which prevents them from joining a regular fitness class.
Our program locations menu indicates which sites currently offer TIME™ Lite or TIME™ Plus.
Virtual Program: What to Expect with
TIME™ at Home
Functional Exercise Designed by Physiotherapists
TIME™ at Home offers an exercise video designed to train your mobility, hosted by a live virtual facilitator. Exercises have been adapted from the classic in-person TIME™ program to be done safely at home. The exercises resemble important movements performed in daily life, such as: rising from a chair, reaching into a cupboard and stepping up to a curb. These exercises strengthen muscles in the legs and core, improve coordination, overall fitness and ease of movement.
Each class starts with a seated warm-up and ends with a seated cool-down, but most of the class is spent practicing these functional movements in standing. The video offers an easier and more challenging exercise option for all the standing exercises. You need to self-pace and self-select the exercise level that is right for you.
Equipment and Set-up
You will need some basic equipment at home, including:
- a sturdy chair for sitting
- a hand support for balance (such as a countertop)
- a non-slip step or target using items from around your home
- an email address, reliable internet, a computer or tablet with a large enough screen to clearly view the videos
Small Groups & Skilled Facilitator
Class sizes are limited to 10 participants in total. The exception is for the drop-in program run by
MS Canada, as larger group sizes were required given how many participants were interested in the program when they launched the program as our first official virtual partner in 2021.
TIME™ at Home facilitators receive specialized training ahead of leading the program and stay connected with a local clinician so that they can best support you to exercise with TIME™.
Frequency and Duration
- A session can be between 6 and 12 weeks (depending on location), with classes held 2x per week
- Halfway through a session, the exercise video will be switched to a new video which offers harder exercise options for those who feel ready. The easier exercise options will still be available as there are always two challenge levels to choose from.
- Classes last for one hour (60 minutes)
- Depending on the location, up to 30 minutes of optional online social time may be offered after each class.
How to Register
- Find your nearest TIME™ program using the
program locations menu.
- A contact person is listed for each site. They can provide information about the cost and schedule for your local TIME™ program and will help you to register.
- As part of the registration process, you will be asked a few screening questions over the telephone to ensure that the program is a good fit.
- You DO NOT need a healthcare referral to register for TIME™, participants can self-refer.
- You will be asked to sign a participation waiver before beginning the program:
- For in-person programs, registration occurs seasonally (ie. fall, winter, spring and summer) and may close after the registration deadline has passed.
- For most virtual programs, registration is on a rolling basis which means you can join at any time if spots are still available.
Financial Assistance
Registration fees for the TIME™ program vary from site to site, depending on whether your local site receives outside funding to help pay for the program. Contact the site directly to ask about their registration cost.
In-person Programs: The cost of a session ranges from free to $280 (maximum of $14 per class), with the majority of programs being under $160 for the session.
Virtual Programs: The cost of a session ranges from free to $50 (under $4 per class).
Financial assistance is available to all participants who would otherwise not be able to join TIME™ because of the cost:
- Many TIME™ partners offer discounted rates for seniors or sliding scale fees for low-income households. Please speak with your local contact about this if needed.
- If subsidies are not available at your chosen TIME™ location, the TIME™ program has a centralized fund called
Jo's TIME™ Fund to cover any registration fees above what you can afford. This fund can also help cover transportation costs if this is a barrier for you to be able to attend.
- Your local TIME™ program applies to
Jo's TIME™ Fund on your behalf so that you do not have to do any of the paperwork. Just let the TIME™ staff at your local site know that you need them to apply to
Jo's TIME™ Fund for you. They will ask you a few questions in order to properly complete the form, like whether you need a full or partial subsidy.
- You can reapply for
Jo's TIME™ Fund support for every TIME™ session that you attend so that you can keep coming back to the program season after season.
Common Questions
No, you do not need a specific diagnosis to join TIME™. Eligibility is based on your mobility, as
outlined above.
No, you do not need a medical referral, you can self-refer to the program.
Note: You will be required to sign a participation waiver that encourages you to receive clearance from your family doctor ahead of joining, which is advisable before beginning any new exercise routine.
While the classes do last one-hour, you can move at your own pace. Whenever you need to rest, a seated and/or standing break is encouraged.
Each exercise has more than one possible level of challenge. Instructors are trained to select exercises at the right challenge level for you.
Additionally, hand supports, such as the bars in the photo at the top of this page, give you balance support to try any new movements.
Carers are encouraged to wait outside the class for you whenever possible.
If having someone with you for a class or two will remove a barrier to participation (ie. translation, communication, anxiety) this can be accommodated, so please speak with the contact for your program location to arrange this.
All TIME™ program locations should have an accessible bathroom available for you to use, but instructors and volunteers are not able to assist with this. If you anticipate needing help with toileting during class, you will have to bring a carer with you. Your carer will be asked to wait outside of class and an instructor will grab them for you as needed.
