For more than twenty-five years, I have had the pleasure of training hundreds of fitness and aquafit leaders, personal trainers, and aquatic rehabilitation specialists, across Canada and internationally (England, Portugal, South Africa, Australia, and U.S.A.).
During this time, I have created health and wellness workshops for educators, health care workers, the fitness community, universities, and a variety of businesses. In the ‘Services’ section of this site, you will find a listing and description of workshops, courses, master classes, and other educational options I offer. These represent excellent learning opportunities for professionals in the field. In addition to the topics listed, I enjoy custom-designing sessions based on the needs of my clients. Please get in touch if you have a specific request not listed here.
Each week, I bring laughter and learning about health and fitness to my personal training clients, aquatic rehab and chronic pain patients, as well as the members of my osteoporosis and Gentle Aqua exercise groups. I am a trained Laughter Yoga Leader, an Ai Chi certified trainer, AEA Certified in Aquatic Fitness Leadership, ATRI Faculty, and most recently, a Trainer and Practitioner of AquaStretch (www.AquaStretch.com).
I was honoured in 1990 by the Ontario Fitness Council with their Special Award for Leadership and was the YWCA’s 2001 Woman of Distinction Award winner for Health, Wellness and Active Living.
I am a Life Member of the Ontario Lung Association. As a breast cancer survivor-thriver, I volunteer for the Cancer Society’s Peer Support program.
I am a proud member of the Guelph BreastStrokes Dragon Boat Team. In 2003, I had the honour of competing in the South Pacific International Breast Cancer Survivors’ dragon boat festival in New Zealand. In 2005, I steered for BreastStrokes at the 10 Year Anniversary Survivors' Regatta in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2007, BreastStrokes combined with Nipples on Ripples from Tasmania, to compete in the second world survivors’ dragon boating competition in Australia. The ‘Articles’ section of this site has entries about these amazing events.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to research and author numerous training resources related to anatomy, exercise physiology, fitness, aqua fitness, and aquatic rehabilitation. Some of these are available for purchase. I am known and respected for my ability to make complex information practical and easy to understand. However, most of my learners tell me they appreciate my sense of humour, and enthusiastic approach to active learning.
Thanks for taking time to visit. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with questions regarding my services.
Connie Jasinskas
B.Sc. B.Ed. M.Sc.
Certified Exercise Physiologist (CSEP)
ATRI Faculty
AEA Certified
AquaStretch Practitioner and Trainer
Certified Laughter Yoga Leader
"My mission is to provide the knowledge, resources, and
motivation to help people become their best."
Professional Credentials
- B.Sc.(Human Kinetics), B.Ed.(Phys. Ed., Science), M.Sc.(Exercise Physiology)
- Ontario Teachers Certificate
- Ontario Fitness Council: Trainer
- Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology: Certified Exercise Physiologist
- Certified Laughter Yoga Leader
- AEA Certified Aqua Fitness Leader and IAFC Conference Presenter
- ATRI Faculty
- AquaStretch Trainer
Adult Educator, Author, Speaker, Personal Trainer
- International author, presenter and speaker
- Since 1984, facilitator of numerous training events for a wide variety of organizations interested in fitness, health and wellness
- Areas of Expertise: aquatic rehabilitation, chronic pain education, training of trainers (adult education), humour management, change motivation, healthy lifestyles, fitness, aqua fitness leadership training
- Author of numerous technical articles and training manuals for fitness, aqua fitness, and aquatic (post) rehabilitation
- Breast cancer survivor and Canadian Cancer Society Volunteer: Peer Support Program -- outreach to people newly diagnosed with breast cancer
Published Works
- Prescription Laughter: Healing Strategies for People with Breast Cancer, Volumes, 2011
- Entrainment of Breathing Rate to Movement Frequency During Work at Two Intensities, Respiration Physiology 42, 199-209, Elsevier / North-Holland Biomedical Press, 1980
- Training For Trainers Manual, Canadian Aquafitness Leaders Alliance, 1994
- Applied Anatomy for Exercise Design, Fitness Ontario Leadership Program, Ontario Sports & Recreation Centre Inc., 1996
- Combined Basic Fitness Theory and Aquafitness Specialty Training Manual, Canadian Aquafitness Leaders Alliance (co-author: C. Kopansky), CALA, 1999
- Aquanatal: Aquafitness for the Childbearing Year, training manual for aqua fitness leadership during and after pregnancy, self published, 2000, 2010
- Numerous contributions to quarterly membership newsletters: Ontario Fitness Council, Membership Matters; Can Fit Pro Quarterly; CALA Wavelink
- Aqua Arthritis Manual, CALA Healing Waters, 2004
- Foundations of Vertical Water Training: The Kopansky Method, CALA (co-author: C. Kopansky) 2006
- Workout: Waterworks, Glow Magazine, July-August 2006
Public Speaking / Promotional Experience
- Adult Educator: designer and facilitator of hundreds of fitness and lifestyle leadership training courses / workshops across Canada and internationally since 1984
- Motivational Speaker: promoting positive attitude, humor, change motivation and breast cancer awareness to numerous groups since 1993
- Guest Lecturer: Brock University, Humour, Health, Gender Issues courses, since 1997
- Conference Presenter: ATRI, IAFC, Can Fit Pro, Ontario Kinesiologists Association, Canadian Aquafitness Leaders Alliance; B.C., New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Alberta, and Manitoba fitness / aqua fitness leadership conferences
- TOPS Conventions
- International Breast Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat Festival Humour Workshops: B.C (2005), Ontario (2009)
- World Conference on Breast Cancer: Humor Workshop Presenter, Ottawa, Canada, July, 1999