FAQ, Policies, Forms

UBC BodyWorks Member, Client, Participant, and Visitor Code of Conduct

BodyWorks is a community engagement and student development program of the School of Kinesiology, offering employment, professional development, leadership and volunteer opportunities for the undergraduate, graduate and alumni of the School of Kinesiology.

As the BodyWorks Fitness Center is part of UBC, including all other BodyWorks programs delivered off-site, all rules, regulations and policies of the University apply.

In addition, the following Code of Conduct sets forth expectations for all participants and visitors who use the facility for any purpose.

Membership and access to the BodyWorks Fitness Center and other BodyWorks programs delivered off-site is a privilege.

All visitors are expected to:

• Bring proof of membership or payment and check in with the front desk upon arrival.
• Only access the facility for the purpose of the pass. Users who are registered in a class cannot exercise or use the space afterwards. Users must pay additional drop in fees.
• Act with courtesy, respect and professionalism to your fellow members, fitness centre staff and management at all times.
• Comply with requests and direction from BodyWorks staff, instructors, volunteers who are acting in the performance of their duties.
• Comply with any rules and guidance set forth for the particular program, event or class.
• Wear proper fitness attire; shirts and shoes are required at all times outside the locker rooms.
• Minimize the use of colognes, perfumes, and body sprays and maintain good personal hygiene.
• Enter the facility only through the front doors (back door access is not allowed).
• Be courteous and share equipment where possible by allowing others to work in between sets.
• Keep walkways clear of belongings and equipment.
• Use equipment safely and properly. Do not use equipment for purposes other than what they were designed for.
• Not drop or bang weights together or rest weights on benches. It damages the benches, weights and floors.
• Put away all equipment in its appropriate location.
• Ensure safety with the use of a spotter during any heavy lift.
• Use collars on Olympic lifting bars and clean chalk off of the bars and floors if you are using this product.
• Wipe down benches and cardio equipment after use with the provided spray bottle/paper towel.
• Report any equipment malfunctions or injuries.
• Store bikes in bike racks outside the facility.
• Understand that BodyWorks is not responsible for lost or stolen property.
• Tie back long hair.

For reasons of safety and privacy, all Members, Clients, Participants, and Visitors MAY NOT:

• Display aggressive behaviour in any form, including physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion and/or conduct which threatens or endangers the health physical, or emotional safety of any person.
• Bring into the fitness centre anyone under the age of 18. Parent or guardian supervision or approval is required.
• Display rude or argumentative behavior with staff, officials, and instructors or other participants or visitors.
• Demonstrate lewd, obscene or indecent conduct or expression, including profanity, or offensive remarks.
• Show any action which constitutes an attempt to inflict, or the actual infliction of, or injury to other participants and/or staff.
• Inflict willful damage or destruction to the facility or property.
• Forge or share membership cards for access to the facility or access to programs, services or classes.
• Enter unauthorized areas such as: staff offices or staff workspaces; gender opposite locker rooms; maintenance, equipment or storage rooms.
• Photograph or video tape other participants or visitors without prior approval of participants being photographed or taped and without prior approval from an authorized staff member.
• Unauthorized commercial activity – no person is allowed to post, advertise, instruct in private lessons or solicit individuals in the facility for personal services or for personal businesses that is not directly affiliated and approved through Bodyworks.
• Make use of external or private personal training in the BodyWorks facility.
• Disrupt or obstruct any program, event or class.
• Unauthorized use of facility computers and property.
• Bring glass water bottles, food or chewing gum in the facility.
• Wear shoes on designated stretching mats.
• Deadlift on the Smith machine.
• Utilize handheld devices such as tablets or cell phones while operating facility equipment.

Communicable Disease Prevention Framework

As of Sept 23, 2023, UBC transitioned from COVID-19 Safety Plans to a Communicable Disease Prevention Framework in alignment with the BC Centre for Disease Control and Public Health Guidance for Post-Secondary Institutions.

All BodyWorks Members, Clients, Participants, and Visitors must follow the guidelines described within the UBC Communicable Disease Prevention Framework.

Visit https://srs.ubc.ca/ for more information.

All members, participants, and visitors are required to report any violation of this Code of Conduct to a BodyWorks staff member immediately. As needed, UBC Security may be called at any time to help enforce this Code of Conduct.

Any acts that are considered violations of the BodyWorks Code of Conduct shall be referred to management for appropriate action.

Any members, participant, or visitors violating University Policies or the Fitness Centre Code of Conduct may have their Membership, Drop-In Pass or other privileges revoked.

To comply with UBC PCI Compliance new directive and policies, any payments over the phone will now be required to be taken over a designated phone line. 

To complete payment, please call the registration office at 604-822-0207 and the office staff will assist with redirecting you to our secure line to complete payment. 

If you have any questions in the meantime please contact the registration office at 604-822-0207 or kin.outreach@ubc.ca.

Refunds

UBC BodyWorks Fitness Centre does not grant refunds or expiration date extensions for sessions purchased, regardless of method of payment, unless for medical reasons (a note from a physician is required); or there is an extended work-related leave of absence (employer note required). For offsite community centre programs, withdrawal is at the discretion of the community center with the applicable withdrawal fee.

Program Withdrawals
Withdrawals prior to the start of a class; once a class has been registered for, a $25 administrative fee will be charged regardless of the amount of time between registration and withdrawal. The balance may be refunded or credited to the account.

Withdrawals after the first class; a $25 administration fee will be charged and a prorated refund will be given or issued to the account. 

Withdrawals beyond the second class taking place; the withdrawal request must be received by email, voicemail, in person, or over the phone within 24 hours of the ending of the second class. In the case of a Friday / Saturday / Sunday class, because the office is closed weekends, the request must be made by 4pm the following Monday, or Tuesday if the Monday is a statutory holiday. After the 24 hour window has passed, a prorated refund will only be given for medical reasons.

Renovations and Facility Closures

In situations where the facility is required to close for maintenance, participants will not be refunded for allotted days of closures.

Communicable Disease Prevention (ex. COVID-19)

The regular refund and withdrawal policies are in effect. If you need to miss a class due to health and safety reasons, you will be issued a credit providing you contact us by 12pm on the day of your class. Please see the Code of Conduct tab above for more information.

Transferring of Passes

All memberships, personal training sessions, and pass purchases are non-transferable. Refunds are not applicable to memberships or passes that have expired.

Cancelled Programs

If any program is cancelled, you will receive 24 hour notice and we will provide a prorated credit or refund.

Missed Classes

No makeup classes are available. Classes are pro-rated for individuals who register after the start of term.

Communicable Disease Prevention (ex. COVID-19)

Regular refund policies are in effect, please see our Refund / Withdrawal Transfer tab for more information. 

Age Restriction

Our minimum age policy for our facility is 18+; this includes our exercise programs.

Renovations and Facility Closures

In situations where the facility is required to close for maintenance, participants will not be refunded for allotted days of closures.

Scent & Nut Free

We are a scent and nut free facility. Please refrain from wearing colognes or perfumes.

Paperwork

All participants must submit a membership agreement, waiver and required health forms once per year. Forms are available under the Waiver / Consent Forms tab, and in person at the School of Kinesiology Outreach office at Unit 1 of the Osborne Centre.

If you are registering for the first time, or your health has changed since your last registration, please complete the following forms:

• BodyWorks Membership Agreement, Consent, and Waiver
• Get Active Questionnaire (GAQ)

Locker Rentals

For any additional information please contact the registration office at 604-822-0207.

Photo / Filming Policy

Taking photos or filming is strictly prohibited by parents, participants, friends, etc. during any of the BodyWorks programs.

In the event that UBC BodyWorks plans a photo/video shoot during our programs, we will contact you and request you fill out our Consent to Use of Images Form.

How do you register for Changing Aging?

If you are interested in registering for the Changing Aging program, please submit an online Get Active Questionnaire form or visit/call the Osborne Registration Office at 604-822-0207. We will contact you with instructions on next steps.

Fitness Assessment

All participants joining the Changing Aging program will be required to complete a fitness assessment prior to joining the program. A fitness assessment is required to be completed every 12 months. Please see the fitness assessment tab for more information.

What qualifications will the student instructors have?

All student instructors have First Aid, CPR and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) training. They are upper year kinesiology students who are certified exercise professionals or in the process of obtaining certification through the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology (CSEP), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) or the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Student instructors who are not yet certified will be supervised by the BodyWorks Exercise Physiologist, who is a clinical exercise physiologist certified through CSEP, or another similarly qualified staff member.

How do you register for Community Fit?

If you are interested in registering for the Changing Aging program, please submit an online Get Active Questionnaire form or visit/call the Osborne Registration Office at 604-822-0207. We will contact you with instructions on next steps.

Fitness Assessment

All participants joining the Community Fit program will be required to complete a fitness assessment prior to joining the program. A fitness assessment is required to be completed every 12 months. Please see the fitness assessment tab for more information.

What qualifications will the student instructors have?

All student instructors have First Aid, CPR and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) training. They are upper year kinesiology students who are certified exercise professionals or in the process of obtaining certification through the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology (CSEP), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) or the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Student instructors who are not yet certified will be supervised by the BodyWorks Exercise Physiologist, who is a clinical exercise physiologist certified through CSEP, or another similarly qualified staff member.

How do you register for FAME?

Complete the FAME waitlist form or visit/call the Osborne Registration Office at 604-822-0207.

When a spot has opened up in the program, we will contact you with next steps.

How do you register for the Brain Wellness Program (BWP)?

Complete the BWP waitlist form or visit/call the Osborne Registration Office at 604-822-0207.

When a spot has opened up in the program, we will contact you with next steps.

What happens in the next steps?

All participants will be required to complete a fitness assessment.

Program Registration

The program registration is for a semester commitment. For dates of when the programs run during each semester, please visit our front page, or see our online calendar.

What do I do if I can't attend my class?

Please contact us if you are unable to attend a class. You can call the registration office at 604-822-0207 or email body.works@ubc.ca.

To Prepare to Register:

• Please review the Term Schedule tab on the Semi-Private page to see when sessions are available for the semester.
• You must be able to attend two or three sessions per week within the listed days and times.
• Packages are sold in 8 or 12 punch passes, and must be used within 6 weeks.

How do you register for Semi-Private Training?

If you are interested in registering for Semi-Private Training, please submit an online Get Active Questionnaire form or visit/call the Osborne Registration Office at 604-822-0207. We will contact you with instructions on next steps.

Fitness Assessment

All participants joining Semi-Private Training will be required to complete a fitness assessment prior to joining the program. A fitness assessment is required to be completed every 16 weeks. Please see the fitness assessment tab for more information.

What happens during semester transition breaks?

Between each semester/season, there will be some transition weeks where there are no programs offered. If you have an active Semi-Private Training pass that is set to run during this time, your pass will be extended by the number of days between the end of the current semester and the start of the next semester.

What qualifications will the student instructors have?

All student instructors have First Aid, CPR and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) training. They are upper year kinesiology students who are certified exercise professionals through the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology (CSEP), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) or the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). 

Semi-Private Training Cancellations and No-Show Policy

We kindly ask for at least 48 hours' notice if you need to cancel a booked semi-private session. Cancellations made more than 48 hours in advance can be rescheduled at no additional cost. However, cancellations made within 48 hours of the session or failure to attend will result in the session being marked as used, with no rescheduling available.

Why is a Fitness Assessment required at the start of the program?

There are several reasons why fitness assessments are required in order to participate in our programs. These in-person assessments are the final step in our pre-exercise participation screening process to determine if you are able to increase your physical activity levels or if you should first consult a health care provider. Next, our instructors will use the results of the assessments to confirm that the program you are interested in will be an appropriate level of difficulty, or to recommend other programs that might be a better fit.

Your results may also be used by the instructor of your group exercise program to modify the lesson plan to your level ability. In the case of semi-private training, the assessment is used to develop the exercise prescription.

The results of your fitness assessment are compiled with the results of the other participants in your program in order to determine the average result in each assessment. Your individual results as well as the average result from the program (and normative data if available) are provided to you in order to give you feedback on your fitness in the different components that were assessed. By comparing the results of these assessments over time, the BodyWorks exercise physiologist can determine if the program is improving and or helping maintain the levels of the different components of fitness that were evaluated, and then adjust the exercise prescription if need be.

These averages are also used to develop the exercise prescription in new programs. For example, when the Changing Aging program was re-launched in Winter 2023, the average result of the floor transfer test indicated that the program should first develop strength and practice movement patterns required for floor transfers before including exercises that required floor transfers, such as abdominal exercises or stretches in a supine position on the floor.

Lastly, conducting fitness assessments provide an opportunity for BodyWorks kinesiology student staff and volunteers to gain experience with fitness evaluation and develop professional kinesiology skills integral to their future careers as qualified exercise professionals and health care providers.

What does a Fitness Assessment involve?
A fitness assessment evaluates your current health and fitness level. The assessment will take place in a supportive and non-competitive environment in the Osborne Center at UBC. You will arrive and meet the BodyWorks trainer(s) and student volunteers who will be conducting the assessments under the supervision of the BodyWorks Exercise Physiologist. Group exercise programs such as Changing Aging and Community Fit may have multiple participants present in the assessment, whereas specialty programs and semi-private training assessments are conducted with individual participants. The BodyWorks trainers will take some resting measurements and then lead you through a series musculoskeletal and aerobic fitness tests specific to your group exercise program. The assessment for semi-private training will begin with a conversation about your health history, lifestyle, exercise interests and experience, and goals before proceeding to the exercise tests that align with your needs.

How do I prepare for a Fitness Assessment?

1. Wear loose, comfortable clothing and running shoes. Your upper arm must be accessible for blood pressure, so please wear short sleeves or a shirt than can be rolled up so that your arm is exposed for 15 cm or 6 inches above the inside of your elbow. Change rooms will be available if you wish to change clothes before and/or after the assessment.
2. If this is your first fitness assessment or if it's been 1 year or more since your last assessment, please bring reading glasses as you will be asked to read and sign the BodyWorks membership agreement prior to initiating the assessment.
3. Bring a water bottle and a snack for after the assessment.
4. Do not eat in the 2 hours leading up to the test.
5. Avoid consuming caffeine or tobacco products in the 4 hours prior to the test.
6. Avoid exercise/physical activity and alcohol on the day of the test.

What do I do if I can’t attend my fitness assessment?

If you are unable to attend your scheduled fitness assessment, please notify BodyWorks staff as soon as possible. Your fitness assessment will need to be rescheduled and could impact your ability to participate in your as the assessment must be completed prior to your first class.