About

Hi, I’m Elena Tonietto, a fitness and wellness coach in North Bay, Ontario, and the founder of NU-U Health & Fitness. For more than 20 years I’ve helped people move better, feel stronger, and live with more energy, and I’d love to help you do the same. My whole approach comes down to three words I live by: move well, age strong, live vibrant.

NU-U Health & Fitness has been my life’s work since I founded it in 2008. It started with outdoor bootcamps and grew into something much bigger: a warm, welcoming home for real people who want to feel good in their bodies again. Today I offer in-person coaching right here in North Bay and across the Nipissing District, plus online classes and coaching for clients throughout Canada and the United States. Wherever you are, we can work together.

The people I love working with aren’t chasing a magazine cover. They’re women and men who want to keep up with their kids and grandkids, protect their independence as they age, move without pain, and build habits that actually last. If that sounds like you, you’re in exactly the right place.

It All Started in the Mountains of Romania

I grew up in Romania, in the mountains, where wellness wasn’t a trend, it was simply how we lived. My parents taught me to love nature, to move my body every day, to eat real food from the garden, and to respect the rhythm of the seasons. Long before I ever earned a certification, I understood in my bones that health is built through simple, consistent habits.

Those early years shaped everything I believe today. The mountains taught me patience, resilience, and a deep love of being outdoors, which is exactly why fresh air is still at the heart of what I do, whether that’s an outdoor bootcamp or a quiet walk through the trees. That connection to nature never left me, and it’s a gift I try to pass on to every person I coach.

Coming to Canada and Building NU-U

In 1996 I moved to Canada and, in time, made North Bay my home. I fell in love with the Ontario landscape, the changing seasons, and a community that welcomed me. I also saw how easy it is, especially through our long northern winters, for people to lose momentum, strength, and confidence, and I knew I could help.

I began teaching group fitness in 2004 and became a certified Personal Trainer in 2006. I was one of the first Zumba instructors in my community, taught fitness in schools for more than five years, and spent over a decade coaching in gyms across the region. In 2008 I founded NU-U Health & Fitness, starting with outdoor bootcamps and building it into the full coaching practice it is today. I also brought float therapy to our community with the NU-U Float Studio, which I sold in 2019 and is still running strong. Everything I’ve built, from one-on-one training to healthy aging programs, grew out of a simple wish: to help my neighbours feel their best.

Proudly based in North Bay, Ontario — serving clients across Canada & the USA online.

My Training, Certifications and Specializations

I believe a great coach never stops learning, and I’ve spent two decades building the depth to guide you safely and effectively. I’ve been a fitness instructor since 2004, a Personal Trainer since 2006, and a certified Pilates instructor since 2007. Along the way I’ve specialized in older-adult fitness and healthy aging, because I’m passionate about helping people stay strong, mobile and independent for life.

I’m also the founder and inventor of the NU Bar, my own system of choreographed weighted-bar training, and I’ve led workshops, workplace wellness sessions and community talks for years. On the nutrition side, I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach through the Food Matters Institute, a weight-loss specialist, and an expert in supplements and antioxidants. I’m a practitioner of sylvotherapy, or forest therapy, and I bring that calm, restorative side into my nutrition coaching and my Pilates classes alike. Just as importantly, I still live this lifestyle myself as an active athlete, competing in trail races and triathlons with podium finishes, hiking, and spending as much time outdoors as I can.

My Coaching Philosophy

I don’t believe in punishing workouts, crash diets, or one-size-fits-all plans. I believe in meeting you where you are and helping you build strength and healthy habits that fit your real life. Small, consistent steps beat dramatic overhauls every single time, and that’s how lasting change actually happens.

My role is to coach, teach and encourage, never to diagnose or treat. I’ll always encourage you to check in with your physician before starting a new exercise or nutrition program, and to listen to your body along the way. This is about education, empowerment and general wellness, so you leave every session feeling more capable and more confident than when you walked in. Whether you want to lose weight without dieting or simply move without aches, we’ll get there together, one honest step at a time.

Why People Choose NU-U

When you work with me, you’re not a number on a gym membership list. You get a coach who genuinely knows your name, your goals and your story, and who tailors every program to you. Clients stay with NU-U because they feel seen, supported and steadily stronger, and because the results show up in their everyday lives: carrying groceries with ease, keeping up on the trail, sleeping better, standing taller.

Best of all, I can support you however it suits your life. Come see me in person in North Bay and the Nipissing District, or join me for online classes and coaching from anywhere in Canada or the USA. If you’re ready to move well, age strong and live vibrant, I’d love to hear from you, so reach out through my contact page and let’s begin.

Qualifications & milestones

• ✓ Fitness instructor since 2004; over 20 years as a fitness professional
• ✓ Certified Personal Trainer since 2006, specialized in older-adult fitness and healthy aging
• ✓ Certified Pilates instructor since 2007
• ✓ One of the first Zumba instructors in her community; taught Zumba and fitness in schools for 5+ years
• ✓ 10+ years coaching in numerous gyms, plus workshops, talks and workplace wellness programs
• ✓ Founder of NU-U Health & Fitness and outdoor bootcamps since 2008
• ✓ Founder and inventor of the NU Bar (choreographed weighted-bar training)
• ✓ Certified Nutrition Coach (Food Matters Institute); weight-loss specialist
• ✓ Supplements and antioxidants expert
• ✓ Sylvotherapy (forest therapy) practitioner
• ✓ Brought float therapy to her community with the NU-U Float Studio (sold 2019, still running)
• ✓ Active athlete: trail races and triathlons with podium finishes, hiking and the outdoors
• ✓ Grew up in the mountains of Romania; moved to Canada in 1996 and brought NU-U to North Bay

Mission, vision & commitment

What guides me