Flexibility: Your winter superpower!

In the winter months, our physical activity levels tend to wane. This winter has been one of the toughest in recent memory. Even though we want to curl up and wait it out, it’s important to prioritize strategies to keep muscles and joints strong and flexible so when the weather breaks, we’re ready to get moving and enjoy it without pain, stiffness or injury. 

StretchLab in Strongsville offers assisted, one-on-one stretching by a trained Flexologist who guides you through a customized stretch that’s physically and mentally beneficial. 

The StretchLab Difference

“StretchLab stretching prepares you to be at your best for life, no matter what that means for you,” Lead Flexologist Jessica Sayre says. “Winter in Northeast Ohio brings with it a more sedentary lifestyle that affects both body and mind. A hands-on, assisted stretch will unlock the joints, lengthen and strengthen tight muscles and improve your mental state. Clients leave feeling strong and refreshed.”

Your initial StretchLab stretch begins with a MAPS assessment determining mobility, activation, posture and symmetry, ensuring your Flexologist focuses on the right muscle groups, and you get the most out of your session. The MAPS is regularly repeated to measure improvements in flexibility and strength and set future goals. 

StretchLab Strongsville General Manager Destiny Conway found StretchLab after studying to be an aesthetician and working in various wellness-related fields.

“I wanted to help people to feel good about themselves,” Destiny says. “I had studied anatomy and massage and found that StretchLab utilizes those same principles to help people feel better, get stronger and do better in their lives. I had to be a part of it.”

At StretchLab, your certified Flexologist uses a stretching technique called proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) that uses resistance to target your body’s tissues and ligaments and improve muscle elasticity.

Flexologists have a fitness and health background before beginning a three-tiered certification process that includes 60 hours of in-person workshops and 20-plus hours of hands-on training administering the 26 signature StretchLab stretches.

“The StretchLab Flexologist training program is the only accredited certificate program recognized by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence for Assisted Stretching,” Owner Jeanne Fuelling says. “Our training is second to none, and Flexologists take part in continuing education to learn new ways to help clients reach their goals.”

“Our culture centers around teamwork, and we continually learn from each other,” she says. “We recently held a three-hour workshop combining three studios to share knowledge from each other, along with a guest speaker who presented us with ways to incorporate the Polyvagal Theory.”

Flexologists recommend a 50-minute initial stretch that targets each muscle group and identifies a client’s specific needs.

“We’re able to actually feel your strengths, your weaknesses and your progress,” Jessica says. “Then we can take your performance—whether it’s on the golf course, pickleball court, doing daily chores or playing with the grandkids—to a whole new level.”

Flexologists work together, learn from each other and rely on each other’s experiences to be the best for their clients. 

“We all have unique backgrounds, and we are constantly sharing our knowledge to offer the best results for our clients,” Jessica says.

StretchLab is for Everyone

“Clients of all ages come to StretchLab seeking relief and looking for increased performance in their activities,” Jessica says. “I’m working with a 14-year-old swimmer who wants to increase flexibility and a client in his 80s who wants to remain mobile and independent.”

Some of the best StretchLab success stories come from clients with disabilities who thought an active lifestyle was unattainable. 

“I work with a client with MS who is semi-paralyzed from the waist down,” Jessica says. “Stretches help with blood flow and range of motion in his lower limbs and stimulate his feet and ankles. The first time we worked together, he cried when feeling that walking motion in his feet and ankles. He hadn’t felt that in a long time. StretchLab has made a real difference in his life.”

Another Flexologist works with a legally blind client and StretchLab has helped with flexibility, strength and confidence in mobility and daily tasks.

“She’s more confident in her daily life,” Jessica says. “StretchLab offers the same benefits for everyone, no matter your goals.”

StretchLab personalizes your stretches based on your strengths, weaknesses, overall health and fitness goals. 

“A StretchLab membership can be considered a qualified expense under an individual’s Health Savings Account (HSA), and many members use those accounts to pay for their service,” Jeanne says.

StretchLab has also partnered with American Specialty Health (Active & Fit, Active Direct and Silver & Fit Basic) and Optum (One Pass, One Pass Select and Aaptiv), all of which offer two or four sessions per month to their eligible members.

February is Heart Health Month. Do your heart a favor with a StretchLab stretch that increases circulation and lowers blood pressure and stress levels. Staying active and keeping your body mobile is directly correlated with improvement in physical and mental health.

Call 440-709-1534 and mention Mimi for a 15% discount on a StretchLab membership.

Valentine’s Day is here, the season of love and self-care. StretchLab gift certificates make great gifts for a loved one, or for yourself.

StretchLab Strongsville

17100 Royalton Road, Strongsville

440-709-1534

StretchLab.com

strongsville@stretchlab.com