You are ready to change, but is your body?

Are you making changes in 2025? Statistically, most people give up on resolutions before the end of January, and many quit within the first two weeks. What’s stopping us from working toward our goals? We start fitness routines or new activities with great intentions but don’t keep up because we don’t feel better and sometimes feel worse. The answer may be that our bodies aren’t ready for the change.

We need to stretch.

The Importance of Stretching

Kelsey Rerko has been a personal trainer for almost six years and admits she was bad at stretching. Today, as a StretchLab Flexologist, Kelsey understands the importance of stretching for anyone with an active lifestyle and for overall health and well-being. 

“I was a certified personal trainer, but the extensive training I received to become a StretchLab Flexologist prepared me to help myself and others feel better and be better at everything we do,” Kelsey says. “Stretching is an investment in self-care. We often don’t recognize our bad habits—and their effect on us—until someone points them out and shows us a better way. That’s what you’ll experience at StretchLab.”

StretchLab’s Flexologist training includes 60-plus hours at in-person workshops and 20-plus practice hours administering StretchLab’s 26 signature stretches. Every Flexologist must have a background in the health and fitness field. 

“Throughout your stretch, we teach body awareness and articulate exactly what we’re doing and why,” Kelsey says. “This is a team effort. We work within your comfort zone and the client is always in control. Communication is key.”

Flexologist Allexus Zielinski, a rugby player for 13 years, comes to StretchLab from the Denison University athletic training room, where she helped athletes recover from injury. 

“I learned the benefits of stretching for athletes and everyone,” Allexus says. “Stretching builds muscle in ankles, knees, hips and is necessary for injury prevention.”

Allexus enjoys building connections with her clients and seeing their improvement after incorporating stretching into their routines. 

“Many people want to stretch but aren’t sure what to do,” Allexus says. “Drop in, ask questions. We’re here to connect and help you improve your life.”

StretchLab Flexologists have varying fitness backgrounds, including yoga, personal training, massage therapy and exercise physiology. Many clients prefer to work with a Flexologist with a specific interest or background that matches their goals and lifestyle.

How to Keep Running

“I’m 55 and have been a runner for 30 years,” Flexologist Don says. “I’ve battled injuries over the years and became a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach in 2020 to learn about the body to help me continue running as I age.”

What Don learned was that he wasn’t doing enough intense stretching. 

“My beliefs about stretching were all wrong,” Don says. “Stretching can prevent plantar fasciitis, knee and hip injuries, even shoulder problems that all plague runners. I started getting stretches here and was sold. Now, I’m training harder than I did in my 30s.”

Don became a certified Flexologist and says he gets excited when clients, especially runners, come in with pain.

“I know I can fix it,” Don says. “Runners will tell you running is as much for mental health as physical health. Stretching will keep you running longer. I’m proof of that. Others will try and sell you something, but this is reality. StretchLab saved me.”

Make those changes in 2025. StretchLab will get your body ready and keep you on track.

StretchLab Avon is located at 35972 Detroit Road, Unit Z-1, across from Heinen’s in Avon Commons. For more information and to schedule your first stretch for just $49, call 440-536-8470. You can also visit StretchLab.com or find StretchLab on Facebook.