StretchLab Avon is changing the way people live, work, play and feel

By Mary Malik

What do a 6-year-old Irish dancer, teenage gymnast, 65-year-old golfer and 35-year-old fireman have in common? The answer is they all need to stretch to perform at their best. Whether it’s dancing, twisting, carrying heavy equipment, outdriving your friends on the golf course or getting down on the floor with the grandkids, stretching might be the missing piece that’s keeping you from doing what you love.

Enter StretchLab Avon, here to help people of all ages reap the benefits of a professional, assisted stretch.

“I spent years in the corporate world and was ready to do something that would make a real difference in people’s lives,” StretchLab Avon owner Jeanne Fuelling says. “I have always done yoga and know the benefits of stretching and how it helps you function better, no matter what you’re doing in your daily life. Investing in StretchLab made perfect sense for me.”

StretchLab Avon is currently one in 16 studios throughout Ohio and more than 400 in the country. People everywhere are understanding the benefits stretching can have not just for athletes, but for anyone who just wants to be more engaged in their lives.

“There used to be a theory born out of the bodybuilding world that you shouldn’t stretch because you could injure yourself,” says Coco Gerard, area manager at StretchLab. “At StretchLab, your Flexologist will utilize proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), a stretching technique using resistance to target your body’s tissues and ligaments and improve muscle elasticity. You think you’ve stretched before, but wait until you try StretchLab.”

Before you even arrive for your first stretch session, an associate will reach out to you about your goals, lifestyle, past injuries and other helpful information. A Flexologist is a trained expert with a background in fitness who completes an extensive, three-tiered certification process.

“This includes online training, in-person workshops and 20 practice hours administering StretchLab’s 26 stretches,” studio manager Wendy Barrett says. “Your initial stretch appointment begins with a MAPS assessment determining Mobility, Activation, Posture and Symmetry, so we focus your stretch on the right muscle groups, and you get the most out of your session.”

MAPS is a simple test that gives your Flexologist a great deal of initial information and then monitors your progress on a monthly basis.

“As a StretchLab member, the MAPS tool helps you see just how much your flexibility, mobility and even strength are improving,” Coco says. “Obviously, your results are apparent in the way you feel and move, but it’s nice to have this way of assessing where you started, where you are now and set goals for the future.”

StretchLab recommends a 50-minute initial stretch session that targets each muscle group and identifies every client’s specific needs. After that, depending on your needs, future sessions can be a full 50 minutes or 25 minutes.

“We are your partners,” Coco says. “We find out why you’re struggling and fix it so you can perform at your best. Not everyone needs 50-minute stretches. If you’re struggling with just one area, we’ll target that specifically in a 25-minute stretch. Overstretching can do more harm than good.”

StretchLab finds that most clients want to ease their discomfort caused by a sedentary lifestyle. When they want to do something active, they struggle with mobility or flexibility. Things like past injury or simply sitting or standing all day cause nagging pain. But don’t worry about your stretch being painful.

“The client is always in control,” Coco says. “We will push you further than you would push yourself, but we get you there without pain. That’s why we work off a tension scale of one to 10. We’d like you to be at a six or seven for each stretch. If it’s more than that, we pull back or if you’d like to push it further, we can do that, too. Again, you are always in control.”

Your stretch sessions at StretchLab may also include compression and percussion massage therapies to aid with recovery and muscle tension relief. Just come in comfortable clothing and gripper socks (required and available at StretchLab), and your Flexologist will do the rest. Membership options vary, but a weekly stretch session is recommended for optimum results.

“Our muscles need to be cared for. We can’t do it alone and consistency is important,” Coco says. “That’s where StretchLab comes in. We’ll assess your needs, track your progress and prepare you for your active, pain-free, flexible life.”

StretchLab Avon is located at 35972 Detroit Road, Unit Z-1, across from Heinen’s in Avon Commons. StretchLab Rocky River, Avon’s sister studio is located at 19306 Detroit Road (216-353-2805). For more information and to schedule your first stretch, call 440-536-8470, check the website StretchLab.com and find them on Facebook and Instagram.