At StretchLab in Venice, Calif., the calming whines of Bon Iver echo in a space filled with cushion-topped tables and abstract art. A “flexologist” (a StretchLab term for trainer) pushes my leg across my torso to open up my hip in a way I haven’t in years, before contorting my limbs into a number of other positions that soothe my quads, calves, back and shoulders, with the aid of a foam roller that’s flat on one side.
I’m enjoying a stretch session, a wellness activity once relegated by some to the end of workout sessions, now emerging as a national fitness trend in its own right.
StretchLab opened in 2015 in Venice as one of the first places to offer one-on-one sessions that strictly focus on stretching; it is like a massage where the therapist moves your limbs instead of kneads your muscles. That location, according to flexologist Sarah Gittler, sees plenty of clients with “discretionary incomes” who come to feel better after a flight or to get something similar to a post-workout stretch session from a personal trainer.
According to fitness class booking app ClassPass, restorative classes were the fastest-growing 2017 gym trend, with a 16 percent increase in reservations for stretching and other recovery classes that year.
Lawyer/screenwriter Saul Janson co-founded StretchLab with his trainer Tim Trost, because he valued their cool-down sessions and thought, “We should open a place where we could just get a stretch.”
“Even when we opened three and a half years ago, people were saying, ‘What is this? Why would I do this?’” Janson said. But, he reasons, athletes have been stretched by trainers forever, and pros like Novak Djokovic and Tom Brady have helped popularize prolonged stretching and recovery. Now, everyone from high school athletes to senior citizens are getting stretched.
Don Schmolder, a 58-year-old chiropractor from Manhattan Beach, Calif., has been going to StretchLab weekly for the last few months.
“I have plantar fasciitis, it seems to be improved just by stretching and being more flexible,” he said. “I think it’s just good for you. Stretching beyond the active range."
Physical therapist Rick Rafael sees the appeal of stretch programs. At his SportsFit practice in Santa Monica, he offers similar professional-led stretch sessions to help clients who need to gain mobility and flexibility. However, stretching “may be a waste after a certain amount of time,” he warns. “Overdoing it could end up putting too much stretch on a muscle and causing injury.
"Just like anything else, you can go get a massage from someone who doesn’t know how to do it and can injure you. The risk factor is always there."
At StretchLab, I have a relaxing 25-minute session, which leaves me loose and zen. I'm standing up straighter than I was yesterday and walking out feeling good about putting my wellness first. I'm even tempted to go across the street to Cafe Gratitude, a place known for its healthy, yet pricey, plant-based food. Then, I remember that financial health is important, too.
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