How assisted stretching helps relieve pain and improve mobility

As we get into the cold months and lose the desire to go outside, we can become stagnant, sitting inside all the time. While some people may have more upbeat jobs, moving around throughout the day, some people are stuck inside, sitting at a desk all day. 

We’ve all heard the benefits of regular exercise and the importance of stretching afterward, Dec. 11 was even National Stretching Day. But what about assisted stretching? 

It’s not something widely known, but it may have more benefits than regular at-home stretching. Stretch Zone is hoping to make it more well-known. 

“We want to not be the best kept secret anymore,” said Jennifer Gibbs, general manager at the Draper Stretch Zone. 

The company, founded in 2004 by Jorden Gold, started with an experience close to his heart. After watching his grandfather’s growing limitations due to diabetes, he decided to start helping his grandfather through assisted stretches. Within a year, his grandfather went from not being able to walk, to walking with a walker, to a cane, to dancing at his cousin’s wedding all through that stretching. 

At this point, Gold knew he had to do something more, to help others that may be going through what his grandfather went through or to prevent them from getting to that point. 

“The whole reason that I started Stretch Zone was sparked from watching my grandfather becoming immobile because of his diabetes,” Gold said in a statement. “It motivated me to develop a proprietary stretching method that I hoped would prevent others from having to see themselves and the people in their lives suffer in the same way.”

There are now four locations in Utah, one of them being in Draper, another in Cottonwood Heights. The practitioners at Stretch Zone offer a new approach to improving range of motion and flexibility. While traditional stretching methods can make you more flexible, it may take some time. Assisted stretching can get you there faster because you don’t have to think about the stretches you’re doing, or worry about other muscles aside from the one you’re stretching. 

“So instead of walking around at 80% or 90%, super tight and stretched all the time, they can just live in a more manageable, normal, relaxed way and these changes become more lasting,” Gibbs said. 

Assisted stretching can benefit everyone, even if you don’t feel like you have problem muscles. For those sitting at an office all the time, they are stuck in the same position, cramping muscles that should be able to stretch and move throughout the day. Stress can also play a large part in muscle tension. 

Assisted stretching can help reduce everyday pain and help people move more fluidly for longer periods of time. Gibbs said she’s seen a number of different types of people walk through the Stretch Zone doors. Office workers that need to get away from cramped muscles, gymgoers and marathon runners preparing for races, older adults, even CEOs that may be more stressed than others. 

Gibbs said assisted stretching can also help when there’s been trauma involved, like a car accident or surgery. 

“The body is so wise,” she said. “It develops all these mechanisms that get all tangled up. And then you have another thing and another thing, then it’s hard to unwind yourself.” 

She said developing that range of motion back, assisting and breaking down scar tissue that develops prevents movement. She’s seen people in recovery and also people anticipating a surgery. She said assisted stretching can help loosen muscles before they’re put through surgery to stop it from yanking something around that shouldn’t move. 

“The body is so amazing,” Gibbs said. “How it can heal itself with something so holistic, like a stretch.” 

Usually, clients at a Stretch Zone start going multiple times a week, maybe two or three times, then as time goes on and they begin to heal, they’ll only need to come twice a month for routine maintenance. 

One of Gibbs’ favorite stories to share is a marathoner that started coming in 12 weeks before a race to stretch their muscles, mainly the hamstrings and hip flexors. Doing this routinely for those 12 weeks ended up helping the client cut down on their race time. 

“It’s keeping them healthy, too,” Gibbs said. 

Many of their clients say they’ll stick with assisted stretching their entire lives. Heather Hemingway-Hales shares this point of view. Hemingway-Hales is still as active as ever, doing regular exercise, yoga, cycling, mountain biking and participating in 50-plus races. She comes in regularly to Stretch Zone. 

“Just coming in here and getting this deep stress really helps,” Hemingway-Hales said. 

Stretch Zones are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and open for half-days on Saturday. 

Gibbs said if you’re curious about assisted stretching, to try it out for a complimentary first visit. 

“I just encourage open invitation to anybody to just give the studio a call,” she said. “So I just invite anybody to come in and try it out, because it is such a new concept.” 

If you want to learn more about Stretch Zone and what they offer, you can visit stretchzone.com to find the location closest to you.