Wellness
Here’s how the studio works.
One such spot is StretchLab.
As someone who always seems to have an ache or pain, the notion ofStretchLabdefinitely piqued my interest.
In other words, these are folks who know all the best ways to turn you into a pretzel.
Theyll focus on the muscles in that area of your body.
Struggling with shoulder pain?
Expect your upper back to get a lot of attention.
All good things, right?
Heres my firsthand take on what it was like to give StretchLab a try.
What Is StretchLab?
There are 25-minute and 50-minute long sessions, so the duration is up to you.
After that, you lie down on the treatment table to get stretched.
There was even an oil diffuser puffing away, so the space smelled like relaxing essential oils.
(Youre supposed to wear grippy socks to each session so you dont slip or slide during your stretch.
If you dont have any it’s possible for you to buy some near the front desk.)
The scan confirmed that I dohave extra tight hamstrings, just as I suspected.
Turns out my left side is way tighter than my right.
And my hips need a lot of work, too.
We then started in on my tight hamstrings.
I placed a grippy-socked foot upon the flexologists shoulder as she pushed on my leg.
This was the PNF method at work, and I definitely noticed that my range of motion improved.
Its up to you to tell your flexologist whats working and what isnt as you get stretched.
If something doesnt feel right, they want to know.
They also encourage you to think of stretching tension on a scale of one to 10.
The goal is to feel a good level of tension as your body releases into a slightly deeper stretch.
This part feltsogood, kind of like a therapeutic massage.
My Takeaway
I left the stretch feeling lighter and more limber than usual.
The next day I had a tiny touch ofsoreness in my shoulders, but nothing unbearable.
Studies referenced:
Carlson, C.R.
Muscle stretching as an alternative relaxation training procedure.
J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2197297/
Hindle, K. B.
Effectiveness of strengthening and stretching exercises for the postural correction of abducted scapulae: a review.
J Strength Cond Res.
Iwata, M. (2019).
Dynamic Stretching Has Sustained Effects on Range of Motion and Passive Stiffness of the Hamstring Muscles.
J Sports Sci Med.
PMID: 30787647; PMCID: PMC6370952.
Peck, E. (2014).
The Effects of Stretching on Performance.
Effectiveness of static quadriceps stretching in individuals with patellofemoral joint pain.
Clin J Sport Med.
