LYNNWOOD—At newly opened Stretch Lab Lynnwood, anybody can benefit from the benefits of stretching from increased flexibility and range of motion, improved posture, enhanced circulation, stress reduction, injury prevention, and more.
Stretch Lab Lynnwood offers a variety of services for anyone and everyone, not just for athletes, elderly, or those seeking physical therapy (though those clients can benefit just as much, if not, more).
“Stretching is such a missing link for so many people, and everybody can benefit from it. We’ve got teenagers that come in, we have old folks who just want to be able to put on their socks and shoes, ice hockey players, cross fitters. There’s just such a wide range of people that come in and that can also afford the service,” said Lauren Bruun, Area Manager for Stretch Lab Lynnwood and Bothell.
Bruun comes from an integrative health background specializing in how natural modalities increase overall wellness. She was attracted to Stretch Lab’s business model because it homed in on perfecting one specialty (stretching) which, she believes, is essential for basic health and wellness.
What sets Stretch Lab Lynnwood apart from other stretching and physical therapy studios is its use of MAPS Body Assessment Technology and Normatec compression therapy.
MAPS utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze a customer’s movement. When a customer first shows up they are asked a series of questions based on their concerns, areas of tightness, and overall goals. They then perform three overhead squats and the MAPS technology will analyze their mobility, posture, and symmetry (MAPS stands for mobility, activation, posture, and symmetry).
“We’ll basically give you a number to show where you’re at. And obviously, we want that to be closer to 100, right? So a lot of times people will come in, they might have an overall score in the 30s and [the technology] outlines and identifies where to focus that will ultimately improve those different areas of the body,” said Bruun.
Normatec compression therapy, on the other hand, does exactly that. It “compresses” areas of the body (i.e. legs, hips, arms, etc.) to reduce muscle soreness, improve circulation, promote lymphatic drainage, and overall improves mobility, reduces bodily tightness, and lowers stress levels, according to Bruun.
Since each customer is different, their stretch plans are tailored to their unique needs, goals, and lifestyles. They are then paired up with a highly trained “flexologist”, typically once, or twice, a week for at least six weeks for best results.
These flexologists use a technique called PNF Stretching (which stands for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation). Each flexologist typically comes from a background in kinesiology or exercise science with a college degree in a related field. Many of them also have additional certifications in physical therapy, personal training, or yoga. On top of all of that, flexologist undertake a rigorous 70-hour training course before they’re able to practice at a Stretch Lab.
“We don’t just push someone as far as they can go and stretch them out hard,” said Bruun. “We want to meet them where they’re at. So there’s a lot of communication that happens on the bench between the two of them (the flexologist and the customer).”
The first Stretch Lab was founded in Irvine, California, in 2015 by co-founders Jeff Flores and RJ Wamsley. It was later acquired by Xponential Fitness in 2017 who opened the studios up to franchise. It has since grown to over 500 locations in North America and even a location in Japan, which opened last year (its first international location outside of Canada).
Lynnwood’s location is owned and operated by husband-and-wife duo Michael and Rebecca Son, who also own and operate the location in Bothell. The couple hold a license to open up a third studio in Mill Creek but nothing has been confirmed on expansion plans there just yet.
Stretch Lab Lynnwood opened in October of last year and has been well received by the community since, according to Bruun. Lynnwood was chosen as Michael and Rebecca Son’s first expansion, after Bothell, for its growth and prime location – located right across from the Alderwood Mall, on Alderwood Mall Parkway and 184th Street.
Though each studio is independently owned they still operate under the corporate playbook and standards of quality.
Introductory, 25-minute, one-on-one, stretches start at $39 and introductory, 50-minute, one-on-one stretches, start at $59 with membership options also available. Anyone who signs up for a membership also receives a free compression therapy session every month. Stretch Lab also accepts FSA and HSA.
Bruun informed the Lynnwood Times that at Stretch Lab’s Bothell location, they’ve had the same members coming in every week now celebrating 150 stretches.
One example of a customer’s experience that comes to mind for Bruun was when a woman came into the Bothell location, paralyzed from the waist down in a wheelchair. After about a year of attending Stretch Lab’s sessions weekly, she walked through the door just two weeks ago – no wheelchair in sight.
“It was amazing. She had been with us since the very beginning. But still it just goes to show how much of a difference it can make for people who, for sure, who really need it,” said Bruun. “A lot of times if people are feeling good, they’re like, why do I need this? You know what I mean? But it’s like, okay, well, you don’t realize how much more you could actually feel better once you get there.”
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that any person should be stretching three times per week at minimum. Bruun added that even those who feel great can benefit from regular stretching to help prevent problems down the road.
Stretch Lab Lynnwood is located at 18411 Alderwood Mall Parkway, Suite E, Lynnwood, WA, 98037. To schedule an appointment call 425-563-7188 or visit: https://www.stretchlab.com/
Author: Kienan Briscoe
