STRETCH*D THE NEW NYC TREND

June 24, 2018

On a recent Sunday afternoon in Chelsea, walking down 20th street & fresh from class at YogaMaya, a curious storefront caught my attention. The sign, “STRETCH*D”, delighted me. Was this a new pilates or yoga studio? I ventured through the front door and to my surprise, it was neither.

The space had the calm, relaxing energy of a yoga studio but resembled the floor plan of a physical therapy clinic. What is this place?

On that inquisitive afternoon into this novel space, I had the pleasure of meeting Vanessa Chu, one of the co-founders of STRETCH*D. She explained to me that STRETCH*D offers assisted, customized stretching that utilizes dynamic stretch methods to gently build your flexibility as well as your range of motion, all while you chill out and relax. Her staff of “Stretch*rs”, who are certified in the Stretch*d Method technique, come from extensive bodywork backgrounds, including degrees or certifications in physical therapy, massage, personal training, dance, and yoga.

Fascinated to learn more about NYC’s latest healing modality, I followed Vanessa up with a few interview questions.

AMY: Why did you see a need for Stretch*D Space in New York City?

VANESSA: New Yorkers love to work hard and play hard. We do everything to the max and should be recovering in the same fashion. Stretch*d is here to keep you living optimally. New Yorkers are goal oriented and that’s what we’re about at Stretch*d. The goal at Stretch*d is to help our clients reach balanced alignment. Most people come in with minor imbalances – their left leg seems a little longer than their right maybe from a minor injury or their right shoulder is a little tighter from always carrying their handbag on that side, etc. People feel the difference when they’re set back to proper alignment!

It’s also an active recovery – a guilt-free gift to yourself. Whereas massage feels great at the moment, Stretch*d helps you achieve your optimal body alignment goals.

Who are these services available for? Are there any restrictions or requirements?

Stretch*d is for everyone and everybody. The amazing thing about our method is that it’s safe, gentle and can be customized to any body type – whether you’re unified, “flexibly challenged” or super bendy. Pregnant women and postnatal women love getting stretched because we can help bring movement and relief to parts of their body that they aren’t able to because of limited mobility. We have clients who are regular boutique fitness go-ers to older clients with less mobility to semi-professional athletes.

How does Stretch*d help someone establish sustainable, healthy habits outside the studio?

We send our clients home with custom “Stretch*mmendations,” our recommendations for stretches to do on your own. We regularly show clients at the end of their session how to do these self stretches on their own because we know that as much as they want to come into Stretch*d on a daily basis (we recommend weekly for most people for regular maintenance), there are amazing benefits to reaching your goals by supplementing this work multiple times a week on our own.

We also offer Home Stretch*d, where we send a Stretch*r and table into your home for 55 and 75 minute long sessions. As well, we offer Office Stretch*d, where we send Stretch*rs into your office to do mini one-on-one stretch sessions or we lead Team Stretch*d workshops where we teach stretches to do on your own around a conference table. Most of us are tight from simply sitting at our desks for hours at a time!

How will the physical benefits contribute to the overall social wellness of our city?

We’re here to help New Yorkers “Get Loose.” Our clients leave with a sense of greater mobility, looseness and feel good vibes, and we hope they spread this wherever they go!

Social Wellness Edutainment

STRETCH*D THE NEW NYC TREND