Meet the Manhattan Stretching Studio Dedicated to Rehabbing Your Every Body Ache
If there is a fitness equivalent to flossing your teeth before bed, it’s stretching. The muscle-conditioning movements, designed to increase flexibility and range of motion, are essential to optimal physical functioning and yet, to most of us, they’re totally skippable. It’s an observation that New York City fitness guru Amanda Freeman recently made while watching clients of her cultish SLT method—the Pilates-meets-cardio workout that has turned the “megaformer” into a household name—systematically bow out of class when the final stretching portion began. Enter her brilliant new Manhattan fitness concept studio called—what else?—Stretchd.
“There’s a dramatically different reaction to self-stretching (avoid) and assisted stretching (more, more, more),” says Freeman, who notes that the same clients who skipped out of class early often relished the last five to 10 minutes of guided muscle release at the end of a personal training session—sparking a revelation: “There should be a Drybar for stretching.”
Fast-forward to late last summer, when her austere new Flatiron flagship—and her vision—officially materialized. Stretch*d’s full-body services, which work to loosen up stiff areas from ankles to neck, are administered by a staff well versed in modalities such as massage therapy, yoga, and even professional dance, and they are offered in three different time increments—25 minutes, 55 minutes, and a luxurious 75 minutes. They can be individually optimized based on concern and condition; optional add-ons include a relaxing CBD-infused neck cream, and a Hypervolt massage that uses a handheld vibration device to target your body’s extra-tender spots.
After arriving underexercised, overtired, and late on a recent Tuesday, my Stretchr for the day ushered me through the large, airy storefront into a spacious, semiprivate treatment room that was sparse, save for a woven dream catcher that hung on the back wall.
We went over my specific injuries (bum right shoulder), and my general physical concerns and condition (deep desire to swim regularly crippled by oppressive exhaustion and a packed schedule), and to maximize my time and simultaneously treat my tired complexion, I chose the 25-minute service boosted with LightStim’s LED panels for a simultaneous skin-brightening boost. The trainer pulled, twisted, and bent my ankles, then my calves and thighs, slowly working her way up my body with her hands in repetitive motions; while my hamstrings were being rolled out for me, the warm red lights worked their collagen-building magic on my face.
As I was lulled into a brief but palpable sense of calm, it occurred to me that while Stretchd’s high-tech à la carte items, such as 30 minutes in NormaTec’s circulation-boosting compression boots, are ideal for athletes looking to perform better and recover faster, they’re also incredibly beneficial for those of us seeking a little salvation from life’s everyday physical challenges: the wear and tear from hailing taxis in inappropriate shoes or, say, continuously lifting a rapidly growing infant from the waist, without ever, ever bending at the knee. Which is to say, you don’t need to be a marathon runner to benefit from Stretchd’s services. There’s even a separate pop-up in the back of the space in collaboration with FaceLove Fitness for those looking to sculpt jawlines, smooth brow ridges, and plump up cheeks with guided facial exercises. A one-stop shop for body soothing, facial work, and light therapy with a massive side of stress-relief? It’s the stuff of dreams caught, and realized.
