During a recent trip to the Santa Barbara area, I joined Kate in trying out stretching at Stretch Lab in Montecito. We both really enjoyed it, so I thought I’d let you all in on our experience.
I’ve been more and more interested in balance and mobility as I’ve gotten older. Both of my parents died shortly after falling- so if that’s not a wake up call, I’m not sure what is! On a more upbeat note, there’s a lot more interest in and content related to this topic, so I don’t feel like I’m alone. One of my favorite podcasts from Peter Attia is one with Beth Lewis. She is so inspirational- one of the best instagram follows, in my opinion. Truly a badass.
When I saw that there was a Stretch Lab opening soon in Lafayette, near my house, I mentioned it to Kate. That’s when she told me she had a gift certificate for the Montecito location. So we both signed up for an introductory 50 minute assisted stretch.
What to expect when stretching at Stretch Lab
First off, don’t forget to bring socks with grippy soles! They will remind you of this frequently in emails before your appointment. But seriously, you will need them.
They start off with new clients like me and Kate with an assessment using Physmodo MAPS Screening. I had never heard of it. According to the internets…
By performing three squats with arms raised overhead, new technology can detect strengths and weaknesses in the body. Created in partnership with TRX Training and Physmodo the machine targets detection in symmetry, mobility, activation and posture.
Physmodo
It only took a few minutes. And then you see your results (later emailed to you) on the screen before starting your stretch.
I did ask how many people get 100 on any of the 4 metrics, and the woman stretching me said she rarely sees anyone over the 60s. And I am not entirely sure about the results- as I slump in my desk chair, I’m not sure I deserve a good posture score!
Anyway, the next 45 minutes are followed by a standard set of stretches that you may do after your own workouts. Only they are assisted- the Stretch Lab lady carefully added pressure to test my range of motion. Some were a little uncomfortable, and others felt great. She did a short neck massage at the end, which really ended the session on a great note.
Stretching at Stretch Lab gave me a few ideas for how to improve my own stretching. Of course, they want you to sign up for one of their packages. I believe 8 sessions a month is about $350 (~$45 a session). (Plus a tip, I guess- because we are all tipping everyone these days. I gave her $10.) When I said no to their offer (I don’t live in Montecito, after all!), I soon got an offer for a “starter pack” of 3 sessions to use in the next month. Price provided upon request. Not loving the sort-of hard sell.
Anyway, I can see that if you have the money and the time, stretching at Stretch Lab would really round out all the other wellness activities you may be doing. I will give the new branch in Lafayette a try- especially if they have some good intro rates. In the meantime, I may need to make do with Peloton’s mobility classes. Which are really quite good in my opinion. And free. 🙂
