STRETCH ZONE FAQ

Stretching does not directly cause weight loss, but it can support weight management by reducing stress and improving overall movement and recovery. 

Stretching helps lower stress levels, which can reduce cortisol — a hormone linked to weight gain when chronically elevated. Regular stretching may also improve mobility, making it easier to stay active and maintain a consistent fitness routine. While stretching alone won’t lead to weight loss, it can play a supportive role in a healthy, active lifestyle. 

No. Yoga, Pilates, and assisted stretching serve different purposes, even though they may include similar movements. 

Yoga focuses on uniting the body and mind through poses, breathwork, and meditation. While many poses involve stretching, the primary goal is mental focus, balance, and mindfulness. The real purpose of yoga postures is to develop the strength of body and calmness of mind in order to sit in meditation for 30-60 minutes without moving.  

Pilates is a body-conditioning method designed to build core strength, posture, and controlled movement. A good Pilates routine can help build muscle tone, balance musculature, support correct posture, and teach users to move with ease and grace.  

Assisted stretching at Stretch Zone focuses on improving functional flexibility by re-educating the nervous system to increase active range of motion, helping you move and feel better in everyday life. 

Massage targets muscles through pressure, while stretching focuses on improving range of motion and muscle function. 

Massage primarily works on superficial muscles using hands-on pressure. Assisted stretching, on the other hand, activates deeper postural muscles and the nervous system to improve movement efficiency. 

Stretch Zone sessions are performed fully clothed and in an open studio environment. Additionally, the results of practitioner-assisted stretching are not only felt immediately following the stretch session but are long-lasting. 

Assisted stretching can be active or passive depending on your body, goals, and timing. 

For example: pre-workout stretches may be more active. Conversely, post-event recovery stretches are typically passive.  

Factors such as age, conditioning level, injury history, and neurological conditions all influence how stretching is applied. Stretch Zone’s certified practitioners tailor each session to the individual. 

Stretching can help you appear taller by improving posture. 

By reducing muscle imbalances and decompressing joints, proper stretching may help you improve your posture, sometimes creating the appearance of an extra 1–2 inches. 

The Stretch Zone Method is a proprietary system that improves mobility by re-training the nervous system to increase active range of motion, not forcing muscles to stretch. 

Unlike other modalities, Stretch Zone does not aim to make muscles more flexible or elastic. Instead, it works to increase your body’s tolerance to movement by re-educating the nervous system to increase active range of motion efficiently and effortlessly. 

The Stretch Zone Method uses certified practitioners, proprietary stretch tables and a patented strapping and stabilization system. 

Together, these elements create a safe, consistent, and highly effective assisted stretching experience available at Stretch Zone locations nationwide. 

Stretch holds vary based on muscle type and individual needs. 

In most cases, phasic (weaker) muscles are held for about 2 seconds, whereas tonic (postural) muscles are held for 6–8 seconds. 

This timing helps safely increase stretch tolerance without triggering protective muscle responses. 

Yes. Stretch Zone uses proprietary tables and a patented strapping system. 

This equipment helps: 

• Position and stabilize the body 

• Isolate targeted muscles 

• Prevents the body from seeking the path of least resistance, whereby targeted muscles receive the stretch instead of the non-targeted ones  

• Gives practitioners an extra set of hands to work with to improve the stretch  

• Offers a stabilizing advantage leading to less effort being required for each stretch  

• Increases the practitioner’s sensitivity, perception, and monitoring of the stretch reflex  

• Reduces the sensation of fear or loss of control and relaxes the muscles being stretched  

• Helps control and alter stretch timing to help overcome the stretch reflex  

• Reestablishes a more ideal resting muscle tone  

• Allows for the extension of muscles farther than the central nervous system normally permits  

Proper stabilization allows the nervous system to relax, enabling a deeper and safer stretch. 

Stretch Zone is for anyone aged 14 and up. 

Whether you’re an athlete, desk worker, or simply looking to move more comfortably, assisted stretching can benefit people of all activity levels. Stretch Zone is designed to support everyday movement — from tying your shoes to competing at a high level. Please note, Stretch Zone does not offer stretching services to individuals who are pregnant. 

Yes. Stretch Zone partners with gyms, medical offices, schools, community organizations, and more! 

These partnerships help bring the benefits of assisted stretching to local communities while supporting franchise success. 

All stretching is performed by certified practitioners. 

Practitioners complete a rigorous 40-hour training program and often come from backgrounds such as massage therapy, personal training, physical therapy, chiropractors, or sports science. The Stretch Zone Method is a nationally recognized certification that has met or exceeded the high standards of excellence put forth by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork and has been recognized and awarded the esteemed designation of Board Approved Continuing Education Provider.  

Short answer: Yes. Stretch Zone is the only franchise brand with a proprietary assisted stretching protocol that is validated by research. 

Studies show benefits such as: 

• Reduced fatigue 

• Improved flexibility 

• Better sleep quality 

• Reduced discomfort 

Read the full list of research claims here.  

Research indicates that muscles don’t lengthen. Instead, muscles extend and retract. The distance you can extend a muscle is determined by the sensitivity of the stretch reflex, which is the body’s automatic defense against the dangers of overstretching. 

Stretching increases stretch tolerance by retraining the nervous system to tolerate a greater degree of muscle extension without firing pain signals. Stretch Zone’s method gradually expands the functional range of motion by working just beyond comfort zones in a controlled way and then returning to a comfortable neutral tension. 

Weppler, C. H., & Magnusson, S. P. (2010). Increasing muscle extensibility: a matter of increasing length or modifying sensation? Physical Therapy, 90(3), 438–449. doi:10.2522/ptj.20090012 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20075147/  

Marshall, P. W. M., Cashman, A., & Cheema, B. S. (2011). A randomized controlled trial for the effect of passive stretching on measures of hamstring extensibility, passive stiffness, strength, and stretch tolerance. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 14(6), 535–540. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2011.05.003 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21636321/  

Can apparent increases in muscle extensibility with regular stretch be explained by changes in tolerance to stretch? Hollie Folpp 1, Simon Deall, Lisa A Harvey, Tom Gwinn Affiliations expand PMID: 16515422 DOI: 10.1016/s0004-9514(06)70061-7 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16515422/ 

Stretch Zone helps improve mobility, reduce discomfort, and support long-term movement health. 

Benefits may include: 

• Increased range of motion 

• Reduced stiffness and soreness 

• Reduced fatigue 

• Improved posture and balance 

• Enhanced athletic performance 

• Better sleep and stress reduction 

This approach supports Stretch Zone’s philosophy of Flex-Ability for Life – an approach that allows you to “Do Your Life Better.” Whether you want to perform better at a sport or just sit in a chair and comfortably cross your legs, Stretch Zone can help. It doesn’t matter if you are living an active lifestyle or have had a lifetime of not exercising. Stretch Zone re-educates your muscles to move functionally with a greater active range of motion and less effort. We present the opportunity for you to regain the ability to do what you once enjoyed doing and then continue enjoying it for life. 

We disagree! Our research study and real-world results show assisted stretching is effective. 

Stretch Zone’s proprietary research supports improvements in mobility, rest quality, recovery, reduced discomfort, and more energy. Many members experience real, noticeable benefits within their first few sessions. 

Stretch Zone has helped pro athletes from the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA, ATP and collegiate sports achieve peak athletic performance. 

Many sports celebrities have used Stretch Zone to improve their athletic performance including former NFL quarterback Drew Brees, a U.S. Open Champion, an NFL’s Most Valuable Player, and an IBF Lightweight World Champion. We even have a partnership with Drew Brees, as Stretch Zone played a key role in his recovery during the latter parts of his career!  

Yes. Assisted stretching can enhance recovery, movement efficiency, and performance. 

Stretch Zone has helped pro athletes from the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA, ATP and collegiate sports achieve peak athletic performance. Many sports celebrities have “entered the Stretch Zone” including former NFL quarterback Drew Brees, a U.S. Open Champion, an NFL’s Most Valuable Player, and an IBF Lightweight World Champion. 

Stretch Zone assists athletes and coaches with all three phases of conditioning: the general training phase, the preparatory/competitive phase, and the recovery phase. Stretch Zone’s practitioner-assisted stretching can accelerate recovery from workouts or competition, increase work capacity, and enhance physical performance. Athletes develop greater body awareness, greater fluid movement patterns, and can generate more power through symmetrical use of muscle groups that are not affected by habitual compensatory muscle shift. 

Stretch Zone also helps athletes learn to better sense body condition, resulting in a greater understanding of the state of their muscles. This helps to prevent and limit injuries, ultimately improving peak performance. 

In most cases, yes — with physician approval. 

Stretch Zone sessions are designed to be safe and adaptable. Members with joint replacements or medical conditions are encouraged to consult their physician before starting any new physical activity. 

Certified practitioners adjust techniques to accommodate individual needs. 

Most people are not sore, though mild soreness can occur after the first stretch session from the break-up of adhesions.  

With the Stretch Zone Method, when the body is positioned and stabilized correctly, the body doesn’t tense up in fear. Communication is paramount to removing any anxiety to fully relax and receive the most optimal and safest stretch. The member is always informed of where they will feel each stretch and always choose their preferred stretch intensity. Stretches are done using our 3, 5, 7 intensity scale to ensure that no one gets close to the end of their tolerance. 

However, some people form adhesions that cause muscles to be ‘glued’ together. This inhibits your full range of motion. Occasionally, light soreness may occur as adhesions break up, usually after the first session.