S T R E T C H I N G into 2023 with StretchLab Fargo

Congratulations, you made it to 2023!!!

It’s that time of year where people are, at the minimum, thinking about the things that they want to do differently. For some, taking better care of their physical health comes to mind as a top priority. With physical resolutions abound in this second week of the new year, we imagine you are in need of resources to help you ease your sore muscles after getting after it.

What resources are out? We’ve got a suggestion…

STRETCHLAB Fargo

The first StretchLab started in Venice California in 2015, and in 2022 it made its way to Fargo ND.

Why StretchLabs? I was curious about this fairly new concept brought to Fargo by Rachel Alderson (& Tom Alderson), a massage industry leader in the Fargo-Moorhead area. If Rachel felt strongly about this concept, there must be something to it, so I decided it was worth investigating for myself.

Getting Started

You’ll want to make sure you’re on the schedule before heading over to the lab. You can do so at the StretchLab Fargo website, or by calling 701.893.8944. We know the idea of a walk-in appointment makes you feel retro, but it’s 2023, there’s a reason solutions like Spadesso (and other schedulers) exist, use them.

Once you arrive hang up your coat and take off your shoes, these items will just get in the way of your stretch. You might want to make sure you have a pair of socks on. I’m sure none of the staff would mind. But hey, they’re probably just being polite, so grab a clean pair of socks before you head out the door.

Which reminds, me- make sure you wear flexible clothing to your appointment, otherwise it kind of defeats the point if your Khakis keep you from actually reaching your full range of motion.

Getting your MAPS

Not every appointment will start with a MAPS. The MAPS assessment is this really cool piece of tech that provides an overview of your current flexibility. It works by having you position yourself in front of it’s camera where it can then analyze different points on your body when you follow its movements. It’s simple, I promise. The assessment ask for movements like  basic squats or raising your arms to complete the assessment.

PNF Stretching and Why it Matters

PNF, or proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (yes, a mouthful) is the preferred method of stretching at the lab because it’s the best at increasing muscle flexibility and increasing your range of motion. It came about in the 1940s  by Dr. Herman Kabat, and in the 1950s and 1960s two smart ladies (Voss & Knott– no pun intended, her last name really was Knott) in the field of Physical Therapy started putting it all to work along with Dr. Kabat:  so it’s become the preferred mode of stretching over the years.

It sounds complicated, but the basics of it are:

1. a flexologist ‘assisted’ stretch ( called passive stretching)
2. followed by a resistance stretch for three seconds (you push against their stretch)
3. Finishes with another ‘passive’ assisted stretch of the muscle.

Let me tell you about the appointment

After we had completed my MAPS assessment, we reviewed my overall flexibility. Out of 100, I scored 36. Yes, I’m a real Gumby.

I met me flexologist and we talked through areas that had been bothering me. The weeks prior to my appointment, I was struggling with some shoulder-neck issues, and was prepared to bring those to my appointment. But just like a car that magically fixes itself when you bring it to the mechanic, my body had done the same thing and my neck and shoulders were a non-issue. In fact, I was feeling pretty good, so we used my map assessment as a guide and focused on hips and legs.

Complete Professionals and nothing to worry about

The open environment of Stretch lab might feel a bit intimidating when you first walk in but once you lay on the table, you won’t remember that you felt that way. I was lucky to enough to schedule my appointment earlier in the day, so the room wasn’t packed and there were a few tables between myself and the other clients.

The flexologists that I met at the Fargo location had recently finished a portion of schooling surrounding pre-physcial therapy, physiology, massage therapy, and other related fields of study; their training and interests are perfect for Stretch labs. On top of that, Stretch labs requires each flexologist to go through hours of training before working with clients.

Your flexologist will work closely with your flexibility and make sure you’re not maxing out your limits. So the stretching feels great, NOT painful. Nathan, my flexologist, had said they try to keep most people between the 3-5 range on a pain scale, and assured me that there’s no added benefit in trying to be tough. Too much soreness the next day is not a good thing!!