One study in Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research found that static stretching actually reduced lower-body strength in a small number of moderately-trained men, while another small study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise concluded stretching had no effect on subjects’ athletic performance. "That's where an assessment would come in."Įxperts still can’t seem to agree whether or not stretching offers any tangible benefits for exercise performance and recovery. "I think there's a place for stretching, however you do have to identify which areas need stretching," King said. Only visiting the classes a few times might not address the underlying causes of pain and stiffness. He also questions the long-term benefits, especially if people only sporadically get stretched. "It depends on assessment as well, and length tension relationships. He told not everyone is necessarily in need of assisted stretching, because some flexible people can actually be damaged by stretches that might benefit others. Rondel King, MS, exercise physiologist at NYU Langone’s Sports Performance Center, is also cautious about the benefits of the assisted stretching trend. You’re better off going to a physical therapist if you have pain, says our expert. “Trainers who are well schooled can do it. “There’s nothing unique about passive stretching,” Arlen Zwickler, general manager of the Athletic and Swim Club at Equitable Center in Manhattan told the New York Times last year. If your body needs some extra TLC, there are other, less trendy ways to get it - namely, physical therapy and chiropractic services, or even massage therapy.
After all, if you’re already paying for a personal trainer, proper stretching and warm-ups should be part of the package. “Assisted stretching allows the rest of the body to be completely relaxed as trainer guides the client’s muscles to places they couldn’t reach alone.”ĭetractors, on the other hand, argue that shelling out $30-plus for a specialty stretching class or one-on-one session is completely unnecessary. “When you take yoga, the part of your body that’s supporting you is in contraction, so you can’t really release in the same way,” stretch trainer John McQueen recently told the New York Post. Proponents of stretching-only classes claim they provide a deeper, more beneficial stretch than traditional flexibility classes, like yoga. But they could give your fitness regimen an extra layer if you're willing to pay and value flexibility. If you're a healthy gym-goer, probably not. So, are these classes worth the hype-and more importantly, price-tag? The company doesn't list session prices on their website, instead requiring potential clients to contact one of their studio locations just to request a session. (A 30-minute stretching session costs 55 bucks a 60-minute session, $100.) Meanwhile, Stretch Zone says their sessions will enhance your athletic performance by easing residual muscle tension, improving reaction time and spatial awareness. Lymbr, for example, claims personalized stretching will increase mobility and speed, and improve overall athletic performance.
Thanks to the influx of boutique studios, classes, and race participation over the past several years, weekend warriors and fitness junkies alike are now flocking to studios like Stretch Zone and Stretchlab for classes and one-on-one stretching sessions designed to help them recover from their intense workouts. Assisted stretching is now a bonafide fitness trend. You know that you should warm-up and cool down properly to make the most of your workouts-but for some exercise fanatics, stretching has become an activity in and of itself.
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