A new business is opening soon in Mint Hill. In the fitness, health & wellness industry, “stretching” boutiques are opening everywhere. Now Mint Hill is getting their own stretch oriented place, with a twist on the ordinary.
Lisa Lane, owner of Massage Sanctuary (also in Mint Hill) started her massage business right out of school. She began her journey in the Mint Hill Business Center (near Jay Bird’s) seven years ago. She’s decided 2020 is the next phase of business expansion and she wants to bring something different to the community. Her new venture is called Performance Stretch & Recovery.
“I wasn’t crazy about the idea of opening just a ‘stretching only’ place,” Lisa says. “I never want to be part of something that’s gimmicky or I don’t feel confident about the service. In order for something (anything) to be successful, I think you have to truly believe in what you offer. And that there’s value in it for everyone.” Lane’s husband Jeff initially dropped the idea in her lap. As an added value to their employees, his employer in Florida brings in a stretching expert each week to give employees about 30 minutes to do just that: get stretched. “Jeff would come home raving about this service and how great it felt to be stretched. He said his demeanor improved after each session. He looked forward to it and talked about it a lot,” said Lisa.
“It wasn’t something that piqued my interest so I tried to ignore him, ” Lane says smiling. But Jeff is persistent. Lisa says she finally scheduled an appointment with a chain in Charlotte. “I got stretched, and yes it feels good, but I didn’t feel like the effects were lasting. And I couldn’t justify the pricing. So once again, I pushed it to the back of my mind.” After more persistence, Lisa finally agreed that it is a valuable service and “if I can put my own spin on it, then I’ll feel good about the product and I’ll feel good bringing it to Mint Hill.”
Here we are in March and Lisa is busy running through resumes to find the right person to help implement the menu of services and run the business. With the laws of NC regarding massage, she’ll likely hire a licensed massage therapist to implement a small but important service to help enhance the stretching. The menu will also consist of passive stretching (where the client is relaxed and has assistance with stretching) and active stretching (where the client engages muscles in a way that stretches their body and they have little to no assistance). They’ll be some enhancements of massage integrated with the stretches that will be offered. Lane hopes to hire a certified Yoga instructors/Pilates instructor, or certified fitness/personal trainers to implement the regular stretch routines.
Lane said that stretching has always been a part of a massage, but now we are turning the tables so to speak and putting a greater emphasis on stretching. Studies are proving what our bodies have felt for years: stretching can improve how we feel and even performance. A study published by PubMed shows that certain forms of stretching can improve range of motion, flexibility and muscle extension. Other forms can actually improve athletic performance and people with orthopedic issues can benefit as well. The study also says that everyone is different so results do vary widely. The bottom line is, stretching can improve the way you feel and the way you move through life.
Mint Hill residents certainly deserve the options Performance Stretch & Recovery brings. Lisa says she sees a need in her own practice for people that need more time with stretching and guidance on how to carry the stretches out and use them at home. Lisa’s vision is to have “a place for all kinds of people to get stretched, to feel better, and to have someone show them stretches to do as homework. And if you need a bit of massage to enhance the process, then we can help with that too. We are not taking the place of rehab or a physical therapist, we are only offering an option for people that want to feel better, stay in motion and improve performance.”
Lane plans on opening the new office soon. The address is 7900 Matthews Mint Hill Rd., Suite 107D, Mint Hill. Check out their website at www.pstretchrecovery.com to see what they offer. Join them for a ribbon cutting sponsored by the Mint Hill Chamber of Commerce at 5 pm on Tues. March 31st.
