Barry Gentry knows firsthand the healing power of assisted stretching.
Once an insurance adjuster, he traveled from state-to-state supporting people after disasters. The physically demanding job required lots of driving, heavy lifting, climbing and crawling. He sought relief with massage and chiropractic services, but they didn’t quite do the trick.
“When not deployed, I would have complementary therapies,” he recalled. “They mostly helped, but I felt like something was missing.”
Then one day, a peer of his wife, Stephanie Shaw, suggested practitioner-assisted stretching. With no such services available on the Coast, he found a Stretch Zone studio in Hattiesburg.
“I knew then and there that I wanted to be a part of the stretch revolution,” Gentry says. “I told Stephanie before I left the parking lot that I wanted to have a few Stretch Zone franchisees of my own.”
The pair opened their first location in Ocean Springs eight months later, and in February, they debuted another studio on Pass Road in Biloxi.
“I knew that if I could feel a difference after just one stretch, we could do the same for other people,” Gentry says, “and that’s all the motivation I needed.”
His wife’s motivation was the same. A longtime real estate professional, Shaw says this venture was one of “head and heart alignment” — merging her business skill with her desire to serve her community.
“That’s just naturally how I’m wired; I find joy in helping others, and that’s what made opening this studio such a seamless fit,” she explains. “I am a trainer by profession now. I’ve trained and coached real estate agents all day every day to perfect their craft, so the opportunity to have a team of wellness professionals that we could train and coach to guide other people in their mobility journey was a big aspect of what made this so special.”
‘THAT IS TRULY WHO WE ARE’
The couple emphasize that unlike massage, yoga and other regimens, the Stretch Zone method doesn’t aim to make muscles more flexible or elastic. Instead, it works to re-educate the nervous system to increase range of motion.
All stretches are performed by certified practitioners, who must complete a rigorous 40-hour training program. Many of these practitioners have a background as massage therapists, sports physiologists, personal trainers, physical therapists or chiropractors.
“Our staff were all handpicked because they are motivated by a similar passion and mission; they look at helping people the same way that we do …,” Gentry says. “Our priority is, how do we help people? And sales naturally follow suit as secondary. That is truly who we are.”
ACHIEVING MILESTONES
According to Gentry, “Members experience milestones almost daily,” like feeling lighter and more flexible. He explains that due to modern sedentary lifestyles, many people begin to lose flexibility at a rate of about 1% a year, typically starting in their 30s. Strains and micro-traumas on muscles, compounded over time, can lead to stiffness or decreased mobility, he adds, but Stretch Zone’s method of positioning, stabilizing and isolating individual muscles helps improve flexibility by reducing this restriction.
“Proper stretching can help maintain mobility and improve overall health,” Gentry says. “You can feel more youthful by improving posture, circulation and range of motion.”
Shaw notes that the benefits of practitioner-assisted stretching were once reserved for professional athletes and celebrities. However, thanks to supporters like her and her husband, these beneficial services are now accessible to the public.
“In the South generally, but especially in South Mississippi, we tend to be the last ones on board,” Shaw says, “and I was just excited to bring a new concept to the Coast that really could help so many people.”
NO BETTER CALLING
Compelled to use their talents and resources to benefit the community, the couple emphasizes that Stretch Zone is for anyone and everyone who wants a better quality of life, whatever their goals or previous conditions. Their greatest reward by far is witnessing members’ improvements and hearing their stories of renewed vigor and wellness. In the coming years, they are excited to make an even greater positive impact.
“I am looking forward to running into, as you always do in such a small town, all the folks whose lives we have touched with Stretch Zone,” Gentry says. “There is no better calling than helping people.”
IF YOU GO:
Stretch Zone
2374 Pass Road, Biloxi
(228) 396-1005
1517 Bienville Blvd., Ocean Springs
(228) 215-3883
Hours: Monday- Saturday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
www.stretchzone.com