Special 25th Anniversary Edition

Special 25th Anniversary Edition

Dear Reader,

In 1996, Ann Frederick was the first assisted stretching specialist in the history of the Olympics, initially starting with the Men's Wrestling team then later working with the fastest athletes in track. This year Ann, her husband Chris, their team and students worldwide celebrate 25 years of training others in Fascia Stretch Therapy (FST) with headquarters located in both the USA and Canada.

Ann Frederick grew up training in her mom’s dance studio and started stretching dancers on the floor in the 1970s. While pursuing her degree at Arizona State University in the 1990s, she was hired to apply her assisted stretching technique to athletes across 26 sports. The Sun Devils football team soon asked for exclusive time with her, which helped them get to the Rose Bowl injury free in 1997.

In January 1996, Ann rented a small room to officially start her assisted stretching business based on her unique method now called FST. She was one of the first in Arizona (and if our research is accurate, even in all of North America) to create a core business based only on assisted stretching. Demand was so great, she trained her first team of 6 practitioners in FST, growing into increasingly larger spaces.

Today, assisted stretching is BIG BUSINESS with franchises and fitness centers expanding this service on a regular basis. And our Institute has paralleled that growth with entrepreneurs getting trained by us in 5 days to be independent practitioners and owners in a global atmosphere where demand is high and supply is low.

As a consequence of that demand, in this special issue we present “How to choose the BEST stretch practitioner”. Perhaps you already get stretched or are considering trying a session for yourself or gifting it for a loved one. Maybe you’re a professional that wants to refer your patients or clients for assisted stretching.

This is essential reading for all those reasons, even if you are a FST practitioner. Injuries getting stretched by others is on the rise, so we all should consider reading the next article below to get more informed and avoid getting hurt!

More in this issue:

• Assisted Stretching Guide - choosing the BEST practitioner
• Try this FST stretch on your clients/patients!
• Vibration tool outperforms Percussion - see why, order yours, take a course!
• NEW referral program - become an Affiliate with us and earn dollars or credit! 

Stay loose, but strong.

Love, light and laughter always,

Ann & Chris 

Assisted Stretching Guide
How to Choose the BEST practitioner

You have likely noticed or even been to a StretchLab, StretchZone or other assisted stretching franchise near your home or workplace. Or you have probably seen, read or researched one or more of the numerous articles that have arisen about this relatively new phenomenon.

Still one of the hottest trends in wellness and self-care that first caught on fire in the early 2010s, it may be tempting to conclude that it is similar to massage. Just choose from a menu of services, compare prices and choose a provider that is conveniently near you.

That makes sense with assisted stretching if all you want, need or care about is getting a little more mobile or flexible for a relatively healthy but stiff or tight body. With over 500 locations, StretchLab might be the right choice if all it takes is entering your zip code and there it us, right up the street or at least, not such a long way.

However if you have pain, injuries or had surgery, a traditional approach to stretching offered at a franchise is not the best choice (and online programs should not even be considered). You need to be professionally evaluated and assessed by an experienced specialist in the application of assisted stretching for your specific condition (find one near you at stretchtowin.com/practioners)

Stretching can make you worse

Any of the following can worsen your condition and increase your pain, can create a new injury or may worsen your ability to move and function after getting stretched:

•  any medical condition
•  Instability, hypermobility, bendy or super flexible
•  significant differences in flexibility, mobility or strength between left and right sides of your body or between upper and lower body.
•  any sports or athletic injury
•  PTSD, mental or psychological challenges or any history of trauma

The good thing about any franchise is that you can theoretically get the same or similar experience at any location that represents that brand. The bad thing with them and other human services like assisted stretching, massage, personal training, etc., is that your experience will definitely vary with the person you see. Sometimes great, sometimes not and most times it is average at best because franchises are mostly cookie-cutter to serve everyone the same service. Definitely NOT customized to provide EXACTLY what YOU need.

This is even more the case with anyone that treats, manipulates or puts their hands on your body because you are an individual with highly specific needs that vary over time. You are not a machine that can be predictably diagnosed and treated, much less fixed like a car. Consequently, you must find the most experienced and qualified practitioner that will take the time to patiently ask you the right questions and accurately evaluate your whole body, even if you feel it in only one joint or muscle. That is because it literally is all connected throughout your body called the “connective tissue system”, also called your “fascia”. With the right professional, you should feel a positive, significant difference within no more than 1-3 sessions. And your follow-up should include an initial short term plan that addresses your specific goals to be achieved over a reasonable amount of time. 

The experienced specialist in assisted stretching does not perform a predictable routine or protocol if you have specific issues, a medical condition, an injury, surgery or have specific goals. And your subsequent treatments should change from session to session, to optimally match how your body is changing to meet your goals. That is precisely why you should demand and receive a unique customized session NOT your average cookie-cutter one!

In summary, you need a stretch session that is designed just for you and not anyone else.  (Find your professional near you here).

Try this Stretch

Many practitioners specializing in various fascial therapies use the term “lateral line” when referring to the entire lateral or outside region of the human body. We call it the “lateral net” (or LN) to describe essentially the same thing, but with more of a 3-dimensional attribute.

ONLY IF you have experience stretching your clients/patients, do we encourage you to try this FST movement but only AFTER you 1) agree with our waiver of liability, 2) you conduct an assessment that stretching is indicated and/or appropriate for the individual, and 3) you familiarize yourself with the following main precautions and contraindications (there are many others not listed). DO NOT try this stretch if you do not have EXTENSIVE experience and confidence!

• CONTRAINDICATIONS: recent unhealed injuries; new pain of any kind; medical conditions of any kind (physical, mental, emotional); joint conditions of any kind (instability, hyper mobility, arthritis); any pain with stretching.
• INDICATIONS: excessive tension, soft tissue restrictions to glide/slide, or scar tissue in any muscles and fascia within the LN.

Main individual muscles and fascia that lie within the LN include: fibulari, iliotibial tract, tensor fasciae latea, gluteus medius, and the superior fibers of the gluteus maximus, transversus abdominus, external and internal obliques, latissimus dorsi, intercostals, scalenes, upper trapezius).

Vibration Therapy & Rapid Release

Many of us may remember being taught that in essence everything in nature vibrates at some level and the cells of humans certainly do. This is called Brownian motion and when anything interferes with motion in the body, it can cause pain, disease and mental distress from increasingly poor function in life.

Restrictions to movement at the macro level, e.g. in our soft tissues like muscles and fascia called myofascia, logically occur also at the micro level, e.g. in our cells that make up our tissues. When motion is deficient, function is inefficient.

Cells are not removing waste and absorbing nutrition. Myofascia does not transmit forces for pain free, efficient movement. All this can cause pain and movement compensations that strain and stress the entire body, as well as our mind and spirit.

Targeted Vibration Therapy (TVT) in many forms has been helping to restore normal movement and pain free function for decades. Physical therapists have been using ultrasound for its ability to generate heat and vibration to release soft tissue restrictions like scar tissue. Many people use Power Plates to stimulate bone metabolism and soft tissue movement, and generally receive an overall feeling of wellbeing.

Rapid Release Technology provides hand-held tools that are like portable power plates that you can apply anywhere on your body. Even over bone, which is not possible with percussion tools that many are using.

Stretch to Win does not promote many products, but this one has been a winner. Not only does it work on its own to restore movement and reduce or eliminate pain, but it enhances our unique brand of assisted stretching called Fascia Stretch Therapy (FST).

Order your Rapid Release tool now to use on yourself, loved ones and with clients/patients to integrate with and and enhance your current work.

Use this code to get an even better price for readers of this newsletter: STRETCH 


Interested in taking a course with us to learn how to specifically integrate Rapid Release vibration with FST or any manual or bodywork therapy? Read more and REGISTER HERE.

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