Assisted stretching studio Stretch Zone to open next week in Vienna

Updated at 11:15 a.m. on 4/1/2024 — Stretch Zone opened in Vienna today (Monday), but the ribbon-cutting has been postponed to 9 a.m. on Thursday (April 4).

Earlier: A fitness studio that offers to assisted stretching services is extending its reach into Vienna.

Stretch Zone will launch its new franchise at 138 Maple Ave West with a ribbon-cutting at 9 a.m. next Monday, April 1. The ceremony will be conducted by the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce.

Located in the Vienna Shopping Center between Foster’s Grille and Asurion Tech Repair and Solutions, the approximately 1,200-square-foot studio is Stretch Zone’s fifth in the D.C. area. The business can also be found in Reston, Ashburn, Potomac and Gaithersburg, and a sixth franchise is expected to open in Bethesda later next month.

“We have had many clients of ours who have come to our other locations from the Vienna area, and they’ve always requested that we be closer to make things more convenient,” franchise owner David Dykerman told FFXnow. “We felt like if we could make it convenient for customers we already have, there might be additional clients we could service and help in the Vienna area.”

Founded in 2004 by Jorden Gold, who wanted to help his grandfather improve his mobility, Stretch Zone employs a “practitioner-assisted stretching” method involving a patented strap that Dykerman says allows muscles to be “strategically” isolated.

According to the business, its practices help clients gradually increase their range of motion, while also reducing muscle stiffness and soreness, among other benefits.

Like other fitness trends, boutique stretching studios have faced their fair share of skepticism, but Stretch Zone has attracted at least one prominent supporter: former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who owns more than 10 franchises.

Since starting to franchise in 2015, the company has expanded to about 350 locations nationwide.

“We are not here to train people how to stretch. We want to provide the service of stretching for you,” Dykerman said. “Without doing any of the work, our clients are able to achieve a full-body stretch and get up from the table after 30 minutes and feel amazing.”

Featuring five stretching tables, the Vienna studio will have a similar look and feel to Stretch Zone’s other locations, but the staff of “very qualified stretch practitioners and managers” who have experience with the company could distinguish it, Dykerman says.

Walk-ins are accepted, but the business is built primarily on memberships, which are available in three-month and month-to-month options. Free demo sessions are offered at every location to first-time visitors.

To celebrate its opening in Vienna, Stretch Zone will offer a discount or an extra stretch to those who join its three-month membership program for the first month.

The studio will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

“I am looking forward to being involved with a great community,” Dykerman said. “We are interested in making ourselves available for events around the area, getting involved with schools, clubs, gyms. I think it’s a very active area in terms of fitness, and I think there’s so many people who will benefit from what we can do, and we hope to bring that to as many people as possible.”