If the cold winter days have your body feeling a little tense lately, StretchLab just opened a new location in Long Island City to recharge your body and mind with a deep, guided stretch as we count down the final weeks until spring.
The latest expansion, located at 2-37A 50th Ave., began its soft opening on Feb. 1, letting the neighborhood get familiar with the brand’s services, including 25-minute and 50-minute stretching sessions, whether clients are looking to boost their workouts throughout the week or deal with tension that they need some extra assistance with.
“We offer one-on-one assisted stretching and essentially, we do the stretching for you, similar to when you go to a physical therapist, and they stretch you at the beginning of a session,” said Alyssa Quinn, StretchLab LIC’s lead flexologist. “Our biggest thing is really focusing in on our clients and what goal they’re trying to reach, whether it’s to be able touch their toes or open up their hips more so they can squat a little bit deeper.”
StretchLab has over 500 locations throughout the U.S., including at least 22 in NYC, with four facilities in Queens. Their Long Island City location is led by Quinn, who got her start at their Bayside facility in 2024 and quickly advanced to leading their newest Queens location. The brand specializes in 25-minute and 50-minute personalized stretching sessions, with the longer session offering a head-to-toe stretch and the shorter one honing in on specific areas to meet a client’s specific needs.
While the sessions take place once a week, clients are always given homework to build their at-home routine to make stretching into a habit to get the full benefits of their guided stretch beyond the weekly session. While many people often skip out on the activity each day, especially when it comes to getting a proper pre- and post-workout stretch, the benefits are more than just physical and offer a great way to boost your mood throughout the day. For those who tend to sit at a desk for long periods of time for work, getting up periodically throughout the day and stretching for even three minutes is a great way to get your body moving and get a little endorphin boost.
“Everyone holds and tackles stress differently, but a lot of clients have tense traps-the top of their shoulders as well as tense hips, and those are two of the most common places that we hold stress within our body,” said Quinn. “Similar to working out, when you stretch, you’re producing endorphins, so you’re making yourself feel better and you’re also giving yourself a relaxation space, so it’s a big self-care practice as well, which people don’t tend to notice until they start consistently doing it.”
Quinn said the one-on-one sessions also provide a community space as clients become familiar with their flexologist and build a rapport. The sessions, whether 25 minutes or 50, provide the opportunity to unwind and forget about phone notifications for a bit while indulging in self-care and connecting with others. While the space specializes in one-on-one sessions, they also take plenty of opportunities to connect with the community and offer demos, whether they’re collaborating with other local wellness brands or hosting events.
“We are doing a lot of community events, so people will definitely see us,” said Quinn. “We’ve been doing it for the past few months at different fitness studios and boutique areas in the neighborhood. We’ll be at Orange theory and we have something set up with F45 Training, and you won’t just see us in studio, you might see us somewhere randomly as well, and at these events we offer demo stretches so you can try us out, and if you really like it, you can come in and get a full session so we’re really putting our name out there right now.”
Those interested in giving the facility a try can book a first-time session at 40% off, and if they like it, they can explore their membership and bundle package offerings based on what they’re looking for. Whether you’re looking to get in better shape or boost your mood, the facility is definitely worth a try for your wellness needs throughout the winter and beyond.
Their LIC location will be hosting a grand opening event on March 14 with demos and more to get better acquainted with the community and showcase their offerings, with more information on the event coming soon. For more information, visit their website or stay up to date by following them at @stretchlablongislandcity
