Do They Really Need 3x per Week?
Updated: Jul 16, 2025
If you are reading this you are part of a small, exclusive team of professionals that care about helping people stay healthy, mobile, and pain free for years to come. One of the most important things we do is offer our professional opinion and recommendation on how often a person should come back in to Stretch Zone on a weekly or monthly basis.
In a perfect world, people would understand what assisted stretching can do for them, they would find time and money to make it happen, and come in all they want!
Of course we all love having great sales statistics and watching our studios grow in members, revenue and success stories! AND we love telling the truth and working in integrity even more. Especially in our Utah family of studios we ALWAYS want to give an honest recommendation. It should be easy to give thoughtful, transparent advice to those seeking our help.
You should never feel conflicted speaking about this, even though you've likely heard that Stretch Zone corporate advocates to always recommend 3x per week for everyone. Let's explore why they say this and if it aligns with how we want to do business.
No - Brainers
Some people walk in our door and instantly we know that they need to be coming in as much as possible as soon as possible! These are people who...
Are facing surgery if they cannot find another form of relief (they've tried everything else already)
People that are slated for an upcoming surgery and want an easier recovery (their doctor may have told them to get stretching or they want to calm down the muscles around the site that is undergoing the surgery so there is less tension/ internal pulling on the area as it heals).
People that are recovering from a surgery (see contraindications; they must be cleared for exercise by their doctor and at least six months past a spinal surgery). Surgery is traumatic to the body and walking with crutches or other recovery assistance most often results in imbalances and compensations in other areas of the body that we can help to correct.
People that are experiencing a level of tightness, stiffness or pain that is significant and is immediately eased with their demo session. We can help them get their LIFE back!
Those that have severely restricted range of motion, putting them at risk for injury. We don't want to wait until they are hurt. We need to help them understand the importance of taking action now - to prevent all the pain, hardship, missing out on things and expense that injury brings. Help them understand what happens if they do nothing... (hint: it doesn't get better or go away!)
Those that deal with arthritis, lack of circulation or strength, or other illness that prevents them from taking healthy action on their own (who are cleared by their doctor).
Those that are sedentary and slowly losing mobility (similarly to how people slowly put on weight without realizing it).
Those that are active and focused on a short to medium range goal, maybe a race or other event is coming up that they want to make a big change for.
Those that have come to a place in life that they are really ready to make a change in their habits, take control and get healthy! 3x per week is the best way to really help them put themselves as a priority in their own calendar and MAKE time for embracing a new level of wellness. They are tired of staying where they have been at! This includes the bio-hacking crowd that wants to be ahead of everyone else in every area.
If they are extremely flexible already should they come in 3x per week?
Realize that people come to us for many reasons, not just flexibility or mobility even though those are the easiest to measure.
Some people go to their hairdresser for the conversation and not the haircut. Are we the friend they are looking for to listen to them?
Everyone could stretch on their own but most don't. Why? The same reason that most people don't have healthy habits all over their life even though the definitely know about them! New habits are challenging to fully adopt. But we can help them stay accountable with our easily scheduling and member care calls. We won't let their good intentions get lost along the way! Are they hiring us to have someone checking up on them? To have a teammate on their way to health? We're on their side! We are really health coaches!... but all they have to do is drive in and lay down! Almost unbelievable!
Some are proud of how they take care of their body :) They kind of like to show off how in shape their are or how big their range of motion is! Give them the wow they were hoping for! "That's great that you already have 90 degrees range of motion in all the areas we measure! Are you going to stop there? Do you want to keep it? Are your friends catching up to you?..." are some phrases that may resonate for them to want to stay actively on a self improvement course that is personalized and most appropriate for them individually.
If their schedule is busy - an hour + 1/2 hour
if sitting a lot, explain what happens... Sitting Is The New "Smoking" as they develop upper back and neck issues than can become permanent or lead to a need for surgery, or shortening of pectoral muscles that can lead to a hump and inability to resume correct posture over time and restricted shoulder movements.
3x per week is only stretching each area of the body ONE time per week. Take a look at all of the stretches that practitioners should be rotating through to understand that stretching the body once a week is certainly reasonable and definitely not excessive, even if they are not experiencing pain or symptoms.
Would a healthy 19 year old benefit from 3x per week? We asked Zack in Fort Union...
Have they ever been in a car accident? Here's what happens that the body has trouble letting go of...
Emotional release of stuck / trapped emotions...
If they go to yoga / pilates; these are primarily strength based and require at least one other part of the body to be engaged, sending mixed signals to the nervous system and taking longer for the body to get the message to let go of tension
Breathing - who sets time on their calendar for this?? haha
Self care investment of time with ROI - this can be long lasting! instead of just enjoyable for an hour or so
some is better than none - start where you can!
-some of these angles cannot be stretched on your own, none with complete relaxation. No other place has our patented belting!
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