A new-to-Wilmington fitness concept will land at The Pointe at Barclay this summer.
 
Stretchlab, founded a few years ago and based in Santa Monica, California, is expanding to the Port City from Raleigh. Henry Gonzalez and his wife, Ada, own three locations there, and they plan to open two here.
 
Henry Gonzalez says that having a regular stretching routine has made a difference for him in terms of his daily activities. Ada Gonzalez is a physical therapist and a proponent of regular stretching. They say that stretching is too often left out of a person’s wellness regimen. Even athletes may skip the pre- or post-workout stretch to save time, with a less-than-positive impact on their muscles.
 
People join Stretchlab the way they would any fitness facility, Henry Gonzalez said Monday.
 
“They sign up for a membership that allows them the frequency and routine that will produce the results they need,” he said. “It depends on their limits of mobility and flexibility.”
 
At their initial session, new members are assigned a “flexologist” who assesses their status and needs and designs a program for them. Stretchlab’s flexologists come from a variety of backgrounds such as kinesthesiology, athletic training or personal training, and then undergo a 60-hour training specific to Stretchlabs’ requirements.
 
“Our members are high school athletes; working professionals who sit a lot or travel for work and struggle with being tight; people active in their wellness across all ages; and even seniors who want to live pain- and injury-free to enjoy their day-to-day lives,” Henry Gonzalez said. “Members usually come once a week; we have some people who have been coming for three years. Once we help people regain their mobility and flexibility, we help them maintain it.”
 
Yes, stretching exercises can be done at home but, as he said, “Nobody does it.”

Stretchlab is part of Xponential Fitness, the largest family of boutique wellness companies in the world. Xponential consists of 10 companies, including Club Pilates, Pure Barre and Cycle Bar.

Stretchlab’s future location is at 2030 Stonecrop Drive, unit 504, next to the new Brunches restaurant and between Club Pilates and Pure Barre locations at The Pointe.

Gonzalez plans a second Wilmington location for Stretchlab at CenterPoint, a mixed-use development currently under construction at the corner of Eastwood and Military Cutoff roads.

Correction: This version has been updated to correct the spelling of Henry and Ada Gonzalez's last name.