The New Year is filled with endless goals to become your healthiest self and a Kansas City woman-owned business continues to gain attention by pushing clients to reach new wellness heights.
Stretch Zone in Overland Park was launched by Kelly Harrick in June of 2019 in Lenexa, Kansas.
With her husband and business manager Scott by her side, the dynamic duo has expanded their business to six locations across the Kansas City metro.
They say the program’s model is what makes it popular and appealing to the health community because it focuses on stretching and flexibility.
Stretch Zones uses a team of experts to guide clients through a variety of stretches.
Each thirty-minute session is designed to isolate, position, stabilize and work muscles properly and safely.
"We do all the work, the clients get all the benefits of increased flexibility, decreased joint stiffness, improved mobility, and just a better functioning body that allows them to do the things in their day to day life with less pain and stiffness,” explained Harrick.
As people age, their mobility is impacted and Harrick wanted to be at the forefront of a program that had lasting gains.
Harrick is a University Of Kansas graduate and has degrees in exercise science and a master's in physical therapy.
With more than 30 years of experience under her belt, she understands the importance of hiring people with an academic background in the field.
“A lot of our competitors will hire personal trainers or Yoga instructors, and there is nothing wrong with that, we just feel that a person who has gone to college to get a degree to focus on the human body has a better understanding and better knowledge on what your body is going through,” said Scott Harrick, business manager for Stretch Zone.
Harricks says another reason why the team has to be selective is because practitioners are leading the client through the entire session.
With help from a patented strapping system, certified staff do the work for clients.
With each visit, Harrick has seen her clients make improvements in mobility, stiffness and soreness.
Some of the Harick’s favorite success stories, include helping a gentleman battling Multiple sclerosis walk his daughter down the aisle during her big day.
Harrick says the Stretch Zone team worked with him for three months prior and when it was time for his daughter’s wedding, the gleaming father was able to stand proud and tall next to his daughter’s side.
“Those are stories we hear every day, people who have been changing back pain for six months to two years start our program and with something our stretching program, that pain is relieved,” said Harrick, “our goal is not to diagnose anyone's problem, we work with each individual on what their goals are and where they are in their health and wellness journey."
The Harrick’s recently took home Stretch Zone’s Franchisee of the Year Award and serve on the Franchise Advisory Council.
"We work with each individual on what their goals are and where they are in their health and wellness journey."