For Natalie Murray, owner of StretchLab in Flourtown, deciding to open a new wellness center came after inspiration struck.
Murray had a passion for exercise starting in the early 2000s, when she became a personal trainer and fitness instructor in addition to her corporate career. However, she drifted away from it when she had children and her schedule became more demanding. By 2020, a breast cancer diagnosis put Murray at a crossroads in her life. That year, she was heading to a yoga class one day when she passed a StretchLab location in Collegeville in Montgomery County.
“I remember pulling over and stopping and looking in the window, and I said to myself, ‘You know what? I’m going to own one of these one day,’” Murray told the Local. “I do remember when I was a personal trainer, my customers always said that I have healing hands and that they really enjoy when I stretch them. I just never thought about making it into a business.”
In 2023, after difficult times in her corporate career, Murray decided to take the leap. She quit her job, hopped on the website for StretchLab, and filled out an interest application to own a location.
“Before I knew it, I was on a plane to Irvine, California, where their headquarters are to do my due diligence,” Murray said. “The rest is history.”
Soon after, Murray opened her first studio in Blue Bell. Now, she has expanded to Flourtown, opening a location at 1862 Bethlehem Pike in December, her second in Montgomery County.
StretchLab’s services
StretchLab offers a variety of services from stretch therapists, professionally known as flexologists. According to Murray, when a customer walks in, the first item on the agenda is to understand their “why.” Knowing the customer’s goals helps the flexologists adapt their care and treatment program. Customers then undergo a physical assessment to better understand joint mobility, range of motion, and areas of concern before the flexologists design a customized stretch program.
A secondary portion of the offerings is compression therapy, which works in conjunction with stretching to alleviate muscle soreness and accelerate the recovery process.
Murray said stretching is an underrated skill that most people do not practice. Although it can be done at home, not many people choose to do it or do it correctly. That’s why, Murray said, clients from teenage student athletes to seniors in their 90s looking for more freedom of movement are all welcome at StretchLab.
StretchLab also helps many clients with autoimmune disorders manage their symptoms. For example, people with neuropathy, ALS, or other medical issues can regain some range of motion.
Fitness for all ages and abilities
For Murray, her passion for fitness is twofold — not only does she enjoy the euphoria and personal benefits that exercise brings her, but she also enjoys teaching and helping others experience the same rejuvenation in their life.
When she began to revisit the concept of being a personal trainer, Murray thought about doing strength training like she had previously done. However, a different type of exercise made more sense. As people age and begin to feel aching joints or decreased flexibility, Murray said stretching is an ideal way to feel better that many people ignore when they’re younger.
“For me, based on where I was in my journey in 2020, I felt like, while development and growth from a physical standpoint are still important, I would shift more to recovery,” Murray said. “I really wanted to help people to understand that while you still need to strength train and develop, you also need flexibility in your life. You need to pay more attention to respecting where the body is and focusing on things that will enhance recovery and longevity.”
StretchLab is located at 1862 Bethlehem Pike in Flourtown. Learn more at stretchlab.com/location/flourtown.
Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.
