Stretch Zone®

 

Finding a Home at the Shops at Lincoln Heights

 

For general manager Jennifer Geffen, health and fitness are a vital way of life.

 

“My dad was a personal trainer and a body builder, and I was the only six-year-old who was jogging,” Jennifer says.

 

After working as a personal trainer and battling years of chronic back pain, Jennifer discovered practitioner-assisted stretching when owner Kathryn Comfort opened San Antonio’s first Stretch Zone location at Stone Oak in 2019.

 

“If you live with pain, your energy, your spirit, and your smile are low. I tried everything. When I went to Stretch Zone for the first time, I knew I had to be a part of this. Today, I am able to keep running and golfing. I owe my mobility to Stretch Zone,” Jennifer says.

 

Community Spirit at Lincoln Heights

 

After working as a certified practitioner at Stretch Zone’s Stone Oak location, Jennifer became the general manager of Stretch Zone at Lincoln Heights when it opened in January of 2020.

 

“We drew our member base very quickly, and then we had to shut down due to COVID. It was a scary time, but I was floored by this tight-knit community. As soon as we were able to open our doors again, everyone came back to support us,” Jennifer says.

 

When asked what makes 78209 such a unique place to run a business, Jennifer does not skip a beat in her reply.

 

“What doesn’t make this community special?” Jennifer asks.

 

“I absolutely love this neighborhood. We’ve been here five years now, and I never want to leave this location. This community is so special because it is generational. It feels like home. We hear everyone’s stories in the studio, and I find that kids might wind up leaving 78209 for a while, but they always come back to have their families here,” Jennifer says.

 

Through her community-driven approach to her work, Jennifer ensures that the studio at Lincoln Heights embodies the neighborly spirit of 78209.

 

“Stretch Zone has become its own community hub. Everybody knows everybody. Friends make appointments together. Others have reconnected here after years. It has become a place where members don’t just reconnect with their bodies. They also reconnect with the wider neighborhood,” Jennifer says.

 

 

Jennifer even brings her four-year old Pomeranian, Lynkoln, to the studio, who serves as Chief “Barketing” Officer.

 

“I named him after Lincoln Heights. That’s how much I’m in love with this community,” Jennifer laughs.

 

Stretch Zone regularly teams up with other businesses at Lincoln Heights, 78209, and the wider community, hosting pop-ups that offer free stretches on their state-of-the-art equipment. Jennifer and her team also participate in health fairs at local schools and universities, the annual Alamo Heights Fun Run, and regular donation drives.

 

“We support other businesses as much as we can, and we actively partner with other fitness and wellness studios at Lincoln Heights and beyond. It’s all about helping the local community,” Jennifer says.

 

The Stretch Zone Difference

 

Since Jorden Gold founded Stretch Zone in 2004 in Miami to assist his grandfather who lost mobility due to diabetes, Stretch Zone has become one of the fastest growing franchises nationwide.

 

“We are the only nationally accredited and certified stretch facility on the map. Everyone who works here has a bachelor’s degree or an extensive background in Exercise Science,” Jennifer says.

 

Assisted, isolated stretching works with the body’s natural stretch reflex to provide sustained mobility and increased flexibility. Stretch Zone boasts the world’s first practitioner-assisted stretching tables to achieve an increased range of motion and a deeper stretch.

 

“Stretching is so much more than just a warm-up tool. Your body is your vehicle, and you have to keep it well-maintained. That’s what we’re here to do,” says Jennifer.

 

Stretch Zone offers monthly memberships to clients of all ages (14+), athletic abilities, and mobility issues. Every thirty-minute session is tailored to meet the unique needs of each member, and the first thirty-minute stretch is complimentary. Monthly membership grants system-wide access to any Stretch Zone in the country.

 

When incorporating weekly stretches into your fitness routine, Jennifer’s advice is simple:

 

“Just keep moving.”