As assisted stretching becomes more popular, more people of all ages and fitness levels are experiencing its benefits: increased flexibility, better mobility, pain relief, and enhanced performance in exercise and everyday activities.
“Dynamic Stretch — Life Time’s unique approach to assisted stretching — is designed to be adaptable for clients of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities,” says John Oliver, Dynamic Stretch Specialist at Life Time in St. Louis Park, Minn. “Whether you’re aiming to overcome pain, recover from surgery, enhance mobility, or improve athletic performance, the beauty of regular one-on-one stretch sessions is that the specialist meets you wherever you are and uses this modality as a tool to help you achieve your long-term goals.”
Oliver, who holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology, has been in the fitness industry for nearly two decades and has been working as a Dynamic Stretch Specialist since September 2023, around the time Life Time launched the offering. He works with clients aged 17 to 90, and takes a proactive, personalized approach.
Although Oliver works with a diverse clientele, their underlying similarities remind him that, regardless of age or experience, everyone can benefit from assisted stretch. “While each person is unique in their goals and circumstances, we all share the same basic muscle structure,” he says.
For an idea of the varied goals Dynamic Stretch can help support, we talked with several members at the Life Time St. Louis Park club who work with Oliver. Here, they share their success stories while Oliver explains how he approached working with each of them.
1. Relief from Chronic Hip Pain
The Client: Gary Stein, 55
Staying in peak mental, physical, and spiritual shape has always been a top priority for Stein. About two years ago though, he started experiencing debilitating hip pain that impacted all aspects of his life. Despite his active lifestyle and various attempts to find relief, nothing seemed to work.
Dynamic Stretch offered a different approach that allowed Stein to pinpoint the underlying causes of his discomfort. Now, he’s pain-free and has maintained optimal mobility. “This improvement has transformed my life both physically and emotionally,” he says.
The Approach
Given Stein’s already active lifestyle, the goal was to integrate Dynamic Stretch into his routine to help him continue doing the activities he loves while staying pain-free. “We used targeted hip-stretching techniques to help alleviate his pain and enhance his overall flexibility,” says Oliver. “Gary aims to be an ‘active ager’ and maintain his muscle mass as he grows older, ensuring he can enjoy life to the fullest, and the incorporation of Dynamic Stretch into his routine will help him do that.”
2. Recovery After a Fall Injury
The Client: Donna Packer, 72
Packer’s experience with Dynamic Stretch began in September 2023 after a fall on her artificial right knee left it swollen and painful. After regular icing it without success, she decided to give Dynamic Stretch a try. “I was in such pain, I was willing to try anything,” she recalls.
After just one session, she noticed significant improvement, with her knee feeling “remarkably better” the next day.
Now, Packer is committed to regular 12-week programs, and the results have been lasting. “My body feels so much freer; I’m living without pain,” Packer shares, noting she’s grateful for the ongoing support she’s received.
The Approach
Oliver’s approach with Packer combined both reactive and proactive strategies. “Initially, we focused on alleviating her knee pain and helping her regain confidence in her mobility,” he explains. For Donna, this involved techniques like proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching, which uses contract-and-release movements, as well as targeted traction and strengthening exercises around key tendons and ligaments in the knees. “Once she was pain-free, we shifted our emphasis to empowering her to perform everyday activities without fear, ensuring she felt supported throughout her recovery.
3. Alleviation of Tightness and Discomfort
The Client: Galon Miller, 69
Miller has a history of regularly experiencing tight muscles and soreness in his neck, shoulders, back, and legs. Nine months of Dynamic Stretch sessions have changed that — he’s experienced improved range of motion and muscle relief after each session.
“I will arrive with sore and tight muscles in my neck, shoulders, back, quads, hamstrings, and calves — but after each session, I feel loose and pliable,” Miller shares. “The benefits go beyond just muscle relief. My range of motion improves dramatically after every stretch.”
Miller credits Oliver for these impressive results and endorses Dynamic Stretch for its immediate relief and long-term mobility benefits.
The Approach
Miller’s primary focus is to stay active as he ages while managing muscle tension and recovering effectively from his workouts. “Dynamic Stretch has helped him relieve that muscle tightness and allowed him to confidently continue his workout routine,” Oliver explains. To achieve this, Oliver employs techniques that target Miller’s areas of tightness, particularly his lower back, which has bulging and degenerative discs, as well as his knees (from a previous knee surgery) and hip impingement. He specifically works on the erector spinae and incorporates torso rotation exercises for the thoracic spine, enhancing Miller’s overall mobility and stability.
4. Injury Prevention for Athletics
The Client: Sydney Drevlow, 17
Drevlow is a state champion runner and avoiding injuries is critical to her success. After noticing minor nagging pains during past seasons, Drevlow started incorporating Dynamic Stretch into her routine.
Before starting regular stretch sessions, she frequently dealt with small injuries. “Since adding stretch to my weekly routine, I’ve completed my first track season injury-free.”
Both her coach and parents were impressed with her progress, and Dynamic Stretch has become an essential part of her training to maintain peak performance.
The Approach
Drevlow’s goal in working with Oliver is to prevent overuse injuries and optimize recovery by incorporating sessions one to two times per week while also doing self-stretching at home.
“I also helped her discover new exercise routines she can do on the workout floor at the club that help her feel more comfortable and confident,” says Oliver. “This guidance has empowered her to expand her training and further enhance her running performance.”
5. Pre- and Post-Surgery Recovery
The Client: Demetria Wiley, 50
Wiley has always been active, but a couple of years ago, during a SURRENDER Yin yoga class, she noticed her body wasn’t moving as well as it used to. Feeling tight and restricted, she decided to try Dynamic Stretch. Within just a few sessions, she experienced significant improvements in her mobility and overall body function.
Yet it was when she learned she needed her second single mastectomy to address a new stage 0 breast cancer finding on November 1, 2023, that Dynamic Stretch became truly invaluable for her. Knowing she would face limited mobility during recovery, Wiley set a goal with Oliver to regain as much flexibility and strength as possible beforehand. “I told him he had five weeks to turn me into Gumby,” she recalls. “He understood the assignment!”
By surgery day on December 12, 2023, Wiley had regained considerable mobility, leaving her surgeon amazed at her progress. “When my surgeon discharged me, he was stunned by how well I was moving and said, ‘you trained for this!’” she recalls.
Wiley credits Dynamic Stretch for not only preparing her body for surgery but also accelerating her recovery afterward. During her two 25-minute sessions each week, she focused on achieving left-to-right arm mobility to ensure she could manage her drain care independently post-surgery. The evening before her surgery, Oliver even folded her in half during a session, a feat she had never achieved before.
Now, working as part of Life Time’s recovery area team, she helps others find the same relief and progress she experienced firsthand, emphasizing that consistent Dynamic Stretch sessions can bring back some of the mobility of your teenage years.
The Approach
Oliver’s strategy for working with Wiley focused on proactive preparation for Wiley’s second mastectomy, paying special attention to the upper body, where tightness was expected. “When we first started working together, she had already undergone her first surgery, so there was some tightness,” Oliver notes. “We focused on areas we knew would be tight after the second surgery — her shoulders, chest, and neck — so she could recover more quickly and effectively.”
6. Restoring Mobility
The Client: Joyce Orbuch, 90
As a long-time Life Time member, Joyce Orbuch realized it was time to focus on improving her flexibility and reducing muscle soreness when she started to notice she wasn’t moving as easily as she used to and was experiencing stiffness and discomfort. Regular stretch sessions have since eased her soreness and significantly improved her flexibility.
“Dynamic Stretch has done wonders for my muscles, and it’s become a key part of my wellness routine,” Orbuch shares. “It’s never too late to start taking care of yourself, no matter your age.”
The Approach
At 90 years old, the primary goal for Orbuch is to just keep moving. “We focus on keeping her active and mobile, so she can continue coming to the club every day,” says Oliver. “Her doctor once advised her to avoid anything that caused discomfort, which led to stiffness and mobility issues in her shoulders.”
Oliver is helping reverse that issue by focusing on gradual improvement. Orbuch’s sessions are highly customized to her needs, and Oliver monitors how she feels during each stretch and adjusts based on her feedback.
“Building rapport and trust with clients like Joyce is key to delivering results,” says Oliver. “Her experience with Dynamic Stretch has shown just how beneficial this program can be — no matter your age.”