Stretch Lab, a wellness studio that utilizes targeted stretches to improve mobility and reduce stiffness and pain, will open this summer at 1621 E. 55th Street.
The studio offers group and one-on-one stretching sessions led by flexologists, Stretch Lab trainers with qualifications and experience in yoga, personal training, or massage therapy.
“More flexibility and mobility means you can do more with your life,” franchise owner Andito Lloyd told the Herald. “When you move better, you feel better.”
Born in Woodlawn, Lloyd and her family moved to the south suburbs of Markham before she started preschool. Her childhood consisted of moving around a lot. Growing up, she lived in Ohio and Georgia, but then she settled in Washington DC for a job in corporate communications and consulting.
After living in Washington, DC for 20 years, Lloyd left the corporate world and moved to New York City in 2008 to pursue his passion for architecture and urban design. Her love for this architecture, she said, came from many trips with her grandmother to downtown Chicago, which Lloyd described as “one of the most physically beautiful cities” in the country. .
She earned a master’s degree in historic preservation from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and accepted a position as director of the Greenwich Village Historic Preservation Society. She advocated for not demolishing buildings, increasing affordable housing and prioritizing historic preservation. During this time, she and her husband had a daughter.
Health challenges inspire new directions
Shortly after Lloyd’s daughter was born, her mother’s health began to decline. Lloyd became her mother’s caregiver in 2015, but she soon began facing health issues of her own.
Lloyd’s mother had Jo-1 syndrome, an autoimmune disease characterized by the presence of antibodies associated with arthritis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, and mechanic’s hands (myositis). This syndrome primarily manifested as mobility and lung problems.
Lloyd said while helping her mother at a senior care facility, she realized how important mobility is for everyone, especially as the population ages.
“By observing the challenges that my loved ones face and the challenges that so many people face, I realize how many challenges and obstacles there are to getting through the day alone. , and how much it’s tied to our movement. I think that’s something we all take for granted,” Lloyd said. “When you’re young, you can run, jump, and play without getting hurt or tired.”
At the same time, Lloyd began battling rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation that affects the joints. She describes her own joint problems as much worse than her mother’s. Dealing with all these stressors in her life created what Lloyd described as a “perfect storm” that caused her to reevaluate her direction.
“It’s forced me to assess my priorities and what’s important,” said Lloyd, 51. She said, “I was middle-aged… wondering what I really wanted to do with my next life.”
Lloyd’s mother passed away in 2022. Still suffering from arthritis, Lloyd began researching different mobility techniques to improve her flexibility and range of motion and found StretchLab in 2023. Her first visit brought immediate relief, and she began to envision starting surgery herself.
“It meets a very unique need in the market. Physical therapy is not the right place for everyone,” Lloyd said. “It’s about recognizing your mobility and recognizing that no matter what stage you are in life, being able to live a healthy and independent life is so important.”
Lloyd acknowledged that Stretch Lab’s practice shares some similarities with yoga, but one thing that sets the studio apart is the personalized programs offered by its flexologists. He said there is.
“Yoga is generally in a class format,” she said. “[Here]you really get a customized, personalized experience that’s tailored to your challenge and designed to help you improve.”
Lloyd added that he wanted to open a franchise in Hyde Park because of the area’s beauty, close-knit community and abundance of places to get active.
“This is the most beautiful neighborhood in Chicago. There’s a real sense of community there,” she said. “We have great walking trails, lake paths and tennis courts.”
“It made sense to us because there’s a clear need. There are people who want to feel better and move better,” she added. “We all need to move better. It’s the basis of a healthy and independent life.”
Stretch Lab is scheduled to open before the start of summer, with an official date to be announced on the studio’s Instagram @stretchlabhydepark.
