The StretchofNorman story.
Getting active may start with the most basic of activities — stretching. Diana Nieto bought a Groupon a few years back and got hooked. “It made me feel so good, and I really can tell that my flexibility is better,” Nieto said. “I feel like as we age, that’s got to be very important.” Stretch of Norman trainer Jaime Perez works with Nieto, and the two have developed a long-term professional relationship as he’s helped her improve her flexibility and stay active. “I will do so as long as I can,” she said. “You think you’ll do these things at home, but I don’t and I can’t stretch the way they’re stretching me.” Brothers Dean and Ty Lindsey became involved in facilitated stretching and liked the results. The brothers were high school athletes at Noble but, like most of us, slowed down with age. Dean was more active than most, however, working as a CDT/self-defense instructor for the Oklahoma City Police Dept. for 28 years. “When I left OCPD, I loved what I did, but now we have taken that training to a new level making it public.” Dean said. The new facility is in Brookhaven Village at 36th Avenue and Robinson Street on the second floor of the Professional Center, Suite 268. “Movement is the key to life,” Dean said. “The better you move, the better you feel. The better you feel, the more you can do.” In a way, the Lindsey brothers were following in their father’s footsteps. Floyd Lindsey, Jr. owned Lindsey Tire and Retread with stores in Norman, Purcell and Newcastle, after humble beginnings started out of a barn. “We were quite the fixture in this area throughout the 70s and 80s,” Dean said. “We learned our business ethics from our father.” Dean said he loves being a part of the Norman business community again. “We had a great childhood,” he said. “It’s wonderful to be home, doing these things we’re doing now.” As someone whose career was focused on fitness, he’s also happy in a job he believes helps athletes and regular folks alike reach peak performance to do the things they love. Stretching is basic but vital, so sessions can benefit people of all activity and fitness levels, he said. “Some athletes go with the stretching for the performance element to enhance what they do, but there’s some people who just want to go for a walk in the park without feeling pain,” Dean said. “Say you’ve got a guy who played sports in high school. In his 20s he played softball with the guys or golf or frisbee, but by the time he’s in his 40s, you see that guy getting out of a chair and he says, ‘oh, I’m getting old,’ and it’s not that at all.” Dean said the reduced use of muscles and sitting in confined spaces like an office cubical or a car for long periods of time mean muscles aren’t moving through normal range of motion with enough frequency. “You’re at that desk for 8 hours then you walk out and get in a car and then you drive home and sit on the couch and watch TV,” he said. That sedentary lifestyle comes with cumulative detrimental effects, and once it gets harder to get out of the chair, people become less inclined toward activity. “For every single thing in the world there’s a counter to it,” Dean said. “If we’re not moving enough, the answer is we need to move more, but if you’ve lived that sedentary lifestyle, it’s going to take effort to get past that.” Often when people start to move again, everything hurts. “What we do here is like a prep to movement and doing things,” he said. “Everybody’s got their own goals. Our job is to help them move toward those goals.” Clients are evaluated first, including a medical screening. “Everything we do is spine neutral so we’re not going to hurt your back or your neck,” Dean said. “All of our stretches are within the normal range of motion of the joint. In a very natural way, we’re going to stretch you through all these positions. Stretching invigorates you. The client finds this as a getaway time where they can relax,” Dean said. “ If a person is experiencing pain, we recommend you see a doctor. Stretching won’t cause pain. Muscular discomfort from stretching is something quite different. The trainer is doing all the work so the client can relax as muscles are put through the stretches. If you don’t exercise your muscles, they can’t perform to their optimum,” Dean said. “What we find is when people feel better they do more.” Athletes like the stretching because they feel it helps them play better. “In sports, everyone wants that competitive edge,” Dean said. “We try to give people the maximum they can do in their range of motion. I stretched a fireman a couple of weeks ago, and he could not believe how light he felt on his feet because he’d never had his hips stretched like that.” Trainers are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday by appointment and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. by appointment on Saturday. “Everybody’s different, but what you do physically affects you mentally,” Dean said. “The bottom line is, it’s exercise. Fitness-Wellness-Sports is what we do.” Dean believes exercise is the best stress reliever available. “When you’re getting assisted stretching, you’re getting something you can’t do by yourself.” Find Stretch of Norman Brookhaven Village Professional Center 3700 W. Robinson, Suite 268 405-421-2794
