Promoting ease of movement and an opportunity to just feel genuinely better in your body are among the offerings of Wilton’s newest business, The Vital Stretch.
Located at 5 River Rd., just across from the northeast corner of Stop & Shop in the Wilton River Park shopping center, The Vital Stretch brings assisted stretching to Wilton. As the very first franchise in a new business venture started at the beginning of the year, the Wilton studio is having its grand opening on April 5-6.
“I want people to know that being in pain is not normal,” explained owner Jacob Mani, who relocated to Wilton with his wife, Aiswarya Thomas, a physician, and their boys Rohan, 7, and Bodhi, 3, during the pandemic.
“I used to wake up in pain every day,” he said, “and through this business and stretching, I’m not waking up in pain. I know it’s possible without surgery so I want to offer that to my clients.”
Mani believes that once people understand what The Vital Stretch has to offer, the business will flourish.
“We’re gonna grow because it’s something that’s valuable,” he said.
Raised in New York with a business background that includes startups and franchise development — amongst it time spent as a partner with 800-Got-Junk — Mani also grew up playing football and other sports. As a result he experienced several injuries — ones which ultimately led him as an adult to Norwalk chiropractors Robert and Melissa Goldring — a husband and wife team who formulated the idea for The Vital Stretch.
“He was actually my chiropractor,” Mani said. “I had him when I was in need.”
“They started developing the method because they saw a lot of their clients would benefit from stretching,” he said. “I was a client of The Vital Stretch when it was just in its infancy and through that process we’re here today.”
With a friendship ultimately forming, Mani was able to offer his guidance in helping the couple establish the franchise. He secured the first and retains the right to open other studios in Connecticut.
“The people here are great,” said regular customer Jacki Defillipo of Weston, who said her visits to The Vital Stretch studio help her manage her day.
“I have a lot more energy,” she said. “I feel that I have a better range of motion and I’m less stiff and can tackle anything that comes my way.”
She said the practitioners are not only skilled in doing the stretching, they are also supportive of their clients.
“They care. about your overall health,” she said. “They’re really here to help. I would totally recommend them. They’re fabulous.”
Danielle Paraska, studio manager, said they strive to personalize the stretching work with each client.
“A lot of people don’t understand how tight they are, or how they loose range of motion over time,” she said. “They stop doing activities that they actually love doing because they think they can’t get back to them.”
She said they’ll help clients develop specific goals about what kinds of movements and performance activities they’d like to achieve.
“For example, older people playing with their grandkids, getting up and down easier. We have one client that ties his shoes better since he’s been coming to us. That was a goal for him,” she said.
Paraska said they also work with athletes. “We’re helping this one guy in town actually run his marathon,” she said.
Mani said this is part of what makes them unique.
“Unlike some other places, we actually tailor our stretches to our members, so when you come in we learn about your background, what aches and pains do you have and how can we improve on it,” he said.
“Every time you come in the stretch is a little different, more tailored to you,” he said.
Paraska said they studio handles both dynamic and active stretching, putting clients into positions that they may not be able to find on their own. Some of the work, which can be done on heated tables, involves pushing gently against the practitioner in order to augment stretches.
“We’re actually like elongating your muscles and actually creating more blood flow and circulation,” she said.
Mani explained that each practitioner receives a National Academy of Sports Medicine certification, as well as more than 40 hours of training on the specific techniques of The Vital Stretch.
“We’re always fine-tuning our practice,” he said.
Most important of all, Mani said he hopes that his customers in Wilton will feel the studio as a welcoming place that simply feel good and has positive energy.
“We’ve been very fortunate because our staff really does care about our clients,” he said, noting that they’ve been very busy.
“Our members are happy and it’s been a blessing so far,” he said.
“Our hope is that by the time you walk out of here, you feel amazing,” Mani said. “That’s really what our goal is.”
For more information, visit The Vital Stretch online.