Stretch Zone to host Bayshore grand opening

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As some health experts say sitting all day is just as bad for your health as smoking, a new business is opening at Bayshore Town Center to combat this. Officials announced on Tuesday that Stretch Zone will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate a new location at the outdoor mall in Glendale.

Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns, according to Mayo Clinic.

“They include obesity and a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and unhealthy cholesterol levels,” the Mayo Clinic website states.

The solution? Get up and stretch.

“Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage. For example, sitting in a chair all day results in tight hamstrings in the back of the thigh. That can make it harder to extend your leg or straighten your knee all the way, which inhibits walking. Likewise, when tight muscles are suddenly called on for a strenuous activity that stretches them, such as playing tennis, they may become damaged from suddenly being stretched. Injured muscles may not be strong enough to support the joints, which can lead to joint injury,” Harvard says on their website.

The Florida-based wellness center will open a new location at 385 W. Eastshore Drive on the first day of spring on Monday, a spokesperson for Bayshore Town Center said.

“It’s time to put a spring in your step— not just because the temperatures are heating up and the sun is shining, but because Stretch Zone at Bayshore is open to help ‘Spring’ you into health,” officials said.

Stretch Zone will offer specials starting Monday to March 25 at each of its Wisconsin studios, including Brookfield, Delafield, Glendale, Madison West, Menomonee Falls and Oak Creek, officials said.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will include free mini cookies from Crumbl Cookies, officials added.

The wellness center has 250 locations in the U.S. and was founded in 2004, officials said. Stretch Zone has partnered with several National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) and several spas such as the PGA National Resort & Spa.