Jaimie Paladino Talks Benefits of Stretch Therapy

The wellness of muscle function in the body is only enhanced with the necessary component of stretching. Stretching is an overlooked step in the fitness and athletic worlds, and if it is recognized, one can only stretch their own body so far. This is where certified Fascial Stretch Therapist Jaimie Paladino comes into play.

Jaimie currently practices stretch therapy at New Jersey Sports Advantage in Ramsey, NJ, which is a fairly new home to sports performance training, currently mainly in baseball (hopefully soon in football too), where youth and high school athletes can come, work on their performance skills, be video taped with a high tech security video system which can be viewed live from the computer, the viewing room in the facility, or from a mobile device.  The whole idea of NJ Sports Advantage is for the kids, and how coaches, parents, and loved ones can actively be a part of the success of their athlete. When it comes to college, participating in athletics is a great way to afford tuition fees, this facility is equipped with the best technology to help the kids maximize their skills, and be active in a technologically driven world plagued by childhood obesity. The staff at NJ Sports Advantage cares tremendously how the less fortunate, inner city kids are going to get to the next level. The answer is at their facility.

Jaimie plays an important role as the stretch therapist, offering 30, 60, and 90 minutes sessions in her cozy, serene, private room in the midst of the complex.  As someone with a degree in athletic training, and actively involved in sports performance training, in her own words,

“I felt like something was missing. I wanted to do athletic training, but I loved sports performance.  How can I mix the two? I went out to Arizona to take the course, and it changed my life. I found the way I can marry the two by doing stretch therapy and also sports performance.  I then realized that I was really good at the stretching, and was having a lot of success with my non-athletes through to my pro athletes. The owner of this place (NJ Sports Advantage) contacted me, and hired me full time.”

Jaimie’s clients are a healthy mix of pro athletes and non-athletes, with most of her pro athletes playing in the NFL. Now, for a visual, Jaimie is approximately 5’2’’, and weighs maybe 110 lbs. You may wonder how such a petite girl can possibly have a successful stretching session with a 350 lb 6’4’’ NFL player. This is simple, and I can share by first hand experience (not that I am a 6’4’’ 350lb man, but still) as I have personally had a session with her.

As you lay on the padded stretch table, she uses her entire body to take control of one of her client’s limbs, pulling, having the client push down, or push out, and rotate and really get into the fascia layer of the body. Using her whole body she can take your tightness, work through it, so you can stand taller, walk lighter, and have better performance (everyday or athletically). I mean I felt like a new person, and she noticed that.

Jaimie stopped me mid sentence and said “Time out. Your eyes are so much brighter then when you came in, you look like a different person.”

I have her to thank for that.

“The work speaks for itself.” Paladino said. “ I hope soon, not in ten years, in the next couple years, that stretch therapy is as known as massage therapy, so it is on that level. What I would like to see is that it is not only recognized from the general public, but also from doctors and physicians.  I think right now I am one of ten in NJ, which is nothing! I want people to understand the value of not just stretching, but stretch therapy.”

Her role is crucial as the only stretch therapist at NJ Sports Advantage, and she can make sure the kids understand the value of a good stretch, while working on her clients who understand the value of having someone else stretch them.

I can see this form of therapy getting really popular, and everyone needs to try it.

Follow Jaimie on twitter @PaladinoCFST, ask her questions, and refer to njsportsadvantage.com for the facility contact information.

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