5 minute read
Building a ‘Mayberry
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Jonathan Hyams was working out at a gym when he found it diffi cult to use a “one-size-fi ts-all” stretch machine.
“As I stretched, I realized the machine lacked an adjustable seat, making it hard for users to position themselves according to their height and stature,” Hyams says.
“In addition, I noticed there were no designated pieces of equipment at my gym for anyone to stretch their calves.”
Hyams had an epiphany. Already producing exercise and medical rehabilitation equipment, the Scottsdale man launched his own—the Nitrofi t Limber Pro Stretch Machine.
“I always use a stretch machine to stretch out before my workouts,” says Hyams, a Tucson native who now lives in Scottsdale. “I was sitting on this machine and suddenly I got this thought in my head: Every other piece of equipment in this gym adjusts to fi t whoever is using it. Shouldn’t this piece of equipment not be
one-size-fi ts-all? That’s when it hit me.
“I own a fi tness company. I watched a taller person struggle, and a smaller female get in. I fi gured out people couldn’t stretch their calves.”
The average stretching machine uses a fi xed-seat design that does not allow its users to adjust the distance between the seat and the handlebars. The Nitrofi t Limber Pro Stretch Machine is the only one in the marketplace with an adjustable seat and calf-stretching station. The machine is compact and can be used without a personal trainer or gym buddy.
“The patented sliding seat design ensures that the Nitrofi t Limber Pro is the only stretch machine available that can be adjusted on the fl y to fi t your height and reach,” Hyams says. “The adjustable height calf stretch board adds a very benefi cial stretch to the machine making it the most valuable and eff ective home stretching machine available today.”
The NLP is a home/semi-commercial device that assists its users through a va
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Nitrofi t Limber Pro Stretch Machine P.O. Box 5713, Scottsdale, AZ 85261 1-888-861-0480 nitrofi tfi tness.com or amazon.com
Jonathan Hyams founded Medvibe in 2007 when he was 24 years old. (Photo courtesy Jonathan Hyams)
riety of stretching exercises. Each device comes with an illustrated exercise guide on the handlebar’s mounted placard. Users then hold a set of handles in front of them and use the illustrations to guide them in how to position their body in order to stretch a specifi c muscle group.
Users activate gravity by leaning back in a chair outfi tted with a knee pad, a backrest and foot pedals. The chair is mounted to a bearing which allows the chair to pivot away from the handles. As the user leans back, more force is placed on their bodies allowing them to attain a deeper stretch using only their own body weight. The NLP is used to reduce muscle stiff ness and back pain, but it can also be useful for athletes, chiropractic patients or the everyday person looking to get a deep and eff ective stretch.
Everyone needs to stretch for optimal health. Regular stretching improves fl exibility, reduces the risk of injury during exercise, increases range of motion, increases blood fl ow, relieves stress and helps to reduce back pain.
“I would say the majority of our customers are 40-plus,” he says. “At chiropractic offi ces, they’re put you on a Precor machine. If you think about it, a lot of people who are older go to chiropractors to mitigate pain. Additionally, when I go to LA Fitness, I see a lot of older people using a Precor machine. Mine is easier and more comfortable to use.”
Hyams says it’s especially important with the advent of COVIT-19, coronavirus, and folks working at home.
www.LovinLife.com “In this current economic time, a lot of people are going to be working from home and not in the offi ce walking around as much,” Hyams says.
“We need to get up and stretch regularly. All these people who went to the gym are no longer able to go. We need something like this now—and we need an aff ordable option.”
The Nitrofi t Limber Pro Stretch Machine is part of Hyams’ company Medvibe, which distributes its products across North America and has been sold through costco.ca, walmart.com, sears. com and amazon.com.
Hyams has been passionate about fi tness since he was a seventh-grade student in Tucson.
“I got heavy into weight training then,” he says. “This has been my passion ever since. It’s something I maintain. I go to the gym fi ve days a week. It’s good for mental health, too. Physically, it’s good to be agile and physically strong.
“I’ve done all sorts of intramural or club sports. I love the endorphin rush. I love the feeling of the workout.”
Hyams founded Medvibe in 2007 when he was 24 years old. He waited tables full time and took “any gig I could to fund it, to get it going.” In 2013, Medvibe was accepted into costco.ca (Costco Canada).
Medvibe also off ers a Nitrofi t Deluxe Plus whole-body vibration machine and Nitrofi t FitRoll Vibrating foam roller through costco.com as well as on amazon and direct from its website. Its target market is those older than 40.