Kyle Valery of Stretch Affect: 5 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Dramatically Improve Your Wellbeing

An Interview with Candice Georgiadis

Health is earned, not given — While we are all dealt a hand, it’s about how we play it, not what cards we are given. Fundamentally it is about maximizing potential. Without physically challenging ourselves, we will not create an environment in which health is truly achievable. For me, exercise is the cornerstone of health, and it drives almost all other behaviors to follow suit.

As a part of my series about “5 Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Dramatically Improve One’s Wellbeing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kyle Valery.

Kyle is a Movement Health Practitioner guiding high-achieving individuals on their journey to better movement — teaching them to understand their body and keep it healthy and pain-free -so that they can resolve movement limitations and live their best life.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the story about how you first got involved in fitness and wellness?

Fitness has always been a hobby turned profession for me. I was always athletic but was on the younger/smaller side growing up. While I was born in San Diego, I grew up in a small town in North Texas of 5000 people. I played baseball, basketball, cross country, track, and powerlifting, but fell in love with the weight room over any specific sport. Once I moved back to San Diego, I had my first personal trainer, which I had never heard of before;, this was my first introduction into the profession. My first job in the industry was working for Henry’s (now sprouts) selling vitamins and supplements, and by the time I was 19, I was a personal trainer myself and in the foods and nutrition program at San Diego State University. This was the beginning of my now 17- year career in the industry.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Well, I would say while the beginning was tough, it wasn’t the most interesting. And it wasn’t having the 144th richest person in the world as a client or almost being able to work with Tom Cruise, and it wasn’t having to find six6 different facilities over a ten10 years period to operate out of. It was what happened during COVID, but not in a bad way. Spring training 2020, I get a call from Beverly Hills, and it is an agent for a San Diego Padre looking for an ART(Active Release Techniques) provider (which I am an Elite provider of). Well, two2 days later, I was on a plane to Scottsdale, Arizona, to do a three3-day working interview with Manny Machado, All Start third baseman. Everything went well, and as soon as Machado was back in San Diego, we were set to start working together. This was an interesting time because the next month I was finally getting keys to my first facility next month since having my own business for the last 15 years. But on Friday, March 13th, 2020, the lockdown happened. Getting keys to our facility was delayed, and the ownership was questioning our business model given the current climate, and MLB just happened to cancel the baseball season until further notice. I wasn’t really as excited as I was just a month prior! But, I have always been a work hard and affect what you can kind of person. So, I continued to work with my clients that were willing during the lockdown and didn’t take a single day off of work. My business partner and I on the new business began working in the afternoons on everything for the new facility despite the unknown. Then in May, I got a call from Manny and began working with him 3–4 days per week, as MLB was trying to figure out a start date. Shortly after, we got the green light from our property management company to begin our build- out in June, and they gave us a couple of extra months of rent abatement. I then was able to build out my dream facility while also working with one of MLB’s most valuable athletes. We have since grown our facility 250% during the pandemic and have been able to work with other MLB players like Tommy Pham and the Olympic Rugby star Carlin Isles. With all the unknown, I am blessed to have the opportunities during such a trying time for so many.

Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?

Funny is really something that you realize in hindsight. I would say most mistakes have been due to a naive position and lack of understanding. When you start your business with no real business school and no mentor, you just have to learn from the school of hard knocks. And if you survive your education from there, you have a great chance to be successful. But iIf I were to do it all over again, I would not only focus on tons of formal training in the field, but I would also pursue more of a formal business education as well. And if at all possible, find a mentor as experience is an invaluable asset to anyone starting out in a field that they are trying to pursue a career in.

Can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority in the fitness and wellness field? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to the world of wellness?

I feel I have the right to call myself an authority because of several aspects. My formal education gives me a wealth of knowledge in multiple aspects of health and wellness. I have an undergraduate degree in Foods and Nutrition and was a Dietetic Technician Registered. And I have mMy master’s degree is in Exercise Science with an emphasis in Sports Psychology. I am a certified manual therapist and have over 12 manual therapy and assessment-based certifications, along with ten10 strength and conditioning certifications. I have serviced over 30,000 hours of clients and have worked with a Guinness book record holder, a billionaire, an Olympian, and Major League Baseball players. Because for me, knowledge without application is one of the most dangerous positions to be in.

My unique contribution is derived from the diversity of my knowledge and experience, which has allowed me to create Stretch Affect. Our system at Stretch Affect, takes a look at all aspects of an individual and creates a tailored solution to allow them to achieve the highest level of success. From personality testing to make sure they are coached the most effective to hormone and gene testing to make sure their body is healing properly and the food they are eating is right for them. This is in addition to a service that is the best of physical therapy and personal training. Our goal is to create an experience and an impact through exceptional service and education.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I am actually most grateful for the people that created the most challenges for me during my career. These have been people I rented space from that were intimidated by the my work I was doing and felt threatened by my success and innovation in the field. It was their dismay and lack of support that made me only want to pursue my path even more.

Coming from the strength and conditioning side into the manual therapy side created some professional biases toward me and the work I was doing. While ultimately, I was only trying to create the best service for my clients, other practitioners felt I was infringing on “their” territory. I literally had educators in the field tell me not to take Active Release Technique classes, they teach, because it’s what “they” do, and I shouldn’t be allowed to take them. But my licensing allows me to take those classes and have since become and Elite Provider for ART, which is also how Manny Machado found me. So, the irony is they were afraid of a different way of doing a similar thing as them and it only motivated me to be the very best at it and has since given me some of the best opportunities in my career.

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. We all know that it’s important to eat more vegetables, eat less sugar, exercise more, and get better sleep etc. But while we know it intellectually, it’s often difficult to put it into practice and make it a part of our daily habits. In your opinion what are the 3 main blockages that prevent us from taking the information that we all know, and integrating it into our lives?

Caring, Knowing, Doing.

If you don’t truly care about not only the outcome but the process, you will never accomplish anything regardless of how “good” or “beneficial” you may think it to be. But fundamentally, we also need to understand what exactly we are doing and why we are doing it, otherwise, we will not have the confidence when we have to navigate tumultuous waters. And at the end of the day regardless of what we care about and what we know, action is everything. Problems do not solve themselves, and I am a firm believer in personal responsibility. You must remember, YOU are YOUR primary care provider and if you do not implement the changes to make yourself a better, healthier person no one will do it for you. Yand you will always be looking to other people to solve your problems for you. So without a standard of living that you abide by and a set of rules to live by, you will always be looking for the next easy way to have short- term success but be left empty- handed in the long run.

Can you please share your “5 Non-Intuitive Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Dramatically Improve One’s Wellbeing”? (Please share a story or an example for each, and feel free to share ideas for mental, emotional and physical health.)

1. Start with things you like — if you do not like, you will not do it, period. You must find activities, foods, facilities, and people you enjoy otherwise; your success will be short- lived.
2. Learn First, Apply Second — Most people just try and get the cliff’s notes versions and then focus on application. And while we need application, without a firm understanding of what exactly you’re doing and why you are doing it, you will not have long- term success.
3. Tell the world and put your money where your mouth is — you must be willing to lose something before you can gain from it. Which This means you have to be vulnerable, and you must represent your mission. Success is a high- stakes game, and too many people want the least risk for the most gain. When in reality those who sacrifice the most are the ones at the top of the mountain.
4. Appreciate the Struggle — it will never be easy. And you will probably have to work harder than those around you, w. Which should be irrelevant to your success, unless you allow it to be. I can guarantee you that there are days you will not be happy, and there are days you want to quit. But the only person who will lose is you and the world will continue on without you. The fact that the mountain gets steeper as it gets taller should not be a surprise, nor should it be that fewer people are willing to endure than those that turn around and go home early. In essence, do not ask something of yourself something and pretend it will not be difficult.
5. Make it all STOP — we are inundated with information and over stimulated. We must control the narrative in our mind, which means there comes a time to shut off all the outside noise. You must curtail your news feeds, your friends, the channels you watch to align with how you live. Information should support your journey, not derail it, and you are your own filter. So be careful with negative information or information that distracts from your goal. Just remember the KISS principle (keep it simple stupid) and do not allow for analysis paralysis.

As an expert, this might be obvious to you, but I think it would be instructive to articulate this for the public. Aside from weight loss, what are 3 benefits of daily exercise? Can you explain?

First off, exercise does not equal weight loss. But fundamentally:

• Body in motion, stays in motion — our bodies are designed to adapt to the environment we provide for them. We can not make up for lost time. Daily movement is the answer to joint health and overall wellness. ItsIt’s not a 30-day challenge or a 5k. We must understand it is truly a daily ritualistic behavior. So, manage your time with the mindset that I appreciate today to have the opportunity for tomorrow. Because sometimes, it is no longer a choice, and that is the worst of all positions to be in.
• Being Strong can solve many issues — exercise can create both physical and mental strength. And when our bodies are strong and full of vigor it will proliferate through our existence. We are all aware of our vulnerabilities and the fewer we have the more confidence we create. The discipline of a routine and the grit created from enduring discomfort creates a mental resilience that prepares us for the game of life. Remember…. Strength always wins!!
• Health is earned, not given — While we are all dealt a hand, it’s about how we play it, not what cards we are given. Fundamentally it is about maximizing potential. Without physically challenging ourselves, we will not create an environment in which health is truly achievable. For me, exercise is the cornerstone of health, and it drives almost all other behaviors to follow suit.

For someone who is looking to add exercise to their daily routine, which 3 exercises would you recommend that are absolutely critical?

ex·er·cise

/ˈeksərˌsīz/

noun

activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness.

• Cardio endurance — pick an activity you enjoy and do more of it. Truly challenging the endurance capacity is a weakness in most people programming, primarily because of the time involvement. It seems like everyone nowadays is trying to get in 15–20 min workouts, which is great for a quick burst, but sometimes there are no short cuts or ways to circumvent the process. Shoot for one1 time per week where you do 90 min to 2 hours of steady activity. Hike with friends, riding bikes with the family, play 18 holes of golf, or anything that you can consistently commit to and enjoy!
• Compound Strength Lifts — This includes deadlifts, pull-ups, push-ups, snatches, etc. Focus on any lift that involves many muscles groups at one time. If you are only isolating body parts and not integrating the whole body, you are creating a functional weakness for yourself. Also, these exercises us the most energy and burn the most calories. Best bang for your buck!
• Mobility that’s relative to your body — This is an important part of ‘fitness’ because it is the forgotten aspect. Fitness is ultimately an expression of what a body is capable of doing to do. But with physical restrictions, we will only be creating compensations that will eventually lead to dysfunction and potential injury. Staying on top of your joint health is the future of ‘fitness’ and will be a part of every body’sies ‘fitness’ program. This means you must get a movement and joint by joint assessment to create your mobility recipe.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story?

Thinking Fast and Slow — this book is the book an entire category of books is based on. Understanding that to create change, we must alter the way we think and view the world around us., This is a fundamental component of growth. The studies and language of mindset created from within this book explain topics to you and show examples. There was a shift in my perspective following reading this book, and it has since allowed me to understand more, which has allowed me to change and influence more. And since change is the only constant in this world, it has allowed me to thrive in my professional field. Allowing myself to be receptive to other ideas and to look at things from varying perspectives is what has given birth to the Stretch Affect System and the bases for how I operate my company. Allowing myself to be receptive to other ideas and looking at things from varying perspectives has given birth to the Stretch Affect System and the bases for how I operate my company.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

The movement health movement is our mission. Stretch Affect is a vehicle for us to create a non-profit that teaches movement literacy to under privileged youth. If we learn about our bodies and how to help our bodies at a young age, we can combat injuries and manage the effects of aging. Legacy is a huge goal of mine, and changing the lives of future generations is my goal. I am currently working with the Boys and Girls club to teach physical literacy classes, not physical education classes. Because education is the process of receiving information while literacy is an actual competency. Just how the dental industry has been able to create daily oral health habits that have changed entire populations, I look to create daily joint health habits that affect an entire generation. Just as the dental industry has created daily oral health habits that have changed entire populations, I look to create daily joint health habits that affect an entire generation.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

“Opportunity Dances with those already on the dance floor.” I have found that most people in the world are waiting for an opportunity to find them and I have only experienced the opposite. Its always run to where the ball is going, not to where it is. So you have to look forward and think about what may be asked of you along your path and pursue that before it is asked of you. Look to the most successful in the field and pay attention to their journey, as it will give you insight as to where the best are spending their time. But in essence, it is work hard and prepare for the biggest stage as you never know when the stars will align for you. Be patient and do not try and swim upstream. When the time is right, your number will be called, but if you are not ready when the phone rings, your best opportunity may just pass you by.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)

I love innovators and disruptors, p. People who challenge a status quo and are willing to carve a new path and but also want to help the world around them. This includes Gary Vaynerchuck, Mark Cuban, Dwayne Johnson, and others with a lifetime of experience like Warren Buffet, Oprah Winfrey, and Clint Eastwood.

What is the best way our readers can follow you online?

www.strethaffect.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylevalery/

https://www.instagram.com/sa.kylev

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!