Chang says the facility supports people in their goals, even if it is as modest as a walk around the block without getting winded.

"People can take exercising too far, too fast," she says. "We say to take a slow and safe approach."

Meanwhile, a client is lying face up, peering at a blue and white ceiling, designed to simulate sparse cloud cover, at Mary's Therapeutic Massage centre.

"People aren't aware of what massage can do," new therapist Barry Kilpatrick says, the mellow music creating a soothing soundtrack to his interview. "And our treatment is very individualized."

If the muscle stress is not from overzealous workouts, it could easily be from bad posture.

One of the first things Kilpatrick and owner Mary Wasylycia do at the centre is observe posture and, if seemingly lopsided, look for reasons why.

When stress is found, one approach, called positional release, involves applying subtle pressure to muscles in the neck and upper back and asking patients to identify tender muscles.

Then the therapist moves the client's head and limbs in a comfortable position and holds them for a couple minutes.

"Stretching is something that should be done every day as a routine, just like eating breakfast," Kilpatrick said.

Wasylycia agrees.

"People don't stretch enough and not long enough," she says. "They don't isolate the right muscles as an understanding of the body is required."

Because most people live with various stresses on their body, there is a tendency to ignore minor aches and stiffness.

But if people allow a single sore muscle to fester, the body will recruit other muscles to support the ailing one, causing a larger area to become sore through strain.

"Massage itself is stretching the muscles," Kilpatrick says. "You can only go as far as the joint itself, while when you get a massage you can stretch a bit more."

Massage is covered by many extended medical plans if the client obtains a doctor's referral.