Q & A with NFL Hopeful :: Justin Kahut

Please tell me about your journey to the combine?

“A year ago I was kicking with the Sand Diego Charger’s kicker, when he encouraged me to go after professional kicking. I left my Engineering job to pursue kicking and possibly changing careers to Physical Therapy.  While working at TAI Lake Oswego I was blessed with the opportunity to train more effectively under the guidance of Shawn Dailey.  I also had the privilege of training with Synergy Training Center to enhance my ability to focus and stay in the moment while kicking. During all of this training I recognized the importance of nutrition and all thefactors that go into training at a high level.” 

What hurdles did you encounter while training?

“It was hard to keep focused for the full year of training and there were times I started to question if I was heading in the right direction. I was discouraged by an old hip injury that re-surfaced and back pain from a car accident. With the help of the TAI LOFITT team, I was able to kick pain free for the first time in 5 years at the NFL kicking combine.“

What advice would you have for other NFL or professional athlete hopefuls?

“If it is your passion, don’t let others, or circumstances, discourage you from pursuing it.  I was told in high school that playing D1 college football was not a realistic goal; I then went on to be the starting kicker at Oregon State and left ranking second in school history in PATs and field goals made, as well as fifth in scoring. If its your passion, go for it.

You don’t want to look back and wonder What If…”
 

L.O. Physical Therapy Patient of the Month

Janis

Janis is a very active wife and mother of two who spends her time in community gardens, doing charity work and volunteering.  She is an avid skate skier, runner, loves to walk her two dogs and enjoy interacting with customers at her job.  She is currently recovering from a radial wrist fracture in 4 places as well as multiple hip pathologies.  Working through multiple complicated injuries has been challenging, as she has been limited in performing all of her normal daily tasks.  But through her diligence with PT and doing exercises at home, she is able to return to all of her life passions just as summer begins.
 

Menopause & Your Brain

Medical science has finally caught up with the reality of "fuzzy thinking" at menopause. It's real, and after years of skepticism it's a relief to know it's not all in your "head"... The good news is you don't need to wait any longer to banish the brain fog that's interfering with your working memory.

Working memory is your brain's storage container for information you might need in the next couple of minutes. A weak working memory lets valuable info slide out of the container, making everyday math problems tougher, messing up your ability to grocery-shop without a list and focus in a business meeting, and much more.

Why is your working memory not working? Hormonal shifts at menopause can throw you off your mental game. The reason: There are loads of estrogen receptors in areas of the brain (like the frontal lobe) that control working memory. When there is less estrogen to turn these receptors on, memory degrades until the receptors adjust. With the fluctuations at menopause, the receptors often cannot adjust fast enough, and you forget your dentist appointment.

So how can you sharpen your thinking, hone your mental focus and lift that fog:

As always, the big three are important to have for a healthy lifestyle, however even more important during menopause; regular rigorous exercise, healthy diet rich in Omega 3‘s and good quality sleep.

But now there is a fourth component: Exercising your brain. When you exercise the brain you increase the number connections between the brain cells, making the connections stronger and improving blood flow in the brain regions. When you increase the number of these connections and make them stronger, it increases the ability for these receptors to adjust faster with the fluctuations of estrogen that occur during menopause. Allowing your working memory to keep working efficiently through menopause.

Contact Synergy Training Center Brain Performance and Care on how to train and exercise your brain for help through menopause and to increase overall cognitive abilities.

Synergy Training Center Brain Performance and Care
17449 Boones Ferry Rd, Suite 300
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
Phone: 503-597-2088

Click here to visit the STC website for more info >
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Resource - Synergy Training Center
Drs. Oz and Rozen Column - Oregonian Food Day 2/26/13
 

Sports Massage for Runners

DeDe Lamont Massage

As the warmer weather approaches, people are becoming more and more active.  Runners have set goals and are training towards a big event, such as a full, or half-marathon.  Many athletes don’t incorporate sports massage into their regular routine, most don’t even think about it.  But it can provide an incredible benefit to your body and sore/overworked muscles, keeps you on task/schedule, helps prevent injury, helps to recover from injuries that may arise, and improves your overall performance.

Click here for a good article on sports massage and the times an athlete should schedule >

For questions regarding massage therapy or to schedule an appointment at Lake Oswego Physical Therapy, please contact DeDe Lamont, LMT:

DeDe Lamont Massage  |  503-572-8840 (cell)  |  lamontdede@hotmail.com  
 

Click here to visit our website for more info >

L.O. Physical Therapy Athletic Wellness Team

Improve Your Fitness to Improve Your Active Lifestyle.

An adult fitness class emphasizing on total body strength, balance, coordination and flexibility. An individualized approach in a small group setting. You will train at your own fitness level.  Socialization is an added benefit.  The first class is free, to check it out to see if it is a good fit, then purchase a Punch Card with each class $12.00. Classes meet:

MORNING: Mondays & Wednesdays | 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
EVENING: Mondays & Thursdays | 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Click here to visit our website for more info >

Unlike most gyms, MOTA Fitness is all about understanding each member’s expectations. Before you ever begin training, our highly skilled fitness experts will complete an assessment to determine your baseline capabilities. This assessment includes non-threatening tests and measurements that are scientifically designed to pin-point the areas which members may want to improve. MOTA Fitness’ individualized programs match each person’s lifestyle, whether you are a busy working professional, a mom with a set routine or a baby boomer intent on staying fit and enjoying life for decades to come.

Click here to visit the MOTA Fitness website for more info >