Bridgetown Physical Therapy = Portland, Oregon

Bridgetown PT will have a booth at the "Shadow Run" 5k fun run hosted by  a new running group called Run Portland.  This free event takes place at Lincoln High School at 6:30 on Tuesday, January 19th with the course running through SW & NW neighborhoods.  Services will be provided by our newest physical therapist, Darla Phillips and will include stretching and massage for any aches and pains acquired during the run!  More information about the run can be found at Run Portland's website and facebook page.

If you watched the 2008 Beijing Olympics, you may have seen Kerri Walsh playing beach volleyball for the United States.  You may have also noticed the tape on her shoulder.  Many people originally believed it was to cover a tattoo, but actually she was using a specially designed elastic taping technique to reduce her pain levels from a previous rotator cuff repair.  This elastic taping technique, called Kinesio Tape, was developed almost 30 years ago by a Chiropractic Physician by the name of Dr. Kenzo Kase.  I recently had the opportunity to work with one of Dr. Kase's understudies, Jim Wallis, who is also the head athletic trainer for Portland State University.  Jim Wallis has also written multiple books on Kinesio Taping and collaborated with Dr. Kase on the development of the tapes properties. 
 
Kinesio Tape is now being used by some of the best athletes in the world such as Lance Armstrong, Serena Williams, David Beckham and many of the current Olympians.   Kinesio Tape works by giving support like a flexible brace and facilitates weak muscles with neurological awareness or proprioception.
 
In Lance Armstrong's book "Every Second Counts", he refers to Kinesio Tape as "Something better than any laser, wrap, or electric massager...The Tape. It is a special hot-pink athletic tape that came from Japan and seemed to have special powers. Every morning before the stage, they would tape us all up, different parts of our bodies . . . George's back, Chechu's knees. Sometimes we'd be so wrapped up in hot-pink tape that we'd look like dolls, a bunch of broken dolls. But the next day the pain disappeared-it was gone."

Well, there is actually a science behind why the tape works and it's not "special powers" as Lance Armstrong described it.  The Kinesio Tape is used to address muscle spasms, muscle inhibition, muscle contractures, joint hypermobility, joint hypomobility and regional swelling.  Since the tape has an elastic quality, it allows the practitioner to use different tensions, widths, lengths, and patterns that are not achievable with normal white athletic tape.  It's adhesive properties and ability to repel water allows it to be worn for 3-4 days.  This is another key component to Kinesio Tape that is not found in athletic tape.  These key components of the tape allowed Dr. Kenzo Kase to deliver a treatment method that would give patients continuous benefits between appointment visits.
 
So now you know that if you see patients around the clinic with crazy taping designs, it's not for looks.  There is a purpose for the tape.  I have already had multiple patients benefit from the taping technique to relieve knee pain, back pain, and chronic swelling in the short time that I have been using these techniques.  Though there may not be a long term benefit, it can be used for a short term fix to allow patients to continue to be active while reducing their pain levels.
 
I have included a few links below of athletes in the news that have been using Kinesio Tape:
David Beckham

Serena Williams

Kerri Walsh

Edgarrin James    

-Josh Kernen, PT, DPT, CSCS

The December issue of Women's Health Magazine hit the store shelves a few weeks ago.  You can find fitness tips from my interview on page 61 in the "Rule the Gym!" article.  I also collaborated with Women's Health on the sections "What's That For?" and "The Lingo." 

Many of you may know that I'm always trying to promote people to feel more comfortable in the gym and especially in the free weight areas.  This Women's Health Magazine article tackles some of those issues and it is targeted towards women that are starting up their New Year's resolutions.

So, if you have a few extra minutes at the grocery store, pick up the December issue of Women's Health Magazine.

-Josh Kernen, PT, DPT, CSCS

"Training Like the Pro's" has continued throughout the summer since we introduced the class in May.  We are now running our class on Monday and Wednesday nights at 6:30pm - 7:30pm.  It has been fun teaching participants the same strength, power, agility, quickness and balance drills that professional athletes use in their daily routines.  Participants have been coming to the class to learn new weight lifting techniques, improve their sports performance, or they just want a more intense workout than their current routine.  We continue to look for new members to join our evening classes.  If you are interested please e-mail me at jkernen@bridgetownpt.com and we can get you started in August.  The classes are only $15/session or $50 for 4 classes.  I will be posting pictures soon on our Facebook page.  We look forward to new members joining us in the next few months.   

-Josh Kernen, PT, DPT, CSCS

Bridgetown Physical Therapy is now one of only a few facilities in Portland that offers testing with the CardioCoach from Korr Medical Technologies.  This will allow us to administer simple and accurate fitness testing that measures key data including VO2 max, anaerobic threshold, and the precise amount of calories burned at different heart rate levels.  This data will allow our fitness enthusiasts to better understand what heart rate zones they should be working towards during their workouts or competitions.  This can be applied to our runners, cyclists, swimmers and most any sport.  

So why would you want to have these tests done? 

Well, generalized VO2 max and anaerobic threshold calculations can determine an approximate heart rate zone you should be working in based on your age.  These calculations don't factor in how much you have been training, genetics, sex, or altitude.  You usually see these different suggested zones on treadmills that are labeled "cardio" zones or "fat burning" zones but these estimates can be off by as much as 30 beats per minute.  Heart rate target zones should be determine based off of VO2 max and anaerobic threshold tests that measure the amount of oxygen your body consumes during exercise.  The anaerobic threshold is very important because it is the heart rate zone you should be working below to avoid muscle fatigue or soreness during or following workouts.  Working below the anaerobic threshold will also allow you to maintain a steady pace for a long period of time. Working above the anaerobic threshold will improve your cardiovascular fitness, but it will also lead to fatigue during your exercise and discomfort during and following the workout.   

Until recently these tests were only possible in expensive labs for research and available only to top athletes.  Lance Armstrong, Michael Phelps and Roberto Salazar all use VO2 max testing to determine their performance level and heart rate zones they should be utilizing.  Do you think Lance Armstrong looks at generalized heart rate zones when determining how hard he should be training for the Tour?  No way!  Lance Armstrong has his VO2 max and anaerobic thresholds tested when training for his races.  He has been reported to have a VO2 max of 85 ml/kg/min and the highest recorded VO2 max test was 90 ml/kg/min by a cross country skier.  Last month I tested at 55 ml/kg/min which is good, but I have some training to do if I want to catch Lance.   

If you don't know your personalized training zones, this may mean that you are overtraining and causing excessive fatigue.  This occurs when you are training above your anaerobic threshold and lactic acid begins to build up in your body.  On the other hand, you maybe undertraining, which produces slower progression towards your goals.  So that's why we are introducing the CardioCoach.  This allows us to measure the oxygen your body uses at different exertion levels while you exercise.  This is done as you breathe through a mask during a short workout.  The recorded information is then used to calculate your personal target intensity zones.  Exercising within your personalized zones will allow you to train smarter, which is not always harder.  

Summary Info:

When:  CardioCoach Testing will be available starting August

What:  Includes VO2 max test, aerobic threshold, and anaerobic threshold testing.

Cost:  $125 (Includes all 3 above stated tests, calories per hour in these zones, and fitness level evaluation based on national standards)

Duration:  Approximately 30 minutes  

We are excited to bring this new technology to Bridgetown PT.  Please e-mail us at info@bridgetownpt.com with any questions or to set up your appointment for CardioCoach testing. 

Have you ever wondered how professional athletes workout? You may wonder what gives them that extra edge. Well, I recently had a chance to workout with Todd Durkin one Sunday morning here in Portland. The next question you may have is... "Who is Todd Durkin." Well, Todd is a very inspirational personal trainer based out of San Diego who has won many awards in recent years which include personal trainer of the year by the American Council on Exercise and IDEA Health and Fitness Association. Todd is also the personal trainer to many professional athletes including LaDainian Tomlinson (L.T.) of the San Diego Chargers and Reggie Bush of the New Orlean Saints.

Just like everyone else, I wondered what kind of workouts are Todd and L.T. doing during their training sessions. Well, I had the chance to experience a 2 hour workout with Todd and now I'm bringing it back to Bridgetown Physical Therapy & Training Studio. I will be putting on a class every Monday and Wednesday night at 6:30pm. This class is designed for the average athlete who is looking to take their workouts to the next level. The workouts will include speed, agility, strength, power and quickness drills that professional athletes use in their daily training. We will be limiting the class to 12 people, so email me at jkernen@bridgetownpt.com if you are interested. This is a fun and exciting class designed for the average Joe athlete.

Monday and Wednesday Nights

Time:
6:30pm-7:30pm

Cost:
$15 per class

Location:
Bridgetown Physical Therapy & Training Studio
1420 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97201

Sincerely,
Josh Kernen, PT, DPT, CSCS

Losing weight can be much like setting up a business plan for your body. The best results come from setting realistic goals, having a plan to reach those goals, and putting your ideas into action. Take a few minutes to look through the difference steps and determine what you need to do next for success in the gym.

Setting Realistic Goals:

This will be your first step in your fitness plan for your body. Sit down with a pen and a pencil. Think of what you want most from your workouts and just start writing them down. At this point, no goal is a bad goal. Just write down your goals as fast as they pop into your head. Think of it like creative writing for the gym.

The next step is to refine your goals. Apply the "SMART" principle to your goals. Your goals need to meet all of the criteria listed below:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time specific

Good examples:
"I want to lose 10 pounds in 6 weeks."
"I want to run a marathon in 6 months."
"I want to get to the gym 3 times per week."

These are all "SMART" goals. Remember, it has to be attainable and realistic. These are the two components that people usually leave out in their goal setting. If you want to lose 30 pounds in 30 days, this is not attainable in most cases. If you want to lose 10 pounds in 6 weeks, but you are not willing to change your diet or workout 3-5 days per week because you are too busy, this is not realistic for your lifestyle right now. People need goals that they can achieve, otherwise you will feel like you are continuously failing in the gym. This will quickly lead to a gym membership that you pay monthly fees towards, but never use.

So if you have not set goals in the gym, I would recommend taking a few minutes to scratch a few ideas down that fit the SMART principle.

The Plan:

Now you have to determine a plan. Sit down with your daily planner, iphone, Outlook calendar or however you keep track of your schedule. Decide how many days per week and how long you can commit to working out. Most people should see results when working out three days per week combined with a healthy diet. These workouts should be entered into your planner just as any other appointment in your week. In fact, these might be the most important appointments for you during the week because you are taking time to better your health. If you are working out three days per week, it should include cardiovascular exercise and strength training on the same day. If your goal is to lose weight at a more rapid rate, you should consider exercising 4-5 days per week.

You should revisit your plan monthly or weekly to determine if you are making improvements towards your SMART goals. If your plan is to workout five days per week and you are highly motivated, but you are really only getting to the gym three times per week then you have created an environment where are you failing your expectations week after week. In this case, I would recommend changing your goal and plan so that it would more accurately reflect working out three times weekly. Once you have mastered this for 1 month and have been successful, then up your progress to four times per week the next month.

Taking Action:

The best plan in the world doesn't mean a thing unless you follow through with it. Get to the gym, jump on your bike, throw on your walking shoes, or whatever your plan may be to reach your goals. Take action now to better your health for tomorrow.

Bridgetown Physical Therapy & Training Studio is committed to helping our patients and personal training clients to reaching their goals. Whether you need help setting goals, developing a plan or taking action, we are always happy to help. Take care everyone!

Sincerely,

Josh Kernen, PT, DPT, CSCS

It is all to often that I see people in the gym lifting weights without any struggle and minimal effort. These are also the people that see limited to no results in the gym. It is not enough to just show up to the gym. You need to show up to the gym with purpose and knowledge of how to reach your goals.

The Rate of Preceived Exertion (RPE) Scale is an easy way to rate your workouts. This scale was orgininally developed by Gunnar Borg in the 1970's based on a 20 point scale and was later modified to the 10 point scale that many people in the fitness industry use today. This useful scale is listed below:

0 = NOTHING AT ALL
0.5 = VERY, VERY LIGHT
1 = VERY LIGHT
2 = FAIRLY LIGHT
3 = MODERATE
4 = SOMEWHAT HARD
5 = HARD
6
7 = VERY HARD
8
9
10 = VERY VERY HARD (MAXIMAL)

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that weight training should be performed at 65-90% of your maximum heart rate for healthy individuals. This correlates to 6.5 - 8 on the RPE scale. A lighter RPE of 5.5 - 6 is appropriate for individuals who are just starting an exercise program that are unconditioned.

To break it down in simple terms, weight training should always be hard for healthy individuals. Do you leave the gym thinking.. "that was an easy workout today." Well, you might want to evaluate your workout goals. Is your goal to spend more time at the gym or to produce an increase in strength and reduce body fat? I assume the majority of us don't go to the gym to hang out. So the next time you workout you should ask yourself if you need to work harder to reach that RPE of 6.5 - 8. The weights you select should be hard so that your body will adapt and change.

Take care everyone and keep progressing with your fitness goals! If you ever have questions with your exercises, always feel free to e-mail or call our clinic.

Sincerely,

Josh Kernen, PT, DPT, CSCS

Reference:
Borg GAV. Borg's Rating of Perceived Exertion and Pain Scales. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1998.

The average person will begin to lose half a pound of muscle every year starting in their middle thirties. As people become weaker, they are more prone to injuries. Reduced muscle mass can also lead to inactivity, which can lead to even faster muscle atrophy. The gym is no longer only for young athletes, seniors should be lifting weights at least twice a week. If a gym is not affordable, there are lots of people trying to get rid of gym equipment on craigslist ads. Some are even offering it for free, just to get it out of their house. So there is no excuse!

10)Apathy - "I don't care"

Everyone should care about their health and their quality of life. We have become a sedentary society, which is developing significant health risks. Our bodies were built for movement.

9)Lack of understanding - "I don't know what to do in the gym"

This may be true. In fact, most fitness experts cringe at the exercises they see some people doing in the gym. The majority of people who join a gym learned how to lift weights from their high school gym teacher 20 years ago. A little education from an exercise specialist will go a long ways in the gym.

8)Discomfort - "It hurts when I start exercising"

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is very common when first starting a program. This usually only lasts a few days after your first few workouts. Once you have been consistent with your routine for a few weeks, the DOMS will begin to diminish. The trouble here is that most people only continue a program for 4-6 weeks. So they associate most of their training with pain. Keep consistent and the DOMS will reduce.

7)Chronic Injuries- "I have a bad _____" (fill in the blank with your favorite body part. Usually "back" works well.

There is always a way to exercise, it might just need to be modified. In most cases, you should contact a healthcare professional prior to starting a routine to get proper guidance on exercises to avoid or include into your program.

6)Boredom - "I get bored working out"

Exercise should be fun and interesting or you probably won't continue. Change up your workouts every once in a while. Workout with a friend. Join a league or a local hiking group. There are many different ways to exercise other than being stuck on a treadmill.

5)Inconvenience/Distance - "It takes to long to get to the gym"

You should join a gym that is in close proximity to your house or office. This will increase the chance that you will go to the gym. If this is not an option, then exercise at home.

4)Expensive gym memberships - "I don't have enough money"

Exercise does not discriminate between incomes. Basic walking/running and body weight calisthenic combined with a proper diet can result in great results if done with the proper intensity and consistency. Gym memberships are nice to have, but it is not required to get in shape.

3)It's to hard - "There has to be an easier way"

This is why infomericals prey off our society with get fit quick gimmicks with items that melt away fat. They are making billions off our society that continues to buy items that promise to be the easiest and fastest way to fight our obesity epidemic. Exercise should be hard. If the exercise does not stress the body, the body will never change or adapt. This is a simple physiology principle.

2)No Energy - "I'm to tired"

This is exactly why you should be exercising! Exercise has been proven to increase your levels of energy. Sure the first few weeks are tough and you feel very tired after your workouts. With time you will have more energy throughout the day and you will begin to look forward to the endorphines that are released during your workouts.

1) No time - "I can't fit in exercise with my busy life"

Work and family take up a majority of people's day. If you wait until end of the day to squeeze in a workout, you probably won't be making it to the gym. Workouts should be scheduled into your week and they should be one of the most important items on your "to do" list. This is time you are committing to make yourself a better and healthier every week. I always find it amazing that people can always make time to meet with their personal trainer, but can't find time to workout on their own. It's a matter of scheduling and prioritizing.