SOL Santa Cruz Blog

U.S. National Champion & World Medalist Alysia Montaño uses the TRX Suspension Trainer to strengthen her core @ SOL Performance Training

Stephanie Sousa — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:12:32 +0000

Check out this video of U.S. national champion and world medalist Alysia Montaño using the TRX Suspension Trainer to strengthen her core and do some single leg squats with SOL’s Nina Patterson, MPT, OCS at SOL Performance Training. Alysia (born April 23, 1986) is an American middle distance runner. She is distinctive by wearing a flower in her hair while running, a personal affectation she adopted trying to assert her femininity while training with men. Alysia excels in a notoriously difficult Track and Field event: the 800 meters. But even if she weren’t a U.S. national champion and world medalist, her exceptional style and exuberant personality would make her a standout! Be sure to check out our website to find out about all of the classes and services we are offering at SOL Performance Training so you can join us for some training yourself.

Sports + Orthopedic Leaders has PT clinics located in Oakland, Walnut Creek (SOL PT) & Santa Cruz (SOL Santa Cruz), CA as well as a performance training center on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland (SOL Performance Training). SOL is the #1 choice for physical therapy and sports performance training within the East Bay and the San Francisco Bay Area. Serving the communities of Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, San Francisco, Santa Cruz and beyond, SOL Physical Therapy’s award winning clinical team has helped thousands of people reach their physical goals. Services provided include: Sports + Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Active Release Techniques®, Manual Therapy Techniques and Massage, Group TRX Suspension Training Classes, Pilates & Personal and Peak Performance Training.

Get better, faster results with Kettlebell training

Stephanie Sousa — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:24:24 +0000

Have you ever heard of a kettlebell before? For those who haven’t, a kettlebell is a cast-iron weight (resembling a cannonball with a handle) used to perform exercises that combine cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training. Kettlebell exercises build strength and endurance, particularly in the lower back, legs, and shoulders, and increase grip strength. The basic movements such as the swing, snatch and the clean jerk engage the entire body at once, and in a way, mimics real world activities. Check out this article from Women’s Health that explains why your muscles have to work harder when using kettlebells, which means you get better results faster. It also offers some kettlebell exercises you can try yourself at home. If you’re interested in learning more about training with kettlebells, check out our group classes or simply give us a call.

Sports + Orthopedic Leaders has PT clinics located in Oakland, Walnut Creek (SOL PT) & Santa Cruz (SOL Santa Cruz), CA as well as a performance training center on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland (SOL Performance Training). SOL is the #1 choice for physical therapy and sports performance training within the East Bay and the San Francisco Bay Area. Serving the communities of Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, San Francisco, Santa Cruz and beyond, SOL Physical Therapy’s award winning clinical team has helped thousands of people reach their physical goals. Services provided include: Sports + Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Active Release Techniques®, Manual Therapy Techniques and Massage, Group TRX Suspension Training Classes, Pilates & Personal and Peak Performance Training.

Fitness Expert Kathy Smith’s 14 Laws to Living Lean

Stephanie Sousa — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:11:31 +0000

With a new year just beginning, many of us are looking for simple things that we can do in our daily lives to be more healthy. Check out this article from Kathy Smith entitled “Laws to Living Lean” for some quick and easy things we can all do. Some of her tips include: think progress, not perfection, view exercise as nonnegotiable, make your home a healthy environment, seek substitutions for what you crave, remember the power of sleep, and start everyday with breakfast. To view the complete article, click here. Here’s to happy, healthy 2012!

Sports + Orthopedic Leaders has PT clinics located in Oakland, Walnut Creek (SOL PT) & Santa Cruz (SOL Santa Cruz), CA as well as a performance training center on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland (SOL Performance Training). SOL is the #1 choice for physical therapy and sports performance training within the East Bay and the San Francisco Bay Area. Serving the communities of Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, San Francisco, Santa Cruz and beyond, SOL Physical Therapy’s award winning clinical team has helped thousands of people reach their physical goals. Services provided include: Sports + Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Active Release Techniques®, Manual Therapy Techniques and Massage, Group TRX Suspension Training Classes, Pilates & Personal and Peak Performance Training.

Barefoot running: bad or beneficial?

Stephanie Sousa — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:11:32 +0000

For those of you who have been out and about and seen someone go running past you in what seem to be super weird looking shoes with toe holes or even completely barefoot and wondered what it was about, check out this article from MSNBC: Fitness entitled, “Barefoot running: bad or beneficial?” For additional information on this topic, click here to check out SOL’s Dr. Tammara Moore’s blog post entitled, “Considerations on Barefoot Running and Injuries”.

Sports + Orthopedic Leaders has clinics located in both Oakland and Walnut Creek (SOL PT) and Santa Cruz (SOL Santa Cruz), CA. SOL is the #1 choice for physical therapy and sports performance training within the East Bay and the San Francisco Bay Area. Serving the communities of Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, San Francisco, Santa Cruz and beyond, SOL Physical Therapy’s award winning clinical team has helped thousands of people reach their physical goals. Services provided include: Sports + Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Active Release Techniques®, Manual Therapy Techniques, Pilates, & Personal and Peak Performance Training.

Physical activity increases sleep quality

Stephanie Sousa — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:55:05 +0000

We all know that we should be exercising regularly and getting proper rest each night. How would you like to kill two birds with one stone? A recent study of more than 2,600 people showed that just 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity 5 days a week provided a 65% improvement in sleep quality. An added perk, participants also said they were less tired and more alert throughout the following day. In today’s fast paced world, that is something we can all benefit from and just one more reason to get up and get moving! To view the complete article, click here.

We’re excited to welcome the talented Marcus Rein and Josh Kemp to our SOL Santa Cruz family

Stephanie Sousa — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:39:16 +0000

We’re excited to welcome the talented Marcus Rein, PES, CES and Josh Kemp, NSCA-CSCS to our SOL Santa Cruz family! Josh is a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Marcus is a Performance Enhancement & Corrective Exercise Specialist and our performance class instructor. We know that you will enjoy working with each of them for your rehab and performance needs. Check back soon for Josh’s bio and for more information about Marcus’ upcoming TRX Strength Training and TRX Performance Training classes designed to transition you from physical therapy to fitness and build you a stronger body.

Dr. Tammara Moore is lead instructor for ART® Upper Extremity course in San Jose

Stephanie Sousa — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:23:11 +0000

SOL’s Dr. Tammara Moore, DPT, OCS, ART® will be teaching an Active Release Techniques® Upper Extremity course in San Jose today through the weekend. Active Release Techniques® (ART®) is a unique, patented soft tissue technique with more than 500 protocols that was developed by Dr. P Michael Leahy, DC, CCSP as a way to treat problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves. How does it work? When muscles are injured, typically due to overuse, they fill the damaged area with scar tissue, which can impair movement and cause pain. Treatment involves hands-on manipulation of the tissue in a very precise way to restore mobility and reduce pain. Some of the conditions that ART® can quickly and effectively resolve include: headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow. Only practitioners who have undergone the strict testing process are certified as ART® providers. Many of SOL’s physical therapists are ART® certififed. For more information about ART®, click here or feel free to give us a call.

SOL sponsors the Sinkler Miller Medical Association’s 28th Annual Scholarship Dinner & Dance

Stephanie Sousa — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:01:17 +0000

SOL is proud to be a continued sponsor of the Sinkler Miller Medical Associations’s 28th Annual Scholarship Dinner and Dance. The organization is made up of more than 300 African American physicians whose main goal is to “provide and advocate for the highest quality of health care for all members of our community, especially the underserved”. Each year, they put on a black tie affair that includes dinner, the awarding of scholarships, and a special musical guest. The proceeds from this event will provide scholarships for high school, medical, and nursing students pursuing careers in health care. To date, the organization has presented more than $705,000 in scholarships. For more information about the Sinkler Miller Medical Association, click here. Congratulations to all of the recipients and best of luck in your future endeavors!

SOL is proud to be a community partner at Team in Training Kickoff Saturday, November 5th

Stephanie Sousa — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:12:58 +0000

SOL is proud to be a continued supporter and community partner of Team in Training (TNT). TNT athletes train for an event of their choosing while also raising crucial funds to help find a cure for cancer. Tomorrow, SOL’s Amanda Betz, DPT and Aileen Medina, ATC will be participating in Team in Training’s Spring Season Kickoff at St. Mary’s Event Center in the City. As a community partner, we attend events, educate athletes and provide discounts on services to keep them performing injury free throughout their training season. On Saturday, Aileen and Amanda will be introducing participants to the Functional Movement Screen, a ranking and grading system that documents movement patterns key to normal functions. The scoring system targets the most beneficial corrective exercises to restore optimal movement patterns quickly and effectively. We wish all the best to each athlete as they embark on this great journey.

Attention Medicare patients: Act now to protect your physical therapy benefits & extend the Medicare therapy caps

Stephanie Sousa — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:39:44 +0000

Help protect your physical therapy benefits and avoid the scheduled 19.5% cut in provider payments by telling your local U.S. Congressman and U.S. Senators to pass legislation to extend the Medicare therapy caps exceptions process beyond December 31, 2011. For more information and to make your voice heard, visit the APTA’s Patient Action Center by clicking here. This site is designed to educate patients on the issue and provide easy form emails and letters that you can send to Congress.