In July, Kevin traveled to Whistler, Canada to compete in his first IRONMAN—a dream he’s been working toward since high school. With a finishing time of 12:26:13, Kevin completely crushed his goal, and he says a dedication to proper recovery and taking care of his body helped get him there.
“I didn’t want to be a hypocritical PT, so I did what I tell my patients who are in training to do: listen to your body.” Kevin said. “I focused on proper recovery, nutrition, and strength training, and I made sure to not over-train and suffer under-recovery injuries.”
While he already had a baseline of fitness from competing in several olympic distance races, marathons, and half IRONMAN 70.3 races, for his first full IRONMAN Kevin had to ramp up his training program. He devoted six months to training consistently, six days a week, up to 25 hours per week. Despite the very early mornings and late nights, Kevin says his training and recovery program definitely paid off.
“I felt great at the starting line,” Kevin said. “I was in beautiful Whistler, soaking in the scenery and surrounding competitors, and just pumped to finally get the day started. Some nerves were definitely flowing, but it was more excitement and the fact that it was my first full IRONMAN. I just wanted to try, and cherish every moment.”
After crossing the finish line in just under 12.5 hours, Kevin says hearing the famous shout, “Kevin Capata, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!” was worth all the training.
“The finish line was one of the coolest moments of my life so far,” he said. “Hearing my name and seeing my brother, who flew in from South Carolina to support me, made it all worth it. Then came relaxing and realizing what I had just put my body through. Of course I was sore and exhausted, but the training had paid off because I was injury free and good to go the next week!”
While he’s already signed up for next year’s Vineman IRONMAN race, for now Kevin is back at work at Rausch Physical Therapy & Sports Performance and focused on helping his patients achieve their goals. With his own personal experience, combined with his “PT knowledge” and the sport performance services available at Rausch PT, Kevin is ready to help his clients crush their next race—whether it be an IRONMAN or a super-sprint triathlon. For the latter, Kevin says the best thing anyone who is new to the sport can do is just go out and try.
“You’ve got to start somewhere. You’re going to make mistakes—maybe you’ll have a flat on the bike, or maybe you’ll totally bonk on the run—it’s a sport that constantly challenges you both mentally and physically. But triathlon has one of the most welcoming and fun-loving communities of athletes around. Honestly, just have fun and whatever you do, do NOT take yourself too seriously. This is a sport to enjoy and test how far you can push your body to the limits.”
How to Keep Injuries from Killing Your Big League Dreams
Injury prevention is a top concern for many young players whose goals of playing college or professional baseball rely on them staying healthy. “The Baseball PT” Jonathan Meltzer, DPT shares his four tips for proper arm and body care and maintenance to help youth overhead athletes achieve a long, healthy career.
BY JONATHAN MELTZER, DPT, RAUSCH PHYSICAL THERAPY
So, you want to play baseball at the next level? Whether that means making a college team or making it to the show, the opportunities to play at a higher level are there for the taking, but it requires significant diligence, dedication and talent. It also takes training and—most importantly—you have to stay healthy.
One of the biggest big league dream killers is injury. You see it time and again; a high school player ignores an injury he suffered playing club ball as a kid, and now when it’s time for scouts and coaches to evaluate his skill, he’s stuck in the dugout on the disabled list.
As a physical therapist, nothing makes me prouder than when I help a young ballplayer rehabilitate from a potentially career-ending injury, and he then goes on to achieve his goal of playing college baseball. By taking care of your body and implementing a specific strength training program, injuries are much less likely to occur, and you can greatly expand your career longevity.
Here are four tips for getting your arm and body in the most efficient shape possible so that injuries don’t keep you from playing ball at the next level.
#1 – Be Honest
First and foremost, you have to be honest about your symptoms. Ask yourself, “Do I feel pain, discomfort, or soreness anywhere in my body that doesn’t seem to go away?” Answering yourself honestly and being able to accept that something “just doesn’t feel right” is the first step in injury prevention.
If you do notice any minor aches, pains or soreness that doesn’t seem to go away, you need to get it checked out by your physical therapist or sports physician. For example, as “the Baseball PT,” I always perform a full biomechanical analysis and assessment of the entire “baseball body” when a player comes to see me about some “minor” pain. Trust me when I say something small will usually develop into a more serious injury because of the repetitive nature of baseball mechanics (i.e. pitching, throwing and hitting.)
FOR PARENTS/COACHES: If your player is trying to be honest with you about pain, LISTEN TO HIM. I cannot tell you how many times an overzealous parent or coach will push their kid to play through pain and soreness because a scout might be in the stands, only to cause permanent damage that ends their kid’s baseball career while he’s still a teenager.
#2 – Take Care of Your Tissues
Once recognizing some ache, pain or soreness, you need to start preventative care with consistent soft tissue work. For this, I recommend every one of my athletes to get a lacrosse ball or baseball. You can either lay or stand with the ball pressed against your back/shoulder and some hard surface. Any sore or tender spots you find means there are restrictions there that must be worked out before and after every practice and game. Another great soft-tissue mobilization tool–particularly for your upper back and lats–is a foam roller. Again, you should foam roll before and after every practice and game to keep the rotational component of your body loose.
#3 – Stretch the Proper Way
Take note because this is very important: we DO NOT want to static stretch prior to performance. When you static stretch (e.g. hold arm across body, pec stretch holding on to fence, hamstring stretch, etc.) all you’re doing is tricking your brain into thinking your tissues are lengthening (i.e. getting loose) when in reality, they’re not. Your brain has told your body it’s warmed up and ready to go, but actually the tissue is still stiff and not properly prepared for action, which is what can lead to injury. Static stretching also negatively effects your performance, as research shows that it leads to a nine percent decrease in strength for up to an hour afterwards (obviously not ideal before a game.)
Instead, before every practice and game you need to perform a dynamic warm up, which mimics the movements you’ll actually be doing while playing ball, such as active wrist movements, dynamic hugs, and throwing position rotation.
For a simple dynamic stretching program you can implement into your warm up routine today, watch my video Dynamic Baseball Warm Up (Part 1): Stretching:
#4 – Build Entire-Body Strength
Finally, the last piece to get us to the next level and help prevent injuries is a proper strength training program. However, in this case* I’m not just talking about strengthening the arm, but rather the entire body. I really can’t emphasize enough how important it is for baseball players to work on their shoulder stabilizers to improve their back, core and lower-half strength, as well as balance.
To view my four favorite stabilization and strength training exercises for preventing injuries, check out my blog “4 Strength Exercises All Baseball Players Should Add to Their Training Program.”
[framedbox]*PLEASE NOTE that my Dynamic Baseball Warm Up mentioned in #3 also includes an arm strength exercise program, to be performed prior to every practice and game to dynamically warm up the arm before use. Stay tuned for part two of the above video, “Dynamic Baseball Warm Up (Part 2): ARM STRENGTH & BANDS,” coming soon![/framedbox]
So, as you continue to put in the work to achieve your dream of playing baseball at the next level, just remember that consistency is key. Professional athletes are all known for their consistent drive and dedication, and with that dedication comes an intense focus on daily body health maintenance. The fact is that if you’re consistent with your daily recovery routine and if you start listening to your body, you will perform better, and ultimately your shot at playing baseball at the next level is as good as anyone’s.
Jonathan Meltzer graduated from the University of Redlands with a bachelor of arts in biology and a minor in physical education. Following graduation, Jonathan discovered his passion for physical therapy while working as a Physical Therapy Aide. After graduating top of his class from Loma Linda University in 2012 with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, Jonathan began his career at Rausch Physical Therapy and Sports Performance. Jonathan’s goals are to identify limitations and treat his patients with the most recent and innovative techniques in order to maximize functional independence and obtain his patients’ individual goals.
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How to Stay Mentally Healthy While Recovering From Physical Injury
BY ASHLEY, MPT, RAUSCH PHYSICAL THERAPY
We all have our own ways of coping with grief, especially when it comes to injury. Attitude can have a huge effect on your perception, your outlook and your overall motivation to get better. Most of us are familiar with Kübler-Ross’s Five Stages of Grief, however many people don’t realize how applicable it is to the injury, rehabilitation and recovery process.
While not everyone experiences all of these stages, each patient certainly goes through denial, anger, bargaining, depression and/or acceptance at some point when recovering from a big injury. As a physical therapist, I’ve seen firsthand how injury rehab can be just as tough mentally as it is physically, and sometimes even more so. By recognizing and understanding how the stages of grief manifest during your recovery after an injury or surgery, you can take control of your mental well-being and make physical therapy less stressful and more successful.
Stage 1: Denial
What it looks like:
- You deny the severity of your injury by telling yourself, “It’s not that bad.”
- You try to seek out the “quick fix” to get back to what you love doing as soon as possible.
- You avoid going to the doctor because you don’t want to hear bad news, or you seek second and third opinions because the doctors are telling you something you don’t want to hear.
- You assure yourself you can fix the pain on your own, saying, “I got this, I don’t need any help, just have to rest for a few days…”
What you can do:
Stop wasting time and get a diagnosis. If an injury does not get better in one month, stop putting off your recovery and go get it checked out by your physician or physical therapist. Getting a diagnosis is the first crucial step in moving forward with your recovery and feeling better, so why wait?
Stage 2: Anger
What it looks like:
- You’re angry that you can’t play your sport or do your normal activities because of pain.
- You may need help doing everyday tasks, and you’re upset that you’ve lost your independence.
- You’re a frustrated athlete and you think, “This is taking too long, I have a big game next week!”
What you can do:
Stay positive. Lean on your support system—between your family and friends, your doctor, your physical therapist and your physical therapy aides, you are not alone. I constantly remind my patients, “I know this is difficult, but I’m in this with you. We are here to help, we are here to listen, and we are here to get you there.” When you’re angry and frustrated, avoid being impulsive, giving up on the rehab process, or comparing yourself to other patients who may be progressing quicker than you. Trust the process, and trust your physical therapist.
Stage 3: Bargaining
Typically, athletes are not the most patient patients, as they often experience pressure from coaches, parents, teammates, and themselves to return to playing as quickly as possible.
What it looks like:
- Obsessively asking, “When can I go back to playing?”
- Looking for the quick fix, cutting corners, or simply pushing through pain
- Asking “What else can I do to recover faster?” instead of taking the time to focus on a full, complete recovery
Getting stuck in the bargaining stage can be detrimental to a successful recovery because you will either prolong or cut the process short, ultimately resulting in re-injury, chronic pain, or even bigger issues in the future.
What you can do:
Be patient! Establish a cohesive plan with your physical therapist that consists of smaller, achievable goals as steps towards your ultimate goal. It’s also important to be consistent with your physical therapy program and at-home exercises to continue progressing forward.
Stage 4: Depression
While recovering from an injury or surgery, patients may fall into some level of depression as they face new challenges, such as losing your independence after surgery or losing your sense of self if you’re an athlete.
What it looks like:
- Feeling helpless.
- Feeling hopeless or doubtful; thoughts of, “Will this ever get better?”
- Fear of letting your parents, coaches, or team down.
- Experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or being afraid of re-injury.
What you can do:
- Ask questions. Be an active participant in your recovery by educating yourself to better understand your injury and the specific recovery process for that injury. This will empower you, as well as help you be patient and trust in the process. Understanding the “What, Why, and How”s is key to compliance and success.
- Ask for help. It’s imperative to recognize these thoughts or feelings of depressoin, and to address them with your physical therapist and/or someone you trust.
Stage 5: Acceptance
What it looks like:
No two injuries or recoveries are identical, as every person is different and there are many factors that influence recovery process. Taking responsibility of your recovery is empowering and motivating.
- Coming to terms with where your body is currently during your recovery.
- No longer comparing yourself to others.
- Accepting of where you are at in your own process and focused on moving forward.
What you can do:
Take charge of your recovery. Consistency is the key to success; progress in injury rehabilitation requires consistency with regular physical therapy sessions in addition to doing your exercises independently at home. Take advantage of the tools available to you to manage your recovery daily, and you’ll be back to your regular activity before you know it.
Staying Healthy Mentally While Recovering Physically
Suffering from an injury can have a negative impact on your attitude and mental health, which left unchecked can effect your performance and success when trying to heal. Being honest with yourself and maintaining a positive attitude after any injury or surgery will greatly increase your chance of a full, successful recovery and ultimately help you grow as an individual.
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Ashley Heller, MPT is a licensed physical therapist at Rausch Physical Therapy & Sports Performance. She received her Masters of Physical Therapy degree at California State University, Long Beach and is passionate about working with patients with shoulder, knee and ankle injuries. With background in orthopedic-related injuries and post-operative rehabilitation, Ashley believes that the combination of manual therapy and personalized therapeutic exercise program is vital to recovery. Known as the Water Sports PT, Ashley says her goal is to help her patients better understand their injuries and the plan for their road to recovery.
Click to learn more about Ashley and our other physical therapists »