Alternative exercise routines for pitchers

@Chico Escuela posted:

My son (D3 freshman RHP) is dealing with a knee injury that will likely keep him off the mound this summer.  It also has been keeping him from doing his usual array of lower-half work in the weight room.  (I know, I know--the weight room may well be where he got hurt.  Gonna leave that up to his coaches.)

I was thinking about suggesting he try Pilates and/or yoga this summer.  He doesn't like to swim, and I know he'll be happier and healthier if he's doing something active.  Seems like it also might help with the back pain he complains about.

Anyone have any experience with pitchers (or other players) doing these kinds of workouts?  Any other suggestions for a pitcher with a knee injury (besides physical therapy, which I expect he'll be doing)?

Btw, here's one very small 2007 study that found Pilates increased college pitchers' velo up to 5.6%:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2953286/   I haven't looked all that hard, but didn't find anything else.  Pilates and yoga had a moment for pro athletes some years back, but I don't hear much about that these days--maybe because the novelty wore off for sports writers.

Depends on the knee injury, but usually does well with progressively challenging it with load and range of motion.

You could do either if he wanted to but it's not necessary. A study of 3 people ain't gonna tell you anything, and one of them even lost velocity, again probably has nothing to do with what they did, it's just noise. If you track anyone you'll see fluctuations.

If he really wanted to do either, he could, but is that going to take away from energy he could be focusing on other things? That could be a potential drawback

Check out Knees Over Toes guy. He's got a ton of free info out there to help people come back from knee injuries. My son wasn't injured but did the program for a month and thought it was good. He only stopped because he started a full weight training and mobility program that took up too much time for him to continue KoT.

@Chico Escuela posted:

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I was thinking about suggesting he try Pilates and/or yoga this summer.  He doesn't like to swim, and I know he'll be happier and healthier if he's doing something active.  Seems like it also might help with the back pain he complains about.

Anyone have any experience with pitchers (or other players) doing these kinds of workouts?  Any other suggestions for a pitcher with a knee injury (besides physical therapy, which I expect he'll be doing)?

............

Yes, my son's PC and trainer were into yoga, and had the whole pitching staff doing it.   He came home at Christmas with a P90X Yoga DVD that he would do just about every day.   He claims it helped with flexibility and core strength.   I was doing it for about 6 months and I could see it helping with flexibility quite a bit.

Yoga and other routines like it are extremely common with college and even professional athletes for flexibility to avoid injuries.  However, I don't know if this would help him come back from an existing knee injury.   I'd ask the team trainer for advice then get a 2nd opinion from a Doctor who's opinion you trust.   

Good luck!

Thanks for all the replies.  To clarify:  I'm not thinking about Pilates / yoga for rehabbing the knee (PT will address that).  It's more that my son won't be able to run or bike for a while, doesn't like to swim, and will need some kind of workout (for mental and physical health).  He complains about back pain when he pitches, so increasing core strength might help that also.  There certainly doesn't seem to be any down side to trying--but this board is always good for getting info about folks' particular experiences and recommendations.

If he wants to stay away from the knee, yoga might be tough. I've done a lot in my lifetime and haven't come across any styles that don't involve the legs, but I'm certainly no expert. Many of the movements may put undue stress on his knees. If he can bend it straight, rowing may be a good option. Great cardio and overall workout. Otherwise it might be a good opportunity for him to get some upper body work in while the knee heals in the weight room.