Strong,Inside and Out: Education as an intervention for longevity

In this episode of Strong, Inside and Out, Ashley talks with Ali Winslow — the person she trusts most with ACL athletes on the South Shore — about what she's seeing across hundreds of cases a year. Ali has undergone five ACL reconstructions herself, and that personal history shapes how she trains and rehabs every athlete who walks through her door.

Highlights:

• Ali built her ACL expertise firsthand — five reconstructions of her own, plus watching teammates tear their ACLs — and now runs Magnitude, a small-group training model serving roughly 200 kids and 150 adults across the South Shore.

• She typically has around 10 ACL athletes in active care at a time, with spikes during soccer and lacrosse seasons. Most injuries are non-contact and show up in kids as young as 9 to 12.

• Research she points to: athletes who strength train 6–10 weeks before surgery come out stronger — even two years post-op — than those who go straight into the OR.

• Recovery isn't just physical. Ali emphasizes keeping injured athletes connected to their team to prevent the isolation that can follow a long rehab.

• Her caution to athletes and families: rushing recovery causes problems — she shares a case where a rushed surgery led to complications.

• Return-to-sport isn't just a strength test. Ali's team coordinates with PTs every two weeks and layers in psychological readiness alongside physical clearance.

• Her biggest prevention message: strength training should start as early as age 10 and become a cultural norm on teams — not something families have to seek out on their own.

• Advice for parents: be your athlete's strongest supporter, expect hard work, and know a full return to sport is possible.

Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a coach, a parent, or an athlete heading into ACL surgery.

The Local Seen by Plymouth Area Community Access Television welcomes residents of Plymouth, Pembroke, Kingston, and Duxbury into our studio to produce their own show, podcast, or special to air on our community and YouTube channel. We provide production training and services as a platform for free and uncensored speech. The content herein does not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of The Local Seen's staff or Board of Directors. If you live or work in one of our four towns, and would like to produce your own content, email [email protected] to get started! We'll see you on The Local Seen! www.thelocalseen.media 

In this solo episode, Ashley Katzenback, DPT shares her personal path from injured high school athlete to physical therapist, and how years of treating injuries after the fact led her to a bigger question: how do we actually prevent them?

Ashley breaks down why youth athletes aren't just "small adults," why access — not awareness — is the real barrier to injury prevention, and the story of being turned away by local athletic departments that ultimately led her to build PlayProtocol and LaxProtocol: on-field training apps that bring strength, coordination, and injury-prevention work directly to practice.

In this episode:

• Why injury prevention is a development problem, not a warm-up problem

• The three real-world barriers keeping kids out of the gym: time, cost, transportation

• Why widely-used programs like the FIFA 11+ warm-up aren't enough for today's youth athletes

• The IRB study that got shut down — and the app that came out of it anyway

• How LaxProtocol brings evidence-based, on-field training to lacrosse teams

• What's next: SoccerProtocol and HoopsProtocol

Get LaxProtocol: Available now on the App Store

Want more? Find more evidence-based education on strength, longevity, and injury prevention on the Cape Concierge PT blog, YouTube channel, and social media.

The Local Seen by Plymouth Area Community Access Television welcomes residents of Plymouth, Pembroke, Kingston, and Duxbury into our studio to produce their own show, podcast, or special to air on our community and YouTube channel. We provide production training and services as a platform for free and uncensored speech. The content herein does not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of The Local Seen's staff or Board of Directors. If you live or work in one of our four towns, and would like to produce your own content, email [email protected] to get started! We'll see you on The Local Seen! www.thelocalseen.media 

You did everything "right" today — you exercised, ate well, stayed productive — and you're still staring at the ceiling at 2 a.m. Why?

In this episode, Dr. Ashley Katzenback sits down with psychiatric nurse practitioner Laura Zanfes to unpack what's actually driving poor sleep, why women are disproportionately affected, and what real, sustainable strategies look like — not the Instagram version, the version that works for a busy woman with a family and a job.

Why can't we sleep? The difference between trouble falling asleep and trouble staying asleep, why insomnia is best understood as a disorder of hyperarousal rather than a broken "sleep switch," and where blue light and screens actually fit into the picture (hint: it's less about the light and more about the behavior).

The female-specific piece Women carry a meaningfully higher lifetime risk of insomnia than men, and that risk shifts across three hormonally sensitive transitions: puberty, pregnancy/postpartum, and the menopause transition. We talk through what's a normal part of aging sleep changes versus what's worth bringing to a provider — including vasomotor symptoms, restless legs, and the sleep apnea signs that get missed in women because they show up as fatigue rather than obvious sleepiness.

Strategies that actually work The two highest-leverage habits from CBT-I (the gold-standard insomnia treatment), what a realistic wind-down routine looks like, where supplements like melatonin and magnesium actually fit, and exactly what to do during that dreaded 3 a.m. wake-up.

When to get help What separates "I'm a bad sleeper" from a pattern worth addressing, and what a consultation with Laura actually looks like.

• Insomnia is a hyperarousal problem, not just a lack of tired — stress-driven nervous system overactivation is the dominant, best-supported model.

• Women's sleep changes across the lifespan track three hormonal transitions: puberty, pregnancy/postpartum, and menopause — each with a different dominant driver.

• Not all midlife sleep disruption is menopause. Only about 15% of midlife women have menopause-specific worsening; the rest reflects general aging-related change, so persistent symptoms are worth evaluating rather than assuming.

• The two most effective habits: a fixed wake-up time every day, and getting out of bed if you're not asleep — both core to CBT-I.

• Supplements like melatonin and magnesium are largely overrated by the data, though some people still find them worth trying.

• If sleep trouble is happening 3+ nights a week for more than 3 months with daytime impact, it's worth a real conversation with a provider.

The Local Seen by Plymouth Area Community Access Television welcomes residents of Plymouth, Pembroke, Kingston, and Duxbury into our studio to produce their own show, podcast, or special to air on our community and YouTube channel. We provide production training and services as a platform for free and uncensored speech. The content herein does not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of The Local Seen's staff or Board of Directors. If you live or work in one of our four towns, and would like to produce your own content, email [email protected] to get started! We'll see you on The Local Seen! www.thelocalseen.media 

Ashley Katzenback talks with Laura Reece, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, Director of Sports Nutrition at WHSP Medical, about REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) — a syndrome caused by chronic under-fueling that affects athletes of any gender, impacting bone health, hormones, GI function, and mental health.

In this episode:

• What REDs is, and how it differs from the old "Female Athlete Triad" model

• Warning signs coaches and parents can actually spot: stress injuries, fatigue, performance plateaus, changes in demeanor

• Why under-fueling can look like it's "working" before performance declines

• A better way to ask an athlete about fueling than "are you eating enough?"

• REDs in dance, and the work of Project RED-D

• How WHSP Medical treats REDs through interdisciplinary, insurance-accepted care

Links:

• WHSP Institute — Understanding REDs

• REDs Conceptual Model – Health (PDF)

• REDs Conceptual Model – Performance (PDF)

• Project RED-D

• WHSP Medical

Hosted by Ashley Katzenback, PT, DPT, founder of Cape Concierge Physical Therapy.

The Local Seen by Plymouth Area Community Access Television welcomes residents of Plymouth, Pembroke, Kingston, and Duxbury into our studio to produce their own show, podcast, or special to air on our community and YouTube channel. We provide production training and services as a platform for free and uncensored speech. The content herein does not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of The Local Seen's staff or Board of Directors. If you live or work in one of our four towns, and would like to produce your own content, email [email protected] to get started! We'll see you on The Local Seen! www.thelocalseen.media 

What does it actually feel like to be a college female athlete — not the highlight reel, the real version? In this episode of Strong, Inside and Out, host Dr. Ashley Katzenback, PT, DPT sits down with three current college athletes at three different points in their careers: Julietta Marzot, who just finished her freshman year playing soccer at Boston University (D1); Julia Giampietro, who just wrapped sophomore year playing field hockey at Southern New Hampshire University (D2); and Maddie Ocampo, who just finished junior year playing lacrosse at Middlebury College (D3, NESCAC). Together, they unpack the training demands, the body changes, the identity shifts, and the conversations about fueling and menstrual health that rarely make it into a recruiting conversation — but should.

The Local Seen by Plymouth Area Community Access Television welcomes residents of Plymouth, Pembroke, Kingston, and Duxbury into our studio to produce their own show, podcast, or special to air on our community and YouTube channel. We provide production training and services as a platform for free and uncensored speech. The content herein does not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of The Local Seen's staff or Board of Directors. If you live or work in one of our four towns, and would like to produce your own content, email [email protected] to get started! We'll see you on The Local Seen! www.thelocalseen.media 

How to fuel a tournament athlete: hydration, real food, and why energy drinks don't count

Feat. Stephanie Tarbell · Steel Anchor Nutrition

Summer tournament season is almost here — and the cooler you pack might matter more than the extra practice session you squeezed in. In this cooking-show-style episode of Strong, Inside and Out, Dr. Ashley Katzenback, PT, DPT — founder of Cape Concierge Physical Therapy (capeconciergept.com) — teams up with sports nutritionist Stephanie Tarbell of Steel Anchor Nutrition to walk sports parents through exactly what to buy, when to feed it, and how to build a game-day go-bag that actually performs.

As a physical therapist, lacrosse coach, and mom of teenage athletes, Dr. Ashley brings a perspective most sports parents don't hear: hydration and fueling are not just performance tools — they are injury prevention tools. Dehydrated, underfueled muscles are the muscles that roll an ankle, tear an ACL, or break down in the second half of a tournament. This is movement health.

Together, Ashley and Stephanie break down the three pillars of tournament nutrition:

1. Hydration — why you're already behind if you wait until game day morning, how much sodium actually matters in summer heat, and when a Gatorade beats a fancy electrolyte packet.

2. Carbohydrates — why cutting carbs on tournament day is a mistake, what to eat 1–2 hours before a game versus the 30-minute window, and why white bread is actually the right call here.

3. Recovery — what to put in your athlete the moment the final whistle blows, how to build a recovery dinner, and why chocolate milk is not a joke.

They also tackle the myth that refuses to die: energy drinks are not hydration. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and adolescents avoid energy drinks altogether — and Ashley and Stephanie explain exactly why, including how to handle the peer pressure conversation without turning it into a fight.

The episode wraps with a practical go-bag checklist and a free tournament day grocery list — send a message to capeconciergept.com to grab it.

If you're a sports parent on Cape Cod or South Shore looking for more education like this, Cape Concierge Physical Therapy offers Movement Physicals, injury prevention programs, and sports performance PT for athletes of all ages. Visit capeconciergept.com to learn more or book a session.

The Local Seen by Plymouth Area Community Access Television welcomes residents of Plymouth, Pembroke, Kingston, and Duxbury into our studio to produce their own show, podcast, or special to air on our community and YouTube channel. We provide production training and services as a platform for free and uncensored speech. The content herein does not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of The Local Seen's staff or Board of Directors. If you live or work in one of our four towns, and would like to produce your own content, email [email protected] to get started! We'll see you on The Local Seen! www.thelocalseen.media 

What if the most powerful tool for a longer, healthier life isn't a supplement or a surgery — it's knowledge? In this launch episode, Dr. Ashley Katzenback, physical therapist and founder of Cape Concierge Physical Therapy, introduces Strong, Inside and Out: a podcast dedicated to translating complex clinical science into practical, evidence-based guidance you can use today.

This isn't about adding more years to the clock. It's about building better days — stronger bodies, sharper minds, and real tools for navigating every stage of life with confidence. And what makes this show different: a commitment to keeping it local, featuring experts from across Cape Cod, the South Shore, and Boston.

The Local Seen by Plymouth Area Community Access Television welcomes residents of Plymouth, Pembroke, Kingston, and Duxbury into our studio to produce their own show, podcast, or special to air on our community and YouTube channel. We provide production training and services as a platform for free and uncensored speech. The content herein does not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of The Local Seen's staff or Board of Directors. If you live or work in one of our four towns, and would like to produce your own content, email [email protected] to get started! We'll see you on The Local Seen! www.thelocalseen.media 

Testosterone levels in men have been declining for decades — and it's not just about aging. In this episode of Strong, Inside and Out, Dr. Ashley Katzenback sits down with Ashley Curl of AgeWell Medical for a frank, clinically grounded conversation about what's actually driving the drop in testosterone, why it's so routinely missed in standard lab work, and what you can do about it.

But this episode goes further than most: we also tackle testosterone in women — one of the most underserved and misunderstood topics in women's hormonal health — and why the double standard in how we treat men versus women on this issue deserves a serious look.

Whether you've been told your levels are "within normal range" and still don't feel like yourself, or you're a woman navigating perimenopause, fatigue, and low libido without answers, this episode is for you.

The Local Seen by Plymouth Area Community Access Television welcomes residents of Plymouth, Pembroke, Kingston, and Duxbury into our studio to produce their own show, podcast, or special to air on our community and YouTube channel. We provide production training and services as a platform for free and uncensored speech. The content herein does not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of The Local Seen's staff or Board of Directors. If you live or work in one of our four towns, and would like to produce your own content, email [email protected] to get started! We'll see you on The Local Seen! www.thelocalseen.media