Kettlebell Karina

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University of California-Santa Barbara, CA
Kettlebell Karina

I am a Doctor of Physical at a sports therapy clinic in Costa Mesa, CA. My main goal is to inspire you to move because MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE!

This page is a collection of workout tips, physical therapy topics, and posts about my fitness journey.

01/25/2026

The year was 2016.
I hadn’t even started this page yet.
I was finishing my Bachelors in Zoology with a minor Spanish at UC Santa Barbara.
I biked or longboarded to class everyday.
Between classes I would go on beautiful runs on cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
I lifted in the male dominated Rec Center at school.
I worked as a physical therapy aide for a small private practice.
I volunteered as an athletic training intern at UCSB.
I took extra classes at SBCC to fulfill pre-requisites to apply to DPT schools.
I graduated and moved back home to work more as a PT aide while I applied to DPT schools.
I secured an interview for the DPT program that I would eventually graduate from in 2020.

Sometimes you have these big dreams that seem unattainable, but God puts them into your heart for a purpose.
Every choice, every activity, and every experience I had was intentional to get me to my next timeline.
But sometimes you’ll notice doors open or show up out of nowhere...that’s God shifting things to align when you’re on the right path and being obedient to your mission.
Your dreams are meant to be big enough to scare you, but when you hand over the control you get the provision.
And remember, if you’re not passionate about it, it’s probably not your purpose.

I’m so grateful for the past 10 years and going through all these experiences to realize this dream I’m living.
The past 5 years learning and growing within my career have been a blessing.
With all these experiences come new visions and dreams.
Of course they scare the heck out of me, but I know they’re part of my divine purpose on this earth.
Time to tap back into that fire in my soul and carefree drive I had in 2016 ❤️‍🔥✨
With this trend going around it seems like all of us loved 2016, so I urge you to tap back into that energy and re-ignite your passions too ⚡️❤️ Will you?

05/12/2025

Happy Mother’s Day to this beautiful woman! I remember wanting to be just like my nurse mama at this Mother’s Day tea in 3rd grade. I even wore the same button up top she was going to wear when she went back to work that day. I was so inspired that everyday she helped people live better, healthier lives… so I followed her footsteps down a slightly different path. Thank you for being my role model momma and the best supporter ❤️

06/20/2024

One day or day one. The choice is yours.

I took some time off of the gym to focus on my new position at the clinic and settle in to my new schedule. Remember balance is key to true health! After feeling my body ache with manual therapy since I haven’t been working out, I decided it’s go time again. I need a strong body to continue helping others heal theirs.

✔️Day one at my new gym
📝 Setting new goals
💪🏼 Getting ready start crushing them
🤸🏻‍♀️Let’s mooooove!

06/14/2022

A new shaker bottle means I’m more likely to get in my protein shakes 😅

I love this shaker from because there is no loud rattling ball when you shake it or rolling around while drinking. The agitator is connected to the top of the bottle and still mixes the protein powder thoroughly for a smooth shake. It’s available in multiple colors on Walmart.com.

Get that protein in and build those strong muscles!! They’ll take you further than you ever thought you could go. 💪🏼

06/03/2022

Out here trying my best to be my best 🙃

Proud of my upper body development over the past year. My shoulders are the most hyper-mobile joint in my body (hello sulcus sign when I carry my purse 🫠) so getting some development here has been a long time in the making. Slowly but steadily feeling more stable. 🙌🏼

A sulcus sign is an indication of ligament laxity in a shoulder joint. A sulcus test can be done by a physical therapist to determine if your glenohumeral joint (shoulder) has too much mobility or laxity. If the test is positive, it means that the shoulder has instability or ligament laxity — meaning the ligaments and joint capsule don’t support the shoulder enough.

A person with a positive sulcus sign is more prone to shoulder subluxation, dislocations, labrum tears, and rotator cuff tears. The best thing to prevent these injuries is to strengthen the heck out of your shoulders! 💪🏼

Visit your local physical therapist if you get shoulder pain with the feeling of instability. A little bit of strengthening will go a long way to feel better!

05/20/2022

Love this graphic by

As a clinician it is important to consider each of these aspects when treating a patient. Even though my license is to treat the physical musculoskeletal impairments, many times “treating” the other parts improves a patient’s musculoskeletal pain.

Sometimes it’s a mental thing where the patient needs some more motivation to try the thing that used to hurt them (such as squatting) again after not doing it for months. Sometimes it’s an emotional thing because pain is an emotional response. Letting a patient tell their story and talk about their issues/pain can be emotional because no one has ever sat down with them and truly listened or asked questions about it. Sometimes releasing these emotions reduces stress and pain levels.

I like the outpatient clinical setting because we get patients in an environment where everyone there is also getting treatment for their physical injuries. This makes treatment more social where they can talk to others going through a similar experience. They can do exercises side by side with someone else working through an injury.

All of these things are great for healing. ❤️‍🩹 Physical therapy is more than just healing an injury, it’s about healing the whole person.

If you’re feeling “off” think about all of these aspects of your life. Which ones of these need changes? How can you change them to start treating your “whole person” better? 💗

05/04/2022

I recently got a pair of Vans UltraRange and they have been great! I love the athletic twist on the classic Vans look.

They are perfect for going from the clinic straight to the gym. The lightweight soles are super comfortable for long walks, lifting, and being on your feet all day. Highly recommend! 👍🏼👍🏼

04/29/2022

Eating clean and training mean 😤

11/06/2021

💭 still out here getting those reps in

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University Of California-Santa Barbara, CA
93117

Website

https://www.instagram.com/dr.kettlebell_karina/

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