Normally when someone writes a book review, they end up recommending the book as a good read or not. I fully intend to do that, but it is not my main purpose in writing this review.
You see, the book is about a former minor league baseball player who walked away from his career in the MiLB in order to help children. And he has done that and so much more. His invention, the Miracle Belt, has the ability to change your life too.
Playing Catch with Destiny: How the Miracle Belt Changes Lives is about the life and career of Matt Bruback but it’s also about how he invented the Miracle Belt and why it’s so important to those of us with ADHD.
The book was written by Michael Williamsen and was originally intended to be a story about baseball. Once Michael met Matt, though, and heard his story, he realized that this book was going to be about far more than baseball.
The book is an interesting read, full of personal photos, quotes from friends, family, and professionals as well as solid facts about the Miracle Belt and it’s effectiveness.
So let’s talk about the Miracle Belt: what it does, how it does it, and why you should care.
Basically, the Miracle Belt is a therapeutic weighted belt that promotes self calming, balance, improved focus, reduced hyperactivity, and increased body awareness. It has been shown to help people who have:
- ADHD
- Autism
- Angelman Syndrome
- Apraxia
- Aspergers Syndrome
- Ataxia
- Cerebral Palsy
- Down Syndrome
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
- Hypotonia
- Pervasive Developmental Disorder
- Prader-Willi Syndrome
- Rett Syndrome
- Sensory Integration Disorder
- Sensory Processing Disorder
Whew. What a list!
And I know what you’re thinking, because I thought it myself: if it helps that many things, it’s too good to be true.
Except that it is completely true and there is plenty of research and satisfied users to back those claims up.
So what is the Miracle Belt? According to the website, it is a weighted belt that “stimulates the proprioceptive system through nerve receptors that are positioned in the muscles, joints and ligaments around joints. These receptors sense tension and pass this information to the brain where it is processed. The brain responds by signaling the muscles to contract or relax creating improved awareness through a stronger neuro-muscular connection with the brain.”
As I understand it, the added weight of the belt increases your body’s internal awareness and sends the corresponding data to the brain. The brain can then respond in an appropriate manner.
You are calmer, more focused, and less likely to walk into a wall as a result.
Matt Bruback was a pitcher, and because of that, balance was extremely important to his being able to perform at his best. In fact, balance is important to everyone, athletes and non athletes alike, because it helps increase the communication between our muscles and brain.
After an injury, Matt was doing leg lifts with a 20 lb bag of sand on his shoulders and he noticed that the added weight made him more aware of his gluts. This muscle group is key to aligning and balancing your body.
Working with his mom, he created the first belt for himself in 2005.
By 2006, the belt was being used by therapists who found that it could help children with sensory based disorders. The therapists, in fact, are partly responsible for the name of the belt. Time and again they would tell Matt that it was “miraculous”; Matt’s dad came up with the idea to name it the Miracle Belt.
The belt is now being used by therapists, doctors, parents, and individuals and they are seeing tremendous results.
It is available for children and adults in a variety of sizes and weights. Be sure to visit the website to learn more.
Note: I was given a copy of the book, Playing Catch with Destiny, in order to read and review it. All opinions are my own.This article contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase something, I will receive a small commission from Amazon. This does not change the price you pay.
3 Responses
Great article!! Thanks for sharing the story!
I found this very interesting, especially as my daughter has had so much success with a weighted vest which she handmade for her ADD first grader at the recommendation of a therapist. She is trying to deal with his ADHD without medication, if possible, and this seems to be helping him…and he likes it, and even asks for it when he feels he needs it.
I will send my daughter the link for this article.
I wish people had known about the problem, and some of the solutions when I was a lad, over half a century ago. I was not diagnosed with ADHD until I was in my 60’s. Not only did the diagnosis explain a lot of things which had gone awry in my life, but, the medication I was given opened up a world I barely understood….the one most people live in.
I have my own blog on the subject of adult ADHD, but, as I no longer use medication since I retired, it gets updated about as often as you would expect. I call it A Senior’s ADD/ADHD Blog.
Thank you Donovan for your insight! I had absolutely no idea about weighted vests until Matt contacted me and sent me his book. I think so many more people need to know about this!
I will definitely check out your blog and thank you again.