Kinesiology Tape Facts And Usages
Kinesiology tape has begun making the rounds at local gyms and health clubs.
First put together by Japanese chiropractor Kenzo Kase within the 1970s, they only exploded in recognition once fifty thousand rolls were being donated to American athletes at the Beijing Summer Games.
High-profile names including Lance Armstrong, Serena Williams, and Kerri Walsh have competed in them or often use them as part of their training regimens, so is it any shock that recreational fitness buffs should now follow suit?
Definitely not, but kinesiology tape is not some type of magical talisman, either.
Proper technique is still key to staying injury-free, as are adequate rest and sound diet.
Indeed, recreational non-competitive athletes may mistake what could be a useful tool for some kind of a magical competitive edge.
Worse still, they might use the tape improperly and cause problems where none existed!
No piece of exercise equipment can swap for hard work intelligently performed, and while kinesiology tape might have a location in a relaxation or rehabilitation protocol, their widespread use as simple bandages wrapped around a joint could well be problematic.
Though meant to support such joints, restricting their movement or otherwise seeking to alter it may easily result in injury.
Even expert application is probably not enough, though almost certainly they should be employed under the supervision of a specialist (or under professional advice and direction, even if only through such means as magazine articles).
And without a doubt, experts disagree on the matter of joint support: many powerlifters who train primarily for fitness, for instance, often avoid the use of belts which will help them lift more on the grounds that they do not wish for their back muscles being weak from being accustomed to such assistance.
Ultimately, it is best to employ tape for the purposes it is designed, which are mainly therapeutic, not ergogenic, in nature.