The 2012 Summer Olympics captured the hearts and attentions of spectators and fellow athletes across the entire planet. The pageantry, athleticism, and determination of this year’s athletes have left the world in a state of wonderment. But mostly, I’ve found people just wondering, “What’s with all the colorful neon tape the Olympic athletes were wearing?”
I saw them too, on Olympic divers, sprinters, javelin throwers, and even draped across the shoulders of U.S. Women’s Beach Volleyball Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh. This bright neon athletic tape called Kinesio tape, or Kinesiology tape, made Olympic headlines this year, on athletes from almost every country, across almost every discipline! Their interesting colors and unique styles gave the athletes an extra bit of flair that couldn’t be ignored. The funny thing is, this innovative and stylish athletic tape has actually been around for decades!
Developed in the mid-1970s by Japanese chiropractor and acupuncturist Kenzo Kase, Kinesio tape is athletic tape evolved! Designed to mimic the thickness, weight, and elasticity of human skin, Kinesio tape, like those produced by SpiderTech, works with the body’s sensory system to promote blood flow, lessen muscle fatigue, improve rehabilitation, and reduce injuries. With their pre-cut and muscle-specific construction, you can target areas and muscle groups much more easily with SpiderTech Kinesiology Tape, than with any other type of athletic tape, zeroing in on the problem, and keeping specific muscles loose and in working order. Perfect for training or competition even at the highest levels, as our Olympic athletes aptly proved.
For years, Sports Unlimited has offered Kinesio tape by SpiderTech, for almost every area of the body, in all of the coolest neon colors available.
Ankle Kinesiology Tape helps to prevent shin splints, ankle sprains, and arthritis, and is perfect for runners, sprinters, jumpers, and team-sport athletes.- Lower Back Kinesiology Tape stretches up and across the lower back, preventing joint strain, disc injuries, muscle pulls, and painful spasms that can come from overuse in almost every sport out there.
- Elbow Kinesiology Tape gives you relief from tennis or golf elbow, and muscle strain without restricting your movement in some of your favorite sports or activities.
Groin Kinesiology Tape extends down the muscle group, helping with groin pulls, weak or torn adductors, and muscle imbalance, perfect for runners or cyclists.- Hamstring Kinesiology Tape can be placed directly on the back of the leg for instant muscle support for strained or weak hamstrings, improving feedback and muscle timing.
- Total Kinesiology Knee Tape is the ultimate leg and knee support system, designed to surround the knee cap with the supporting tape, to reduce arthritis, patellar tendinopathies, patello-femoral joint instability, ligament strains, and meniscal degeneration.
| By Brandon Porter.
Brandon is a product specialist at Sports Unlimited. |
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