Kinesiology Tape for Badminton

The Rise in Popularity of Kinesiology Tape, or Kinesio Tape for Short

While K tape traces its roots back to an Asian inventor from the late 1970s and early 1980s, it wasn’t until the 2008 Beijing Olympics that the product gained mainstream attention. It’s not something Li Ning himself ever wore on his way to winning six medals in the 1984 Olympics, but it is something that Li-Ning the company wants you to have because of its proven benefits.

At first glance, people who tuned in to watch beach volleyball played in China thought Kerri Walsh (Jennings) had some sort of odd tattoo as she battled toward Olympic gold in 2008. That’s when people started to mispronounce Kinesiology Tape and soon shortened the term to Kinesio tape. Walsh, perhaps the world’s most famous women’s beach volleyball player, was also battling some nagging injuries and she credited K tape for helping her endure continuous competition against some of the world’s best athletes.

Since then, Kinesiology Tape has popped up on tennis courts, running tracks and badminton competitions across the globe. Kinesiology Tape works in the opposite way that athletic tape of the past was designed. Decades ago, doctors and trainers used tape to restrict movement in the hopes it would prevent doing more damage. Li-Ning’s flexible and breathable Kinesiology Tape is actually designed to help athletes avoid over medicating with pills and ointments that smell by keeping their muscles going and the blood flowing to ultimately decrease your and hasten healing.

Applying and Using Kinesiology Tape for Badminton

Li-Ning’s K tape will work to support your muscle, improve circulation, facilitate the body’s natural healing process and correct joint issues and it can be found under the badminton accessories section of the Li-Ning badminton website.

Professionals and amateurs suffering from overly sore muscles should learn how to apply Kinesiology Tape correctly. Entrust a trainer, read the instructions or watch a how-to video. Understand that improper application of Kinesio Tape could do more harm than your intended aid.

The Kinesiology Taping Method lifts a layer of skin and tissue that covers a particular muscle to allow increased circulation around the problem spot. K tape can stretch up to 140 percent of its length out of the box, but never the width. Most of the time you want to cut or place strips into an "I," "X," or "Y" shape. A clean surface works best and lasts longest. After it’s on, rub the tape for a few seconds to activate the adhesive for a strong bond that should provide benefits for three or four days – including after exercising and showering. Most athletes notice an improvement to the Kinesiology taped area within a day.

Once applied, the Kinesio tape lifts the skin to open up space for the muscle to move and for fluids to flow. The tape’s elasticity takes pressure off specific muscles. Li-Ning’s Kinesiology Tape is affordable and available an assortment of colors to match your badminton ensemble. It comes in 5-meter rolls that are 5 centimeters wide and is designed to provide healthy skeletal muscles for optimal mobility.