If you watched the Summer Olympics in London last year, you probably noticed many athletes trussed up in mysterious strips of black tape. Well, the technology used by those swimmers, cyclists and runners is not available only to Olympians — you can take advantage of it, too.
“Kinesio tape can be applied to all parts of the body,” says Dr. Karim Harati-Zadeh with Spectrum Chiropractic & Acupuncture. “They go over injured muscles, pulling the skin away to allow it to heal faster. And while braces restrict your range of motion, Kinesio tape doesn’t interfere.”
The first step in deciding whether to use the tapes is to undergo an exam and treat the underlying injury. The tapes then must be applied carefully by a professional trained in the proper technique for each affected part of the body, from the shoulder to legs and even abs. The stretching of the tape is key to ensuring its effectiveness.
While athletes and gym-rats will find Kinesio tape especially useful to aid in recovery and reduce time away from working out, almost anyone with a strain, sports injury or inflammation can benefit from the treatment. The tapes stay in place anywhere from 24 to 72 hours — even after intensive activity and showering. Harati-Zadeh does have one suggestion before getting them, though: “If you’re hairy, you might wanna shave the area first, unless you want a free waxing,” he says.
Spectrum Chiropractic & Acupuncture, 3906 Lemmon Ave. 214-520-0092. SpectrumChiropractic.com.
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WHERE TO WORK OUT
Club Dallas
Exclusively serving gay men for more than 30 years, this institution actually has one of the largest gyms in the city, and is open 24 hours, 365 days a year.
2616 Swiss Ave., 214-821-1990, TheClubs.com.
Diesel Fitness
Located on the third floor of the Centrum, it’s right in the heart of the gayborhood. 3102 Oak Lawn Ave.,
Suite 300, 214-219-6400, DieselFitness214.com.
Energy Fitness
This gym has a reputation for affordable memberships and solid service in the West Village. 2901 Cityplace West Blvd., 214-219-1900, UptownEnergyFitness.com.
Equinox
Located in the old Park Place Motorcars location, it offers a full range of fitness services, and a Greenz location. 4023 Oak Lawn Ave., 214-443-9009, Equinox.com.
Gold’s Gym
Locations are throughout the city, but the one in Uptown serves a fit, very gay customer base. 2425 McKinney Ave., 214-306-9000, GoldsGym.com.
LA Fitness
Multiple locations, but the ones on Lemmon and a new Signature on Haskell are popular with gay clientele. 4540 W. Mockingbird Lane and 2690 N. Haskell Ave., LAFitness.com.
Trophy Fitness Club
With five locations, one can be found in the downtown Mosaic and one in Uptown. 300 N. Akard St, and 2812 Vine St., Suite 300, TrophyFitnessClub.com.
24 Hour Fitness
Popular locations include one downtown and one at Mockingbird and Greenville. 700 N. Harwood St. and 5706 E. Mockingbird Lane, 24HourFitness.com.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition February 15, 2013.