The Benefits of Kinesiology Tape: Why It’s Used by Athletes and My Family

Kinesiology tape, commonly known as KT tape, has gained immense popularity, especially among athletes, including Olympians, who use it to alleviate pain and support muscle recovery. It has become such a staple in sports medicine that even in my household, KT tape is a permanent fixture on my daughters' bodies—almost like colorful tattoos.

Sherilyn uses it for her back injury from dance training, while Cass applies it to her ankle to support her during figure skating.  Recently, I’ve started using KT tape on my right hand in an attempt to manage the nagging pain from tennis elbow.

Kinesiology tape is a thin, flexible tape developed to aid muscle movement and enhance athletic performance. It is often used to relieve pain, reduce swelling and inflammation, and provide support to joints and muscles.

Many Olympians and top athletes swear by KT tape because it helps reduce pain without hindering their performance. One of the primary benefits of KT tape is its ability to lift the skin slightly, which increases blood circulation and reduces inflammation. By doing this, it also helps to alleviate pressure on muscles and joints, which can be especially useful for athletes pushing their bodies to the limit.

In my household, Sherilyn, Cass, and hubby use KT tape regularly. Sherilyn applies it to her back, an injury sustained from dance training a few years ago that still hasn’t fully healed. The KT tape provides her with enough support to continue her rigorous dance routines without aggravating the injury. Cass, on the other hand, uses KT tape on her ankle, which has seen persistent strain from figure skating classes. The tape gives her the stability she needs on the ice without compromising her performance. Hubby uses these tapes on his legs and right hand.  He plays basketball regularly and often has injuries on his legs. He, like me, also has a tennis elbow on his right hand.

Recently, I’ve joined my daughters and hubby in the KT tape trend. I’ve been dealing with tennis elbow, a stubbornly persistent condition. The pain makes even simple tasks, like lifting objects or folding a blanket, a challenge. Applying KT tape to my right hand has provided some relief, though it’s not a cure-all. However, the support it gives me has helped me manage everyday movements and reduce strain.

KT tapes sold in pharmacies are very expensive, about RM50 onwards for a roll of 5cm x 5m tape.  I buy these tapes at a fraction of the price online from Lazada, at around RM15 a roll. These tapes come in many bright and attractive colors, as well as nude. I prefer colorful ones as I love anything that's colorful.

KT tapes sold at one of the pharmacies @ Lazada, which are pretty expensive.

Cheaper KT tapes are sold by other sellers on Lazada. I bought these.

Cuddles, Laughter, and Fake Eyelashes

Whenever Sherilyn comes home, her first instinct is always the same—she goes on a mission to find our beloved cat, Haru. Without fail, she picks her up and gives her the biggest cuddle, kisses her, and squeezing her tight as though Haru were a plush toy. Poor Haru, being the independent and non-affectionate cat that she is, barely tolerates this for a minute before squeezing her way out of Sherilyn’s arms. Haru has never been a fan of extended cuddles, preferring her personal space and short moments of affection. But Sherilyn, filled with love and excitement after a long day, can never resist showering her with more attention than Haru can handle.

Last week, after Sherilyn's win at the Asia Open Dance Championship, where she secured the gold medal in the modern contemporary (solo) event for her age group, she came home in an exceptionally good mood. She removed her fake eyelashes from the competition and, still buzzing with happiness, decided to goof around with Haru. In her playful state, she attached the fake eyelashes to Haru’s eyes, and we both burst into laughter at the sight. Haru looked absolutely hilarious, but her expression clearly showed her confusion at being the center of this little joke. I felt bad for her after a few minutes and asked Sherilyn to quickly take the fake eyelashes off.

Despite our antics, Haru remains the heart of our home. Her calm presence and adorable loafing around the house bring us so much joy, even when we’re in a bad mood. There are days when I find myself feeling frustrated or upset about something, but Haru’s quiet charm and comforting aura instantly ease the tension. It’s as if she knows exactly how to diffuse my anger and calm my nerves.

Haru may not love long cuddles or too much fuss, but she brings a special kind of warmth into our lives.  We can’t help but spoil our little fur baby, even when it means accidentally subjecting her to a few minutes of fake eyelash drama! 😆

We love Haru so much, and it’s a joy to have her loafing around the house, being her quiet, intelligent self. She's the little glue that keeps our home filled with laughter and peace.

Still groggy from being woken up from her sleep, Haru didn't resist the silly fake eyelashes stuck to her eyes by her sister.

12 September 2024 ~ Random Updates

Apologies for the lack of updates over the past week! As usual, I've been swamped with writing assignments and running errands, and things have been even more hectic since Maria, our part-time helper, is expecting and hasn't been feeling well. She hasn't come in the past week, and with my mother-in-law back from England, there's been a hive of activities in the kitchen again. She loves cooking, which means even more work for me.  She cooks, and I clean up.

Unfortunately, all this extra workload isn’t doing my right hand any favors, as the pain from my Tennis Elbow has gotten worse. I first developed it back in April, after my trip to Bangkok with Alycia. It's been five months now with no sign of improvement. Every movement with my right-hand hurts so much that even lifting a blanket to fold it is a challenge. Getting out of bed is pure torture, and I've had to rely on my stomach muscles just to sit up. My bed for the past five months has been unkempt with an unfolded blanket. Even brushing my teeth a little harder hurts my right hand.

Alycia and Sherilyn, on the other hand, are thoroughly enjoying their semester breaks. Alycia just returned from Taiwan on Tuesday, and in a month, she’ll be off to South Korea with another friend. Sherilyn has been keeping herself busy with dancing and just finished competing in the Get The Beat dance competition yesterday, where she won gold in the Hip Hop category for her age group and Double Platinum in the Contemporary category. This Saturday, she’ll be competing in the Asia Open Dance Championship. She’s a bundle of energy, always on the go and thriving in competitions. I’m amazed by how much joy she finds in staying active and pushing herself.

Sherilyn at the Get The Beat dance competition on 11 Sept 2024. 

As for Cass, her school holidays begin this Saturday, which, to be honest, is a bit of bad news for me. She’s another one who can’t stay at home with nothing to do, so I expect she’ll be spending most of her week-long holiday at the skating rink, which I’m perfectly fine with. At least I’ll get some very, very much-needed peace at home!

Here are some of the pix that Alycia sent to me that she took in Taiwan with her university mates.

Traveling on the train from Taipei to Tainan.

Some of the streets in Taiwan look similar to those in Japan.

In Tainan

Two Heart-Stopping Scares, Courtesy of Haru!

Today, Haru, my mischievous fur baby, gave me not one but two heart-stopping scares! She’s not usually mischievous, but today, she took things to a whole new level. It was like she decided to put my patience and nerves to the ultimate test. Here’s what happened:

The first scare happened in the kitchen when Cass got home from school. We were reheating her lunch, and I had left a glass container with chicken on the counter. Little did I know that Haru was stealthily plotting her next move. As I turned my back to put the food in the microwave, Haru struck. With her ninja-like agility, she jumped up to the counter and snatched a big piece of chicken—bones and all!

Before I could even react, Haru darted under the island table, growling like a feral dog with her prize in her mouth. I panicked. Chicken bones can be dangerous for cats, and I was terrified she might swallow a sharp piece and hurt herself. I shouted at Haru, but she was determined to hold on to her stolen treasure and growled away simultaneously.

Cass wanted to pull Haru out from under the table, but I quickly stopped her. Haru, in her possessive state, might lash out, and the last thing I wanted was for her to bite Cass. While I was desperately trying to coax Haru out, I could hear the ominous sound of crackling bones as she began to chew on the chicken. My heart sank.

Thinking fast, I grabbed some chicken breast (her absolute favorite) and placed it in her bowl, hoping it would lure her out. Thankfully, it worked! Haru came out, and I swiftly took the dangerous chicken away and discarded it. Crisis averted! She eagerly gulped down the chicken breast, completely unaware of the chaos she had just caused. Honestly, Haru is crazy about chicken breasts. I had already given her some earlier, but when it comes to her favorite food, she doesn’t seem to know when to stop.

Later in the day, the second scare happened. I couldn’t find Haru anywhere in the house. Maria, our part-time maid, had stepped out briefly to throw the garbage in the refuse chamber, and I panicked, thinking Haru might have run out. Maria and I searched frantically, calling for her, shaking her can of kibbles, and knocking her bowl, all the usual tricks that would bring Haru running. But this time, there was no response.

For about five minutes, we were searching everywhere, and I was convinced Haru had either escaped or worse. My mind went wild with thoughts—had she climbed into the washing machine without me noticing and I had started the washing machine? Or could she have crawled into the garbage bag in search of chicken and been thrown out by Maria? My imagination was running in overdrive.

Just as I was about to lose hope, Haru finally emerged from her hiding place. Relief washed over me, but I couldn’t help but scold her for giving me such a fright. It’s a wonder how such a small creature can cause so much stress in a single day!

In one day, Haru gave me two massive scares. I truly hope these heart-stopping incidents won’t become a regular occurrence!

Naughty baby. Alycia bought this cat cap for Haru.  Did I tell you that Alycia is one of Haru's favorite humans besides her dad?  From someone terrified of cats and furry animals, Alycia has now overcome her phobia of cats. She loves Haru 💓