{"id":296424,"date":"2018-02-21T08:00:39","date_gmt":"2018-02-21T15:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=296424"},"modified":"2018-02-21T05:50:43","modified_gmt":"2018-02-21T12:50:43","slug":"how-to-get-ride-of-soreness-before-championship-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/how-to-get-ride-of-soreness-before-championship-season\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Rid of Soreness Before Championships"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ashley Illenye, Swimming World College Intern.<\/em><\/p>\n

Championship season is around the corner for all ages, whether it be high school or college. End of the season meets mean taper\u2014and taper means fine-tuning every bit of your training to assure you\u2019re ready for whatever life throws your way by the end of the year.<\/p>\n

Because of its very nature, taper tends to be a time where you want everything to be perfect. You eat cleaner, you sleep more, you pay attention to every stroke in every yard. It\u2019s possible that you worry that even with lightening your intensity, you still feel sore after practice.<\/p>\n

With this thought in mind, you might think of other ways to feel more relaxed. You may even do an extra bit of stretching to loosen yourself up a little at the end of practice.<\/p>\n

Stretching is something that you should do before and after every practice. While it helps prevent and relieve muscle tension and soreness, there are more effective ways to eliminate muscle pains. This can involve Kinesio tape, cupping and foam rolling. Athletic trainers, physical therapists, and even coaches can have the tools you need to get rid of muscle pain.<\/p>\n

Kinesio Tape to Prevent Soreness<\/h1>\n
\"university-of-inianappolis-athletic-trainers-2016\"

Photo Courtesy: University of Indianapolis<\/p><\/div>\n

There is some debate as to whether KT tape is actually effective or not. That debate doesn\u2019t stop athletic trainers from using it\u2014it certainly doesn\u2019t cause any harm. Kinesio tape, also known as KT or KY tape, is used to alleviate pain and muscle tension.<\/p>\n

One of the benefits of kinesio tape is that it is water repellant. Unlike band-aids, which fall off after you dive in the water, kinesio tape is water adhesive. Once a trainer or other professional applies to your shoulders, knees, or other infected areas, it will stick throughout long practices for several days.<\/p>\n

Kinesio tape does several things, including:<\/a><\/p>\n