What's all the hype about CUPPING?
CUPPING
For starters, let's make it clear that cupping is actually not a new, modern type of therapy or wellness trend. In fact, cupping is an ancient Chinese healing practice, and to put it simply, it's more or less the equivalent of getting a deep-tissue massage, but instead of kneading and rubbing your muscles, your practitioner is pulling on them with a suction cup.
Cupping therapists apply pressure to a person's body (most commonly on the back) with sterilized glass, bamboo, or rubber cups, and this serves to relieve the tension you're holding in different areas of the body by lifting your connective tissues — aka fascia — away from your skeletal system.
This probably sounds highly unpleasant and not at all worth the hype, but it's actually a lot more beneficial than it seems. The reason why the therapy is so popular among athletes like Michael Phelps and Alex Naddour is because it's said to majorly speed up muscle recovery time, increase flexibility, create better circulation in the body, and much more.
So, if you want to take a cue from some of your favorite athletes' self-care routines, give cupping a shot and see what it's all about.