Why Were Olympic Athletes & Other Celebs Spotted with Dark Red Circles on Their Bodies?

This year’s Olympics are now in full swing and it’s all eyes on the athletes.

From archery and shooting to athletics and gymnastics, there’s all kind of sports taking place across Paris, France, at the moment.

One fan-favorite sport to watch is the swimming, and this year there’s a whopping 854 athletes from 187 different countries competing.

But there’s a common theme you might have spotted with some of the swimmers and that’s the unusual dark red circles they have on their backs.

Swimmer pictured at Tokyo 2020 with circular bruising. (OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

While it might look like they’ve had a fight with an octopus and lost, there’s a very different reason for the odd markings.

It turns out that the large spots are from cupping therapy – an ancient healing technique that involves placing cups on the skin to create suction and increase blood flow to the area.

The unconventional method is supposed to help with muscle recovery and is used as a type of deep tissue massage.

Some athletes were spotted with cupping therapy bruises back at the Rio Olympics in 2016, and it’s still seemingly popular now.

Michael Phelps seen with cupping therapy bruises on his shoulders. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Gymnast Alexander Naddour told USA Today back in 2016 that cupping was supposedly the ‘secret’ to his health.

He added: “It’s been better than any money I’ve spent on anything else.”

Away from the Games, basketball player Kyle Singler has also praised cupping therapy.

“The bruises do look more intense than what they actually feel like, but the benefit from it is really great,” he previously insisted.

Singler continued to tell Sports Illustrated: “You’re not necessarily getting the immediate response that you might want but over time it does help with recovery and loosening tissue and stuff like that.”

But does cupping therapy actually work according to experts? It’s seems as if the jury’s still out.

Experts are still unsure of the full benefits of cupping therapy. (Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)

According to Harvard Health, some studies have found that cupping might provide some relief for a number of musculoskeletal and sports-related conditions. The quality of this evidence was ‘limited’, however.

Elsewhere a 2022 review found that wet (as opposed to dry cupping) was effective for lower back pain.

While the bruises people get from cupping are pretty gnarly, the therapy is generally seen as safe to practice – even if people aren’t 100 percent on how affective it is.

“Most experts agree that cupping is safe. As long as those treated don’t mind the circular discolorations (which fade over a number of days or weeks), side effects tend to be limited to the pinch experienced during skin suction,” Harvard Health explains.

“It’s quite unusual that cupping causes any serious problems (though, rarely, skin infections have been reported).”

There you have it, folks.

PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT GWEN STEFANI, WHO IS 54 YEARS OLD, MIGHT BE HAVING HER FIRST BABY WITH BLAKE SHELTON, WHO IS 47 YEARS OLD.

People are talking about Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton. Some think they might be having their first baby together. If this is true, it would be Gwen’s fourth child. Blake recently talked about how much Gwen’s three sons mean to him. Now, people think Gwen and Blake might be expecting a baby of their own. Blake talked in an interview about how important Gwen’s sons are to him and how being their stepfather changed him.

Kingston, Gwen, Blake, Apollo, and Zuma pictured in 2019. Credit: Rich Fury / Getty.

Blake Shelton talked about being a step-parent. He said it can be tough sometimes, but he tries to be there for Gwen’s kids when they need him. Adding a biological child to their family could make them really happy.

Some people close to Gwen and Blake said Gwen tried to get pregnant using IVF for a few months. But then she decided to stop and they tried to have a baby naturally.

Before they got married in 2020, Gwen and Blake were trying IVF to have a baby. But it was stressful for Gwen, so they focused on Gwen’s kids instead. In 2022, they talked to a specialist and it seems like Gwen got pregnant.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 09: (L-R) Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani attend the 48th AFI Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute celebrating Julie Andrews at Dolby Theatre on June 09, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI)

People who know Gwen say that at 54 years old, she’s been doing things to make herself healthier and more likely to have a baby. She does things like meditation, staying relaxed, and getting acupuncture regularly.

Lots of people are talking about Gwen and Blake maybe having a baby. People are excited and waiting to hear if it’s true.

What do you think about these rumors? Tell us in the comments!

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