SPORTS
By Peter Morris, PTA, BCTMB, CSCS
If you watched the 2018 Winter Olympics you’ve seen or heard about the sport of Curling…the one with the stones and the brooms…the one that Team USA won the Gold Medal in. And, I’m sure most have thought that of all the sports featured at the Olympics, curling is the easiest, least dangerous, and least physical. Well, being an active curler, I can tell you that it’s not inherently dangerous, but it is physical and definitely not easy.
First, a quick rundown of the game: There are 2 teams of 4 players (Lead, 2nd, Vice and Skip) each taking a turn to throw (slide) two 42 lb stones across a sheet of ice 132 feet toward a target of concentric circles called the “house”. Points are scored for getting the stones closest to the center of the house- called the “button”. The series of 16 stones thrown is called an “end”-similar to an inning in baseball, and there are 10 ends in a game.
Why the brooms? Curling is the only sport in which the trajectory of the projectile can be influenced after it has been released by the athlete. This is achieved by sweeping the ice in front of the stone to change the stone-ice friction and thereby enable the stone to travel further, curl more or stay straight.
Now for the physical part: The delivery aspect of curling involves sliding in a forward lunge position that requires leg flexibility and strength for support and core strength to maintain balance on the ice. But, sweeping is where the physicality of the sport is realized. The Skip traditionally stands at the house and controls the team strategy for the game. The two players not playing a stone will be available to sweep the stone as directed by the Skip. The Lead and 2nd players could sweep 6 stones per end, for 10 ends or 60 stones per game (the Vice stands in for the Skip when he/she is playing their stones). A player could theoretically sweep for up to a mile in a game! Aggressive sweeping is high intensity. Hard sweeping for 20 seconds can result in the generation of approximately 600-1600kJ of work and produce a typical average heart rate of 170bpm¹. Therefore, a player needs some cardiovascular fitness, balance, and coordination to be an effective sweeper.
What about injuries? Well, published data has been sparse and have concentrated on competitive curlers. The research points to curlers having injuries to their knees, hips, back and shoulders, but none that have kept them out of competition-they are mostly described as overuse injuries. Knee injuries are possible, secondary to having the knee in deep flexion during the delivery of the stone; shoulder injuries occur from the vigorous movement of sweeping; hip injuries are likely from decreased flexibility; and back injuries are likely from exhibiting poor posture during the delivery of the stone and during sweeping.
Here are 5 great stretches to help prevent those injuries²:
Hip flexor stretch
Begin in a ½ kneel position
Put your hands on your hips
Push your hips forward
Glute/Piriformis Stretch
Lie on your back with both knees bent
Bring one foot up and place the outside of the ankle on the thigh of the other leg
If you require a more intense stretch, push down on top knee
If you require a greater stretch, grab the bottom thigh and pull leg towards chest
Hip Adductor Stretch (Side Lunge)
Step one foot directly out to side
Lean towards one side
Make sure your supporting knee remains in line with your 2nd toe
Brace your upper body by placing your elbow on the supporting leg
Quad Stretch
Stand on one foot and grab your opposite ankle
Stand by a sturdy surface if you require extra support
Pull your ankle towards your buttocks, making sure your knees are touching
For a more intense stretch, push your hips forward
Low Back Stretch
Lie on your back
Bring both knees to your chest
Wrap your arms around shins and pull until you feel a gentle stretch in low back
Is curling the most strenuous or physically demanding sport? Admittedly, no it is not. But it does take flexibility, balance, coordination, cardiovascular fitness, and mental focus to be any good at it. If you are interested in trying the sport of curling, please visit www.oceanstatecurling.org
¹ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3761524/ The Sports Science of Curling: A Practical Review.
²
https:/www./innovationphysio.com/blog/5-great-curling-stretches-help-get-back-game/ 5 Great Curling Stretches to Help Get You Back in the Game.
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