Helping you walk upstairs the next day
Welcome back, curling enthusiasts. Return to Curling is a three-part series for recreational curlers, dedicated to safely and effectively returning you to the curling ice. Today is part one.
Whether your “off-ice season” was merely four months or 15-plus months, taking the time to prepare to step back on the ice after a break from the sport can help improve performance, enjoyment and decrease chance of injury.
Give us a follow and don’t miss out on parts two and three, coming shortly at The Curling News.
Perhaps you’ll need a strong step-by-step guide to help prepare you mentally and physically for your return …? That’s where the Back to Curling Kickstarter comes in.
The Kickstarter is a toolbox of strength, cardio, brushing and yoga specifically for curling, and it’s been assembled to help you fill in any gaps in how you are moving.
PART ONE: The Bare Minimums
Maybe you didn’t work out as often or as focused as you typically like since the last time you were on the ice … and now you’re concerned about how those first few slides are going to feel.
Will you be able to get down in the hack?
Will you be able to walk up the stairs the next day?
Will you be able to brush that rock to the button for the win?
Will your knee, back or shoulder hurt?
You know you should do a couple stretches and exercises before your first time on the ice, but what? Is it “too late” if you’ve already been on the ice a few times? No! Even if you’re reading this after a few weeks into your season, it’s never too late to focus on moving better to help decrease your chance of injury and increase your performance.
Your best bet—regardless of the amount of time remaining before your first time on the ice—is to focus on mimicking the movements required for the sport of curling.
Try these three positions every other day leading up to your first time on the ice. Use them as part of your pre-game warmup, and if you’ve already stepped on the ice but feel like you need a little more control or comfort, incorporate them into your current workouts one to two times per week.
A) Get in the hack with “hips first”
• Complete this exercise five to 10 times, going slowly, and only lower your hips to a place of comfort.
B) Balance in the slide
• Two options:
1. Complete this exercise five to 10 times on each side. Do not worry about how far down you can go at first. Move slowly. Use a pillow under your back knee, and/or hold on to a support if you feel unsure.
2. Or, lower down into the split squat as far as you feel comfortable, and hold for 10 to 45 seconds on each side. Focus first on balance, control and comfort.
C) Brush with confidence
• Practice the brushing position at home with the brushing plank
• Start with your broom leaning against the wall, or on carpet so it does not slip. Experiment with open and close brushing on both sides, and various ways to hold the broom or adjust the force applied to your brush in a relatively safe environment.
• As you gain comfort move away from the wall, and/or to more unstable surfaces such as hardwood or the curling ice.
Bonus tip: Drop into the imaginary “hack” and the slide position on both sides, i.e. in both the right-handed and left-handed slide position. See if you can hold each position for five to 10 seconds; see if you can balance.
To maintain balance in the lower body practice the lunge position on both sides. You might find that practicing with your “wrong” curling side provides you with some subjective insight into how you can better balance on your “regular” side.
I walk through the why behind each of these movements and how to plan accordingly for back to curling success in Episode 11 of the Empowered Performance for Curlers podcast.
All the best, and watch for Step 2 coming in a day or so!
Need more? In addition to the Kickstarter you can learn more about improving your balance, breathing and brushing during the 2021 off-season webinar series.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article and accompanying resources is intended for educational purposes only. Please seek out the assistance of a Regulated Health Care Practitioner if you have any questions or concerns.