In his 2009 book entitled Fit to Curl [1], John Morris of Team Kevin Martin makes clear the link between on-ice curling performance and flexibility [1, pp. 41]:
While some people seem to be almost naturally elastic, flexibility – and more specifically, the kind of flexibility that will aid a curler – can be greatly enhanced with a regular stretching routine. It allows a player to be in a better position behind the stone and makes the body less prone to breaking down during the constant physical demands of both club bonspiels and championship events. The delivery will be more consistent and shot making will be optimized. Finally, it will allow you to compete more effectively throughout a lifetime in the sport, helping you resist the loss of elasticity in your muscles and joints that is a natural part of the aging process.
In general, stretching is the way in which we improve the body’s flexibility. Dr. Len Kravitz offers a list of the benefits of stretching which I will repeat here:
- An increase in functional range of motion;
- Reduction of low back pain and injury;
- Reduction in the incidence and severity of injury;
- Improvement in posture and muscle symmetry;
- Delay in the onset of muscular fatigue;
- Prevention and alleviation of muscle soreness after exercise;
- Increase in the level of certain skills and muscular efficiency;
- Promotion of mental relaxation;
- An opportunity for spiritual growth, meditation and self-evaluation;
- Personal enjoyment and gratification.
There are many different ways of stretching: passive stretching, static stretching, ballistic stretching, dynamic stretching, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques, contract-relax stretching and resistance stretching. Research continues today on the most effective techniques of stretching in various situations. However, consensus today is that dynamic stretching – stretching while moving – is the most appropriate form of stretching to use during warmup, while the more traditional static stretching techniques – holding a stationary stretch for a period of time – is more suited to cool-down or after-exercise stretching. Recently, the Globe and Mail’s fitness section included videos of dynamic stretches that are appropriate for curling, particularly because they involve stretching the hip joint and hip flexors, which are so important to a curler’s flexibility during the delivery.
What is also becoming clear is the strong relationship between stretching and breathing. In their book entitled Stretch to Win, Frederick and Frederick make clear the relationship between breathing and stretching on the athletes they train, who include such well-known athletes as NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb [2, pp. 3]:
We have discovered over the years that instead of counting how long to hold a stretch, athletes can stretch better by synchronizing their breathing with their movement. Counting puts an arbitrary time constraint on the stretch that competes with the actual release of the restricted tissues. Our experience has shown repeatedly that if the athletes instead focus on how they are breathing during a stretch, they get an optimal response from the stretch as well as an increased awareness of their bodies. They realize that their muscles and tissues have their own biological time clock for responding to a stretch that does not follow some prescribed formula or arbitrary time limit. Rather, it follows the state of the tissues and what they require at that moment. In this way, the breath actually assists the stretching movements by easing rather than focusing the athlete into increasing ranges of motion. By focusing on breathing, an athlete is also better able to gauge and adjust how much mental or physical tension he or she brings to the stretch.
[1] John Morris (with Dean Gemmell) (August 2009). Fit to Curl: Sport-specific Training for curlers by one of the sport’s leading players. DGMO Books. ISBN 978-0-9813086-0-9.
[2] Ann Frederick and Chris Frederick (2006). Stretch to Win. Human Kinetics, Champaign, Illinois. ISBN 978-0-7360-5529-1.