Bend, Stretch, Curl. Getting Flexible Enough to Slide Like You Mean It

November 22, 2025

Every curler has had that moment. You crouch into your delivery stance, feel your front leg slip out beautifully, and for one fleeting second you think, I was born for this. Then your back hip snaps you back to reality and suddenly you are a guest of honor at the International Festival of Creaking Joints.

If you have ever thought, “Wow, I wish my body could move like the people on TV,” the good news is that it can. With stretching, mobility work, and a little patience, your delivery can go from awkward origami to smooth Olympic-year swagger. And look, improving your flexibility will probably help you in life in other ways, but we are here for curling performance and bragging rights, not enlightenment.

Before I give you the goods, let me set the corporate vision here. A flexible club is a winning club. A winning club draws more members. More members buy more merch. More merch means your wardrobe becomes a walking billboard for the greatness of curling. It is the circle of life, but with brooms and sliders.

Group of diverse curlers stretching and warming up in a curling club hallway, practicing lunges and hip mobility drills while wearing curling-themed apparel, with brooms and curling rocks in the background.”

Why Stretching Matters for Curlers

The classic curling delivery is basically a lunge that just keeps going. To get into that smooth glide, you need working hips, cooperative quads, an agreeable lower back, and ankles that do not behave like two stubborn garden hoses.

And if you cannot get into that delivery yet, no judgment. Every great curler started with the “Is this the right angle? Am I doing this wrong? Why is my thigh burning already?” phase.

Flexibility helps you:

Stay balanced through the entire slide
Prevent injuries as you bend through a full range of motion
Improve consistency from shot to shot
Avoid looking like an off-brand baby giraffe learning to walk on ice

The Starter Pack: Stretching Resources That Actually Help

Here are high-quality, reputable, safe, not weird, not “activate your inner stag wolf energy” stretching libraries. These folks understand human bodies and how to keep them from snapping.

1. Harvard Health’s Stretching Guide

A clear, science-forward overview of safe stretching routines. Great for beginners and anyone who likes instructions that do not threaten them with crystals.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-importance-of-stretching

2. Mayo Clinic: Basic Stretches for Flexibility

A solid library of simple tried and true movements with pictures. The Mayo Clinic has never once suggested you “open your hip chakras,” so you know it is safe.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/stretching/art-20047931

3. Yoga with Adriene (YouTube)

Still the gold standard for accessible, friendly yoga routines. No pressure. No ego. No judgment when you topple sideways during triangle pose.
https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene

4. GMB Mobility Library

Good for athletes who like targeted routines and clear coaching. Their hip mobility series is excellent for curlers who want that long smooth slide.
https://gmb.io/mobility/

5. The Ready State (Kelly Starrett)

Deeper dives and high-performance mobility. If you want to really fix your hips, ankles, or shoulders, this is where you go.
https://thereadystate.com/mobility/

A Simple Curling-Focused Stretch Routine

Mix and match these as needed. Do not force anything. Your ligaments are not auditioning for Cirque du Soleil.

Hip Flexor Stretch
The bread and butter. Think of it as apologizing to your hips for decades of chair-sitting.

Figure Four Stretch
Targets the outer glute and hip that take a beating in the slide.

Ankle Mobility Rock-Throughs
You cannot slide well if your ankles move like refrigerator hinges.

Quadriceps Stretch
Yes, this is the one where you stand on one leg and try not to fall over. Welcome to curling preseason.

Cat Cow for Lower Back
Your spine loves movement. Treat it kindly.

How Often Should You Stretch?

Ideally, every day. Realistically, three or four times a week. If you hit the ice once a week, stretch twice. If you curl twice a week, stretch three times. At this stage we are basically playing rock paper scissors, but with your joints.

Final Thought. Flexibility Helps You Curl Better. Merch Helps You Look Like a Curler. Both Matter.

We are heading into an Olympic year, which means people are curious. They are Googling curling. They are looking for clubs. They are wondering if they too can slide with dignity. When they meet you, let them see someone who can glide into a delivery without sounding like a bowl of Rice Krispies.

And if you want to complete the full athlete-ambassador package, that is where your wardrobe kicks in. Nothing says “join our sport” like wearing your pride right on your chest.

Visit www.CurlingIsFun.com to gear up, look great, and give the world one more reason to ask, “Wait, do you curl?”