Curling

Move · Cardio · Movement, Typed Supps

The two halves of the sport are physically unrelated: a slow, deep balancing act to deliver the stone, then a hard sprint of the arms to sweep it.

Stage by stage

Set-up (Hips loaded at end range): The crouch in the hack takes the hip into deep flexion while the trailing hip approaches full extension, cold, before the first stone.
The delivery (Single-leg slide, no friction): Balance is held on one leg over a surface that offers almost nothing to correct with, and the aim depends on that stability lasting several seconds.
Sweeping (Vigorous upper-body bout): High stroke rates while moving briskly on ice push the heart rate into vigorous territory for the length of the sweep.
Months later (Hip range and sweep stamina): Hip mobility and single-leg control improve alongside the shoulder endurance to hold a stroke rate across a full end.

Muscles trained

Primary: quads, glutes, obliques
Secondary: lower back, shoulders

Intensity

4 METs (Curling).

Time to effect

Weeks: Reading the ice — judging how much a stone will curl based on the sheet's conditions — and delivering it with consistent weight and line improve within the first several sessions.
Months: The hip mobility and single-leg balance needed for a smooth, low delivery, along with the sweeping stamina to maintain a hard, controlled stroke rate across a full end, typically build over one to two months of regular play.

Common myth

"Curling isn't a real workout — it's basically shuffleboard on ice." In reality: The delivery demands genuine hip and groin flexibility plus single-leg strength to hold a low lunge on a slick surface, and competitive sweeping has been measured pushing heart rates into vigorous-intensity territory, comparable to a moderate jog, for the duration of a hard sweep.

In the glossary

Evidence grade