Cubing Health & Safety

Speedcubing is an e-sport. And like all sports, you can get injured. (Stop laughing, it’s true). Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is the arch-nemesis of the speedcuber.

The Injuries

1. Cuber’s Thumb

• Symptoms: Pain at the base of the thumb.
• Cause: Spamming spacebar on the timer, or gripping the cube too hard during OH (One-Handed).
• Fix: Stop cubing for 2 days. Use a lighter cube (weaker magnets).

2. Nintendinitis (Wrist Pain)

• Symptoms: Shooting pain in the wrist or forearm.
• Cause: Turning with your wrist instead of your fingers.
• Fix: Learn proper Finger Tricks. Your wrists should be mostly stationary.

3. The “Claw” Cramp

• Symptoms: Hand stuck in a claw shape.
• Cause: Tension. You are holding the cube like it owes you money.
• Fix: Relax your grip. The cube should rest in your hands, not be strangled by them.

The Stretches (Do these!)

The Prayer

Put palms together in front of your chest. Lower them until you feel a stretch in your forearms. Hold for 15s.

The Reverse Prayer

Put backs of hands together. Lower elbows. Feel the weird stretch.

The Piano

Shake your hands out loosely like you are trying to dry them without a towel. loosen up the fingers.

Eye Strain

• The Problem: Staring at bright stickers for 4 hours.
• The Fix: The “20-20-20 Rule”. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. (No, looking at a different cube doesn’t count).

Mental Health

• The Rage Quit: Throwing a cube is expensive. Don’t do it.
• The Plateau: You will get stuck at a certain time (e.g., 25 seconds) for months. This is normal. Take a break.