Flexibility & Recovery

The skating stride puts enormous demands on the hips and groin. Flexibility work prevents the most common hockey injuries.

Pre-Practice Dynamic Warm-Up (5 Minutes)

• High knees: 20 yards
• Leg swings: 10 each leg, forward/back and side to side
• Hip openers: 10 each side
• Lateral lunges: 8 each side
• Light jog: 2 minutes

Post-Practice Stretching (5 Minutes)

• Groin/adductor stretch — butterfly sit, press knees down (the #1 hockey stretch)
• Hip flexor stretch — lunge position, push hips forward
• Quad stretch — pull heel to glutes
• Hamstring stretch — sit and reach
• Shoulder/chest stretch — doorway stretch, hold 20 seconds

Hockey-Specific Injury Prevention

• Groin strains — most common hockey injury. Stretch daily, strengthen with lateral lunges.
• Hip flexor tightness — the skating stance creates chronic tightness. Stretch after every session.
• Lower back — strengthen core to protect the back from the bent-over skating posture.