Hockey is different. If you are a player or a parent then you know, hockey is VERY different. The physical/mental demands of the sport are unlike any other. Which, is why I love hockey players! It breeds a different kind of athlete, someone who has the physical toughness and mental poise to give 100% all day every day. While this difference makes hockey great, there are some differences that make hockey not so great.

For example, the hockey season NEVER ends. Most kids are on the ice to some capacity for 8-9 months a year and some even more. It’s great to work on your skills, but another big difference in hockey is that you’re locked into one position the majority of the time. This is a position of constant hip flexion, shoulder protraction and ankles immobilized by skates.

The “hockey Position” may be great for generating speed and power on the ice but it is not ideal off the ice in sports or life. Over time, spending so much time in this position year in and year out takes a toll on your joints reducing mobility and ultimately restricting movement.  We spend a lot of time with our hockey players here at O.B. Training & Sports Performance opening up these joints and trying to regain the mobility lost. Check out the videos below where we go over a few different exercises (compliments of the mobility guru Kelly Starret) that you can use before and after skating to help mobilize the hips, ankles, and shoulder joints.

Ankle Mobility Drill – All you need is a light resistance band a pole to anchor it to

Hip Mobility Drill – All you need is a light resistance band and a pole to anchor it to

Shoulder Retraction Exercise – All you need for this exercise is a mini resistance band