Season Tune-Up Stretching
At this point in the year, chances are your hockey season has either begun, or you are squirming with anticipation for your team’s first game! But before hitting the ice with intense, revving force, remember to loosen up.
Right: Alexander Ovechkin stretches out before taking on the Boston Bruins
In order to reach your peak performance level on-ice, it is imperative you stretch off-ice. Imagine you have two rubber bands, one untouched and new from the store, the other worked and broken in, maybe wrapped around a stick a couple times. Stretch each rubber band to see which has more elasticity and you’ll discover that the conditioned rubber band has increased mobility, exactly what you’d like on the ice! Your muscles work in a similar fashion.
Every athlete has their own training technique and as an increasingly popular work out regiment, yoga has become a forefront in the hockey community for off-ice preparation. In fact, Boston Bruin and U.S. Olympic goaltender, Tim Thomas, attributes much of his success to his commitment to yoga. Thomas praised the implementation of this practice into his regiment saying it has helped him to "maintain a higher level of functional strength and flexibility throughout my body."1 (1 Source: http://www.radiusyoga.com/testimonials.htm)
Left: Tim Thomas attributes yoga to his on-ice success
Warm-ups can range from general calisthenics to targeting specific
muscle groups, but don’t have to be complex or time consuming. Performing a set of jumping jacks or jumping rope targets multiple areas of the body that requires a proper stretch which aids in top performance and reduces the risk of injury. Remember, your body is also a piece of your equipment and should be included during your pregame routines of fine tuning your gear.
Make sure to check in with the next FMC newsletter where we’ll look into skate sharpening and its common misconceptions!
©FMC Ice Sports 2011 www.fmcicesports.com 1-888-74-SKATE