Warming up your muscles for hockey is an important factor in preventing injuries on the ice. Most hockey players do not spend enough time warming up for hockey and this contributes to on-ice injuries, including groin and abdominal strains/tears, knee, back and shoulder injuries.
Many of these injuries can be avoided by performing a proper warm-up BEFORE you step on the ice. The best pre-game warm up consists of what is called a dynamic warm-up. This is a series of drills that looks similar to something a track athlete would do prior to competition. Research has demonstrated that a dynamic warm up is superior to static stretching at preventing injuries in sports. The dynamic warm up is effective at warming up muscles but maybe more importantly, it seems to promote central nervous system activation. This nervous system activation is an important factor in efficient sport participation. Most NHL teams all the way down to travel mite teams have some sort of organized dynamic warm up in place.
The problem with the dynamic warm up is that it takes time (7-15 minutes) and requires some space (10-30 yards). Another issue with the dynamic warm up is that it kind of looks dorky at times! I know that shouldn’t be a factor when trying to prevent injuries, but we all know that it is an issue when we are trying to be cool and fit in! Many hockey players care about how they are perceived by their teammates. Adult recreational players are legendary for stepping out of the car after sitting at a desk all day, proceeding to sit again to strap on the gear, stepping on the ice, taking a few slappers before the puck drops and then they battle for the puck against other beer leagues as ill-prepared as they are for the game!
It is obvious that for many recreational players, getting together in the locker room and yacking it up with teammates is more important than warming up for the beer league game! So here is a simplified version of a warm up that you can do while hanging out in the locker room with teammates.
Quick Locker Room Warm Up to Help Prevent Injuries
To review the warm up exercises that you saw in the video:
1) Shoulder diagonals
2) 3D reach sequence
3) Sumo squat to hip raise to downward dog/cobra
4) 3D stretch sequence
This warm up will get you limbered up and ready to step on the ice. Remember to continue your warm up on the ice before the puck drops.
On-Ice Warm Up Drills
Dr. Chad Moreau is the President of HockeyOT.com, an online training site dedicated to improving the fitness level of hockey players of all levels. He was the former Strength & Conditioning/Nutrition Consultant for the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) and the Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL). For more information please visit hockeyot.com.
