“I just have to stretch more.”
“Don’t forget to stretch.”
“I keep telling them they have to stretch!”
Stretching has been heralded for decades as the key to flexibility. People are often made to feel if they get injured, or experience discomfort that it’s probably their fault because they didn’t stretch, or if they did stretch they didn’t stretch enough, and the fix? You guessed it. Stretch more!
Flexibility for hockey players is a sticky topic. There’s no doubt that the ability to get low in your stride is critical. Having adequate space in your hips to open up to receive a pass, or perform spread eagles is necessary. But is this ‘flexibility,’ and is static stretching the best way to improve it? I would argue no. What coaches, players and parents are often asking for is better mobility.
You shouldn’t chase flexibility for hockey players
Let’s start with what flexibility is.
Flexibility is the passive action of bending a particular joint to lengthen a muscle, in order to feel a stretch. Think lying on your back and holding a hamstring stretch, or grabbing your foot to stretch your quad. This is often peoples first go to when they feel ‘tight.’
If we can’t say touch our toes, or reach behind our back, it is assumed that by cranking into that range of motion as hard as we can will improve that flexibility. And here’s the thing, it might, temporarily, but our body usually reverts back to the previous accessible range. Much of flexibility is actually genetic with some people being hypermobile (doing the splits), other people being wound up tight like many sprinters. Also, some peoples joint architecture is not appropriate for certain ranges.
So, while stretching can feel good in the moment and you may notice a change in ROM, the additional range of motion gained from static, or PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching is short lived. Why? Because that tightness is probably there for a reason. TO PROTECT YOU!
This is why often 5-10 minutes after stretching you feel the same tightness return. Your body is feeling vulnerable with the new range of motion you gave it, and wants to protect itself. So it sends the signal to tighten back up.
Reasons you might be ‘tight’
- Weakness – you may not possess the necessary strength in one or more muscles around the joint necessary for stability.
- Trauma – you may have/had trauma to muscles around the joint causing a protective blocking (tightness)
- Neuromuscular Coordination – do to trauma, or other factors you may not have adequate coordination to stabilize the joint.
- Hypermobility – most people with extreme laxity at the joint with complain of feeling tightness.
In many cases this feeling of ‘tightness’ hockey players report is actually just protective signalling, telling you that a specific area doesn’t feel safe to go to the range of motion you want it to. Which is why chasing more flexibility for hockey players to get into certain positions on and off the ice is scratching the wrong itch so to speak.
Your body is screaming for stability!
What is the answer?
Instead of chasing more flexibility for hockey players through static stretching, or table work, we need to improve stability, strength and coordination in order to improve mobility.
What is mobility?
Mobility is the bodies active range of motion that it can safely use while performing task, such as skating, turning and shooting a puck. Lack of mobility, means your body doesn’t trust you (stability, strength), or understand (coordination) how to get into the position you are asking it to.
We can often have flexibility without possessing mobility. Because our body feels safe in the passive range of motion, but shuts down when their is load on the joint. Also, possessing flexibility, without the appropriate strength and stability is a recipe for injury, as the body is unable to stabilize the joint in times of stress.
How to improve mobility
- Strengthening – By improving strength through a variety of ranges of motions and intensities, we provide stability to the joints, allowing them to move more freely and safely.
- Coordination – Proprioception is our bodies ability to find itself in space and coordinate the muscles accordingly. Improving coordination is another way to provide stability and trust at the joint, allowing it to move more freely.
- Practice the movement – Sometimes the best way to get better at a thing is by doing the thing. Trying to stay lower in your stride? Practice staying lower in your stride. Gradual and continuous exposure to a movement will increase coordination of the muscles required.
- Dynamic stretch – I know we talk about stretching not necessarily improving flexibility in hockey players. However, dynamic stretching is where we pair movement with stretching, so our body has to actively reach those range of motions. See below for some examples of dynamic mobility.
When should Hockey Players Stretch?
Just because static stretching won’t necessarily improve your useable range of motion, it doesn’t mean there is no value to it. So when can stretching help improve flexibility in hockey players?
Downregulate the nervous system – Holding a deep stretch like frogs pose or kneeling thoracic spine while focusing on long belly breathes, is a great way to down regulate your nervous system, in order to jump start recovery. The key is this process takes much longer than the 20-30 seconds most people stretch for. Hold one position, and focusing on breathing for 3-5 minutes.
When paired with strength and stability work – As I mentioned above, much of the range of motion gained through static stretching reverts to baseline after 5-10 minute. So if we want to maintain access to it, we must use it right away in order to signal to our body that it is safe. An example would be pairing a groin stretch with a deep squat, or a hamstring stretch with an RDL. Assuming those are the limiting factors in those movements.
Final Thought on Mobility for Hockey Players
The biggest take away from this is that the body is a complex system which tries to send us signals on what it needs to feel safe. Unfortunately due to bad messaging repeated over the years, we aren’t speaking the same language as our body. What most people believe to be tightness because of a lack of flexibility, is often our body telling us that it need stability and most likely that it is weak.
Want to improve your mobility and flexibility for hockey, or any other sport? If you live in Mississauga, Oakville or the GTA set up a No Sweat Intro call with me, or stop by Prototype Sports Performance, and we can discuss the best approach to help you maximize your performance!
