Part 5: Mobility for Hockey Players
Welcome back to our blog chat Stretching vs. Mobility! I'm Dr. Keirstyn, founder, chiropractor and endurance coach at Endurance Therapeutics. In Blog 3, we covered the mobility drills endurance athletes need. In Blog 4, we broke down what court and field athletes need that endurance athletes don't. Hockey players fall into their own category. You spend hours in a flexed, rotated position on the ice, and that creates predictable mobility restrictions in your hips, thoracic spine, and ankles. Over time, those restrictions lead to lower back pain, groin strains, hip impingement, and shoulder issues.
In this part, we're breaking down why hockey players lose mobility in specific areas, what injury patterns that creates, and what mobility work actually fixes it.
Why Hockey Players Lose Mobility
Hockey players lose mobility because of the position you spend hours in: flexed at the hips, knees bent, thoracic spine rounded forward, and ankles locked in skates.
That position creates wear patterns. Your body adapts to the demands you place on it, and over time, you lose range in the directions you don't train. You also lose the strength and control to handle the ranges your sport demands.
Here's what that looks like:
Hip flexors get tight and hip extension gets restricted because you spend so much time in a flexed position
Thoracic spine loses extension because you spend so much time rounded forward
Ankle dorsiflexion gets restricted because your ankles are locked in skates
Groin and adductors get overworked because they stabilize your skating stride and handle the rotational forces of cutting and stopping
Shoulders and rotator cuffs get overloaded because of the volume of shooting, stick handling, and contact
When you lose mobility in those areas, your body compensates. Your lower back takes over for your hips. Your shoulders compensate for your thoracic spine. Your knees compensate for your ankles. And that's how you end up with lower back pain, groin strains, hip impingement, shoulder pain, and knee issues.
The Four Areas Hockey Players Need to Prioritize
Hockey players lose range in predictable patterns. Here are the four areas that matter most:
Hip extension and hip flexor length
Thoracic extension
Ankle dorsiflexion
Groin and adductor strength and control
Let's break down what you need for each one.
Hip Extension and Hip Flexor Length: The Foundation of Your Skating Stride and Lower Back Health
Your hip flexors spend hours in a shortened position when you skate. Over time, they adapt to that position and lose the ability to lengthen. When your hip flexors don't lengthen, your hip can't extend. And when your hip doesn't extend, your lower back takes over.
That's how you end up with lower back pain.
Hip extension is also critical for your skating stride. If your hip doesn't extend, you lose power in your push off, and your stride gets shorter and less efficient.
What you need:
Hip Flexor Stretch with Posterior Pelvic Tilt: Kneel on one knee, tuck your pelvis under (flatten your lower back), and shift your weight forward. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds per side. This lengthens your hip flexor and teaches your pelvis how to tilt posteriorly, which is what it needs to do when your hip extends.
Split Squats with Hip Extension Focus: At the top of the movement, drive your hips forward and squeeze your glutes. This teaches your hip how to extend under load.
Hip CARs with a focus on extension: Move your hip through its full range, including extension, slow and controlled. This builds motor control and teaches your nervous system that the range is safe.
Programming: 2 to 3 times per week, before or after training. Hip flexor stretches and hip CARs can be done daily as part of your warm up.
Thoracic Extension: The Key to Shoulder Health and Lower Back Pain Prevention
Your thoracic spine spends hours rounded forward when you skate. Over time, it adapts to that position and loses the ability to extend. When your thoracic spine doesn't extend, your shoulders compensate when you shoot or stick handle, and your lower back compensates when you try to stand upright.
That's how you end up with shoulder impingement and lower back pain.
What you need:
Thoracic CARs with a focus on extension: Move your thoracic spine through flexion, extension, and rotation, slow and controlled. This builds motor control and teaches your nervous system that the range is safe.
Foam Roller Thoracic Extensions: Lie on your back with a foam roller under your mid back, support your head with your hands, and extend your thoracic spine over the roller. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths, then move the roller up or down one vertebra and repeat.
Wall Angels: Stand with your back against a wall, arms at 90 degrees, and slide your arms overhead while keeping your ribs down and your lower back flat. This builds thoracic extension and scapular control.
Programming: 2 to 3 times per week, before or after training. Thoracic CARs can be done daily as part of your warm up.
Ankle Dorsiflexion: The Foundation of Your Skating Stride and Knee Health
Your ankles spend hours locked in skates, and over time, they lose the ability to dorsiflex (bring your shin forward over your toes). When your ankle doesn't dorsiflex, your knee compensates by collapsing inward, and your hip compensates by rotating. That's how you end up with knee pain, hip impingement, and groin strains.
Ankle dorsiflexion is also critical for your skating stride. If your ankle doesn't dorsiflex, you lose power in your push off, and your stride gets shorter and less efficient.
What you need:
Ankle CARs: Move your ankle through dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, and eversion, slow and controlled. This builds motor control and teaches your nervous system that the range is safe.
Wall Ankle Mobilizations: Stand facing a wall, place one foot forward, and drive your knee toward the wall while keeping your heel on the ground. This builds dorsiflexion strength at end range.
Single Leg Calf Raises (Eccentric Focus): Stand on one leg, rise up onto your toes, and lower down slowly over 3 to 5 seconds. This builds strength through the full range of ankle motion.
Programming: 2 to 3 times per week, before or after training. Ankle CARs can be done daily as part of your warm up.
Groin and Adductor Strength and Control: The Key to Preventing Groin Strains
Your groin and adductors stabilize your skating stride and handle the rotational forces of cutting and stopping. Over time, they get overworked and fatigued, and that's when groin strains happen.
Groin strains aren't just about strength. They're about control. Your adductors need to be able to stabilize your hip at end range, especially when you're cutting, stopping, or skating laterally.
What you need:
Copenhagen Planks: Lie on your side with your top leg supported on a bench and your bottom leg hanging. Lift your bottom leg up to meet your top leg and hold. This builds adductor strength and control at end range.
Lateral Lunges with a Pause: Step out to the side, sink into the lunge, and hold for 2 to 3 seconds before pushing back to the start. This builds hip and adductor control in the frontal plane.
Adductor Slides: Stand with a slider or towel under one foot, slide that foot out to the side, and pull it back in using your adductors. This builds adductor strength and control through a full range of motion.
Programming: 2 to 3 times per week, as part of your strength training.
How to Program Mobility Work Into Your Training
Mobility work doesn't need to take an hour. It needs to be consistent.
Here's how to fit it into your training:
Daily: CARs for hips, thoracic spine, and ankles (5 to 10 minutes total, part of your warm up)
2 to 3 times per week: Strength based mobility drills (split squats, wall angels, single leg calf raises, Copenhagen planks, lateral lunges) as part of your strength training or cool down (10 to 15 minutes)
Mobility work is most effective when it's done consistently, not when it's crammed into one long session once a week. Small, frequent doses build motor control and teach your nervous system that the range is safe.
What Comes Next
Hockey players lose mobility in predictable patterns because of the position you spend hours in on the ice. If you've been dealing with lower back pain, groin strains, hip impingement, or shoulder issues, the problem isn't that you're not flexible enough. The problem is that your body doesn't have the strength and control to handle the ranges your sport demands.
In Blog 6, we're going to break down how to assess your own mobility, identify your biggest restrictions, and build a personalized mobility plan that fits your sport and your training schedule.
If you've been dealing with tightness, compensations, or recurring injuries, book your session at Endurance Therapeutics today to identify what's actually restricting your movement and build a plan that creates lasting change.
📍 Endurance Therapeutics | Oakville, Ontario
📞 905-288-7161