If you’re stiff as a board, you’re going to get checked hard into the boards. Warming up before you hit the ice can help you stay elastic and elusive. Here, Crash Conditioning president Doug Crashley provides a simple but effective way to loosen up.

“For a hockey player, flexibility allows you to have a full range of motion, whether it’s following through on shot location, extending legs out in a stride or just prolonging your career by keeping injuries away,” Crashley says.

Before lacing up their skates, Crash athletes—including Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green—perform an off-ice dynamic warm-up to get their blood flowing. “We used to just sit around in a circle and [perform] static stretches, but that puts a lot of stress on the joints and causes micro-tears, which [hinder] performance,” says Crashley, who offers the following crash course for a mini-dynamic warm-up.

•    Begin with a light jog to loosen up your body
•    Lunge 45-degrees with right leg, then progress into a side lunge; alternate lunge with left leg
•    Continue warm-up by performing the Inchworm

Inchworm
•    Bend over and touch toes while keeping legs straight
•    Maintain leg position and slowly walk hands out in front of you, until you are in push-up position
•    From push-up position, slowly “walk” feet up to hands until you’re in an arched position
•    Continue for 20 yards

Benefits: Incorporating the Inchworm into a dynamic warm-up strengthens and lengthens muscles, loosens the hamstrings, glutes and lower back and prevents muscle tears and pulls when you’re on the ice.
Coaching Points: Make sure all muscles are going through a full range of motion // Do not strain during Inchworm // Don’t take big steps with feet or hands

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