Muscle tightness is a common complaint among hockey players.
And, while it is definitely uncomfortable, it can also be detrimental to a
player’s performance and power while on the ice. That’s because tightness, even
in just one area of the body, can negatively affect all the other areas of the
body, leading to reduced strength, speed, and stability on the ice.
Fortunately, there are many easy ways to fix muscle tightness.
Common Complaints
Hockey players, like all athletes, can experience muscle
tightness just about anywhere.
With that said, however, hockey players do tend to have some
areas more commonly plagued by tightness than others due to how they use their
bodies.
Some common areas of complaint for hockey athletes include:
l Hips
l Shoulders
l Lower
back
l Calves
l Achilles
tendons
l Biceps
Common Solutions
Fortunately, when hockey players do complain of muscle
tightness, especially in the above areas, there are many options for relieving
in.
Manual manipulation, stretching, and massage are very common
options for relieving the pain and tightness. However, unless these manual
methods are used in conjunction with other, longer-term forms of treatment,
you’ll only be treating the symptoms and not the problem.
Strength training and flexibility training are absolutely
necessary for keeping tightness at bay. Without strong, flexible muscles, the
tightness is just going to keep coming back and will likely get worse with
time. That’s because the tightness is occurring due to muscles that are too
rigid and weak to function properly when put under stress.
By building stronger, more flexible muscles with the right
training, including during the off-season, muscle tightness should no longer be
a regular problem. And, when it does pop up, it can easily be relieved through
manual methods.
So, don’t worry about muscle tightness. Just correct it with
the proper training and a little manual help as needed.
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