Hockey places unique demands on the hips and groin. The skating stride requires hip abduction and external rotation that the sport both develops and restricts. Groin strains rank among the most common hockey injuries. The forward lean of skating shortens hip flexors. The repeated stride pattern tightens specific muscles while neglecting others. These imbalances accumulate over a season without corrective stretching. These six stretches address the specific tightness patterns hockey creates. They target the hip mobility skating demands. Start Your 14-Day Free Trial The 6 Best Exercises 1. Hip Abduction Why it works: The skating stride requires moving the leg away from the body. Abduction flexibility supports powerful strides. 2. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch Why it works: The skating position keeps hip flexors shortened. This stretch counteracts the chronic flexion of skating. JME 113 Place one knee on your chair and move that knee both forward and back to feel a stretch in the front of your leg. 3. Knee to Chest Why it works: Pulling the knee toward the chest stretches the glutes. Glute flexibility supports the deep flexion skating requires. JME 121 Sitting in your chair, grab onto one leg and pull it toward your chest for a gentle stretch. 4. Standing Hip Abduction Why it works: Standing abduction mimics the skating stride. This stretch builds specific flexibility for the sport. JME 125 Holding onto a wall or your chair, extend one leg to the side. 5. Figure Four Stretch Why it works: The figure four stretches the deep hip rotators. These muscles tighten from the rotated position of skating. JME 133 Bring one ankle up to rest on your knee. As you sit in this cross-legged position, rotate your upper body toward the floor to feel a gentle stretch. Don't force your end range - do what works for you. 6. Seated Thoracic Rotation Why it works: Stick handling and shooting require thoracic rotation. Maintaining this mobility supports performance and prevents back pain. JME 150 Sitting in your chair, rotate your upper body both left and right. Don't do this too fast - find what works for you. How to Use These Exercises Perform each exercise for 30-60 seconds. Move slowly and controlled. Do not force range of motion beyond what feels comfortable. For best results: Perform dynamic stretches before training or competition Use static stretches after activity when muscles are warm Breathe deeply throughout each exercise Stop if you experience sharp pain Start Moving Better Today Hockey creates predictable tightness in the hips and groin. These six stretches address the specific patterns skating creates. Stretch after practices and games when muscles are warm. Consistent attention to hip mobility prevents groin strains and extends playing careers. simplmobility provides joint-specific mobility programs designed for athletes and active individuals. Each routine takes 2-3 minutes and targets the areas that need attention most. Try simplmobility Free for 14 Days