Warm-Up, 4 of 9. Straight from the Hockey IQ book appendix.
From the locker room: Hip mobility was the routine I skipped for two years because it was boring. Then a trainer measured my stride and told me my hips were the problem. Ten minutes, three times a week. Not boring anymore.
Goal: Open your hips, improve lateral balance. Time: 10 minutes.
When: Rest days, after practice, or the night before a game. Hips are where skating lives.
- Leg Swings (front/back, side/side) – 2 min
- Lateral Lunges with Reach – 1.5 min
- Hip Circles (standing or plank) – 1 min
- Single-Leg Toe Touches – 2 min (1 min each leg)
- World’s Greatest Stretch – 2 min (alternate sides)
- Skater Bounds (slow + controlled) – 1.5 min
Why it works: Every stride starts at the hip. Tight hips mean a short stride and a stiff crossover. This routine opens the hip in every direction and then makes you balance on one leg, which is what skating is.
Do it right: Slow. Controlled. Nobody is timing you. If you’re bouncing through the leg swings you’re not stretching anything.
Every warm-up and stretch routine here is in the back of the Hockey IQ book, with the full 9-week hockey-bag program. Back to Warm-Up.
FIND. A. WAY.
