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By Mike Gough B.Sc., CSCS, CFC
President
Optimum Performance Specialists
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We at PlayYourGame.com are excited to bring to your attention the expertise of
Mike Gough. As a seasoned strength and conditioning coach, Mike has worked with athletes from
the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB. Suffice it to say, his advice will be invaluable in
helping you reach and exceed your goals.
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Due to the movement patterns associated with the skating stride, many hockey players at some point have experienced a groin strain. The groin strain is one of the most common injuries in hockey. The adductor muscles of the inner thigh are recruited during the skating stride, it is these muscles that need to be strong, flexible, powerful and functional to prevent a strain, pull or tearing of the groin. The groin can be injured by inflexibility in the adductors, overtraining, lack of recovery, losing an edge, or balance when hit. The groin muscles have a direct relationship with skating speed, agility and acceleration. It is challenging to recover from the groin strain because of the acute pain when stretching and strengthening the injured groin area.
To recover from a groin pull, avoidance from activities and movements that aggravate the groin is suggested. Rest and the application of ice to the injured groin promotes recovery and reduces inflammation during the rehab phase. A targeted strengthening program should be started once the physician has cleared the athlete. Often with mild groin strains, players play through the injury, and often never fully recover.
There are a variety of exercises to include in your conditioning program to prevent or recover from a groin strain. First and foremost, flexibility is essential. Stretches that target the groin, quadricep, hamstring, gluteal, low back and hip flexor muscle groups are highly recommended. Begin with light stretching if in the recovery process, and increase the range of motion if in the preventative stage. Once a pain free range of motion has been established, light resistance work can be started. Lunges, lateral lunges, sumo squats, lateral squats, lateral step-ups are great exercises that target the adductors as well as other surrounding muscles that play a key role in the biomechanics of the skating stride. Begin using bodyweight resistance working your way up to light loads. Make sure to work the muscle through a full range of motion.
By following a strength and flexibility program for the groin, you can reduce the physical stress on the adductors for increased skating performance. The groin muscles will be more resilient to fatigue and less susceptible to injury.
© 2002 Mike Gough
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