Three Common Injuries Resulting from Hockey Conditioning Training

Any ice hockey player that wants to improve his or her game is often in the gym working out. However, working out improperly or too much can cause injuries. Hockey players need to make sure that they do not overextend themselves, as they can potentially ruin their season if the injury is serious. Three of the most common types of injuries seen are sore knees, sore wrists, and back pain.

Hockey players often spend quite a bit of time increasing the strength of their legs because it is essential for improving the power in their stride. The longer and more powerful their stride is, the faster they will be able to skate. However, by lifting too much weight or by lifting using the wrong kind of technique, a player can seriously injure his or her knees. If you find yourself having even mild knee pain, you should skip the rest of the leg exercises that you were planning to do so you do not irritate the knees even more. Hockey players need to have injury free legs so that they are able to skate properly and pivot according to where the play is happening.

Another common injury seen in hockey players is seen as pain in the wrists. Hockey players often work out their wrists using various methods so that they can control the puck better. A lot of time this is the result of using an improper lifting technique or by lifting more weight then you should be using. Injuring the wrists can be very detrimental to a player because he or she relies on being able to shoot, pass, and stickhandle the puck well.

Yet another injury that is commonly seen in hockey players due to off ice conditioning is back pain. Many hockey players like to use the squatting exercise to help increase the strength of their legs. However, the bar can put a lot of strain on the back during the lifting process, which can cause a fair amount of pain for a player. Proper form should always be applied and a reliable spotted should help his or her partner when the exercise is being done.

Sources:

Science of Hockey
Ice Hockey Helmet