Stretching WHY SHOULD YOU STRETCH?
Stretching is important for several reasons!
1. It can relax your mind and it tunes your body, it should should be part of your daily life.
2. It will reduce muscle tension and make your body feel more relaxed.
3. It will help coordination by allowing for freer and easier movement.
4. It will enhance your range of motion.
5. It will help in preventing injuries such as muscle strains.
6. It makes a strenuous activity like hockey easier, because it is a way of signalling to the muscles that
they are just about to be used.
7. It will assist in body awareness.
8. It will help loosen the minds control of the body so that the body moves for “its own sake”.
9. It promotes circulation.
10. It feels good.

Stick to these guidlines when stretching.
1. Take your time, never rush your stretches.
2. Move into and out of the stretch slowly, try to relax.
3. Hold each stretch for 10 – 20 seconds, never bounce.
4. Stretch before and after practice.
5. If you want to prevent injury – STRETCH.

This page is kindly reproduced by permission of the Best Of British Ice hockey Camps players handbook
http://www.bobihc.co.uk