Conditioning for any sport should focus on the surface it is typically played upon. Hockey is no different, except that it is hard to do recovery or low intensity workouts on the ice. Because of the stress on the legs caused by the pushing off for each stride, it is best to do some other form of exercise for recovery other than skating. Low level movements in a pool or even light cycling is better for this type of training than staying on the ice. During the season, the higher intensity conditioning should be done on the ice. During the off-season, this high intensity work can be done using a variety of cardio equipment such as medicine balls, ropes, or kettlebells, to achieve the cardiovascular overload without skating. When you get closer to the pre-season, add skating to the conditioning.
Hockey
Hockey is a team sport that incorporates balance, endurance, and hand-eye coordination. Choosing the proper hockey equipment is important to protect from injuries or dental damage. Hockey players need to drink plenty of water because the heat and weight of the equipment can cause dehydration.
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Molly Morgan , Nutrition & Dietetics, answeredSee All 3 AnswersHockey is primarily an anaerobic sport from a game perspective for forward and defensive players. Think of an offensive rush that leads to a shot on net or a defensive rush that leads to a shot being blocked. The entire minute or two shift is primarily anaerobic. Goalies, who are typically on the ice for the entire 3-periods of play, will use more of a mix of energy systems (aerobic and anaerobic) and off-ice and on-ice hockey training typically is a mix of aerobic and anaerobic.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredThe goal of pre-season cardiovascular training for hockey is to build a good aerobic base. Start by building up the work capacity. This is done by doing low-intensity work on cardio equipment, if possible, to reduce the pounding on the joints. Pre-season is meant to prepare you for the real season, so there is a fine line between preparing for the season and setting yourself up for burnout in the middle of the year. Building the work capacity slowly is a safe way to ensure you are peaking at the right time during the season. Once you can handle at least thirty minutes of low-intensity training, it is time to increase the aerobic base by pushing your anaerobic threshold higher. Playing hockey requires a series of anaerobic shifts, so preparing to strengthen the anaerobic system is very important. By the end of the pre-season, you should be doing more anaerobic training by working in the same ratio of work to rest that hockey demands, which is in forty-five second shifts.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answered
The cardiovascular demands of hockey are very high, so pre-season training needs to be well-balanced so you will be prepared for the season but do not peak too early. Throughout the pre-season you should be performing a six-day rotation. This rotation will include two days with high-intensity anaerobic training using forty-five second shift intervals as your base. Another two days will be more endurance training around your anaerobic threshold to build work capacity needed for the long season. Two other days will be low-intensity recovery days to promote an aerobic base and recovery. At the beginning of the pre-season, you can slowly introduce skating on the endurance days to get the legs ready for more advanced skating while still working the cardiovascular system. As you progress in the pre-season, some of the higher interval days can also be on the ice. By the end of the pre-season, three to four days per week should be conditioning on the ice at different intensities, while always keeping the recovery days on a bike or in the pool.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredCardiovascular training in-season is based on how many hockey games you are playing during the week. The general rule is that you should perform two high-intensity cardiovascular days per week. If you are playing approximately eighteen minutes or more a game, this game day is considered a high-intensity training day for you. If you have two games per week and you are playing a lot, you should not need any additional interval training during the week. The most important cardio days for a player who is often in the game are the recovery days after a game, training at a low intensity on either a bike, elliptical, or in the pool. If you are not playing a lot of minutes in the game you will need to do some additional high-intensity intervals several times a week for ten to fifteen minutes to maintain cardiovascular strength. Your anaerobic threshold and endurance training should be maintained by your normal practice schedule.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredThe best exercises to develop strength for hockey are large muscle group exercises like bench press, bar squats, and leg curls. These are performed in a more stable environment to allow heavier weights to be used. To train for strength it is important to use the right acute variables in addition to selecting the correct exercises. Your body will best build the strength you need for hockey by performing 1-5 repetitions of an exercise for 4-6 sets. You should use a weight that you would cause muscle failure or near muscle failure with during the set. Perform the exercises with a fast tempo and rest 3-5 minutes between sets to ensure you are recovered.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredImportant areas to stretch for hockey are the hip flexors, thighs (quadriceps), and inner thighs. If you are trying to improve flexibility, use a combination of foam rolling followed by static stretching. Foam rolling is a form of self-massage that applies pressure with a foam roller to tight areas in the muscle. This breaks up adhesions, or "knots", in the muscle and relaxes the muscle to allow for a better static stretch. Start with foam rolling any tight areas like the IT-band (side of the thigh between the knee and hip), inner thigh, and calves. Apply pressure to the tender areas for 30 seconds. Once you have foam rolled your muscles, perform static stretching which is most effective using 1-3 sets of holds for 30 seconds, moving slowing into and out of the stretch. Static stretching helps change the length of the muscle and increase flexibility. To perform the kneeling hip flexor stretch, place one knee on the ground and the other leg out front, similar to a lunge position with the back knee on the ground. Keep the back flat and chest up as you push your hips forward. You should feel a stretch in the hip flexor area of the leg on the same side as knee that is on the ground. Move slowly into and out of the position and make sure you activate your core by drawing-in the belly button to the spine. To perform the thigh, or quadriceps, stretch, stand up straight and bend one knee. Grab the insole of the foot and pull up toward the glute (butt). Keep both knees together as you pull, you should feel a stretch in the front of the thigh. Make sure you activate your core by drawing-in the belly button to the spine. To perform a static stretch for the inner thigh, begin by sitting on a stability ball. Extend one leg out to the side and keep the other knee bent. Then, lean toward the knee that is bent, keeping the back flat until you feel the stretch in the inner thigh. Again, make sure you activate your core by drawing-in the belly button to the spine.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredExamples of basic core exercises for ice hockey include the two-leg floor bridge and prone-iso abs, or plank. The core is the center of the body and where all human movement begins. It is important to have a strong core because it provides stability, deceleration of force, and force production during the hockey game. The basic core exercises involve little movement of the spine and hips. They are designed to work on building core muscle endurance and to teach you how to activate the core muscles. To activate the core muscles, use the drawing-in movement and bracing. Drawing-in is bringing the belly button in toward the spine or sucking in the stomach. Bracing is contracting the abs, lower back, and butt muscles at the same time. Both of these movements are important for core stabilization and the basic core exercises will prepare you for more advanced core exercises. To perform the two-leg bridge, lie on your back with the knees bent and feet flat on the ground about hip width apart. Start the movement by pushing through the heels and driving the hips up in the air; hold at the top and then slowly return to the ground. To perform the prone-iso abs, or plank, lie on your stomach with the elbows under the shoulders and the forearms on the ground. Lift your body up until you are in a flat back position, hold and then return to the ground. Perform 1-2 sets of 15 repetitions of each exercise, holding at the top position for 2 seconds and using a slow tempo. To progress the exercises and make them harder, you can perform single-leg versions or hold for longer time at top.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredThe type of cardio you do during hockey season depends on how often you are playing. If you are playing three to four times a week, then using a stationary bike to rest the inner thigh and other muscles that may be overworked is a good idea. Since the games are high intensity (anaerobic), doing additional high-intensity cardio could lead to overtraining. On the off days, doing 20-30 minutes of low to medium-intensity cardio is best to help with active recovery and prevent overtraining. During low-intensity cardio, you should be able to easily hold a conversation such as during fast walking or slow jogging. During medium-intensity cardio, you should still be able to hold a conversation, but it should be difficult such as during fast joggingg. If you are only playing hockey one to two times a week, then adding some high-intensity interval training will help improve your conditioning. During high-intensity cardio, you should become breathless and not be able to talk in complete sentences such as during a sprint. To perform high-intensity interval training for hockey, you can use a slide board or treadmill to do 45 seconds of high-intensity activity and 115 seconds of low-intensity activity for 5 to 10 rounds.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredBecause ice hockey is a primarily anaerobic sport, you should use high-intensity interval training to improve your endurance if you only play on the weekend. Try adding two days per week of interval training into your routine (e.g. Monday and Wednesday). If you have access to a slide board it is ideal to use that to simulate the skating motion, but you can also use a treadmill to perform your interval training. Start by performing 30 seconds of high-intensity cardio where you become breathless followed by 90 seconds of rest. Repeat these intervals 6-12 times. As you achieve better cardiorespiratory condition, increase the work portion to 45 seconds while maintaining only 90 seconds of recovery.