What are Good Exercises for Hockey Players?

What are Good Exercises for Hockey Players?

Hockey, I think we can all agree is the best sport on the face of the Earth. Now that we have all agreed to that, one of the common questions that many players ask is what can I do to make sure I am in good “hockey” shape? That may seem silly to some, but being in good shape, or being an overall physically fit person, does not always equate to being in good shape for the game of hockey.  Hockey is a game that requires endurance, balance, strength, agility, coordination & other areas of physical fitness that all help you improve your game.  Below, you can see some good areas to focus on off-ice that will elevate your next shift on the ice.

Strength

Core strength is one of the most important parts of hockey fitness. Lunges, squats and calf raises are great ways to work on the strength of your lower body that will help with your overall strength on your skates, but also support your explosiveness, or initial quickness.

For your upper body, it is important to work on all muscle areas, but most important are probably your shoulders and your back.  This will not only help you work on the strength of your shot, but also give you the strength to win corner battles, and allow you to fend off hits from the other squad.

Coordination and Vision

Not much replicates the physical motion of stickhandling like more stickhandling. Muscle memory is extremely important for when the puck is on your tape, and you don’t need to think twice about what to do with it.  Off ice stickhandling is very important to get faster and more confident in handling the puck.  

Wrist and finger strength is something that can be worked on passively, though.  Using hand strength devices to get your grip stronger will help, and those can be done while relaxing, or in class.  Just make sure you are paying attention in class!

Endurance

Being the strongest guy on the ice or having the strongest grip are great, but if you can’t go the length of your shift skating as hard as you possibly can, those strengths are going to be wasted.  You need the energy and the endurance to get through a full game to make sure you are being not only the best player you can be, but also the best teammate. Nobody wants the linemate who can’t keep up in the third!

Cardio exercise is extremely important to hockey players. Running is the obvious answer here, and running is great, but that needs to be mixed in with exercises like riding a bike or running stairs.  If you need a little more excitement, obstacle sources are a fun alternative to support your cardiovascular health as well. Obviously though, nothing makes you a stronger skater, than more skating. So if you have access to extra ice, or off-ice devices that mimic skating, utilize those as much as possible.